Indian specialty coffee has moved from “hidden gem” to serious contender on the global stage, driven by estates in Chikmagalur, Coorg, Wayanad, and other southern regions.
What Makes Indian Coffee Unique
- Indian Arabica often offers a medium to full body, gentle acidity, and flavour notes of chocolate, nuts, spice, and occasional fruit or florals.
- Intercropping with pepper, cardamom, and fruit trees, along with shade-grown cultivation, contributes to these warm, layered flavour profiles.
Key Growing Regions and Typical Flavours
- Chikmagalur: Smooth body, bright yet soft acidity, cocoa and spice hints – excellent for both espresso and filter brews.
- Coorg: Full-bodied, nutty, with earthy, spiced undertones from forest-shaded plantations; works beautifully in milk-based drinks.
Processing Methods in India
- Washed coffees from high-altitude estates often taste cleaner and brighter, highlighting citrus, floral, or berry notes.
- Monsooned coffees, unique to India, develop low acidity, heavy body, and musty, woody, or caramel-like flavours after exposure to humid monsoon winds.
What Most People Get Wrong
- Assuming Indian coffee is always “strong and bitter,” ignoring the diversity from delicate, fruity lots to bold, spicy blends.
- Treating all Indian coffees the same in brewing; higher-altitude Arabicas often shine with gentler extractions like pour-over or AeroPress.
How Seven Beans Fits into Modern Indian Coffee
- Seven Beans focuses on gourmet Indian coffees, including single origins and blends that showcase regional character and processing, such as Monsooned Malabar-based Mishta.
- With tasting notes, roast profiles, and brewing suggestions on each pack, these coffees help home brewers explore India’s estates without guesswork.
If you want to taste how different Indian regions show up in your cup, explore Seven Beans’ range of single-origin and estate-driven coffees, and brew them side-by-side at home.