THE PROCESS: The origins of Monsoon Malabar date back to the times of the British Raj, when, during the months that the beans were transported by sea from India to Europe, the humidity and the sea winds combined to cause the coffee to ripen from the fresh green to a more aged pale yellow. In the past, when wooden vessels carried raw coffee from India to Europe, during the monsoon months taking almost six months to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, the coffee beans, exposed to constant humid conditions, underwent characteristic changes. The beans changed in size, texture, and appearance, both as beans and in the cup.

Modern transportation reduced the length of this journey and better protected the beans from weathering and humidity, however, the coffee beans arriving in European ports lacked the depth and character of the coffee beans previously received. An alternative process was implemented to replicate the prior conditions. Whole crops of cherry coffee are selected and sun-dried in expansive barbecues. The dried beans are cured and sorted, after which they are stored in warehouses until the onset of monsoon. From June through September, the selected beans are exposed to moisture-laden monsoon winds in well-ventilated warehouses (12 to 16 weeks time). The monsooning process involves careful handling, repeated spreading, raking and turning around in regular intervals. The beans absorb moisture and get significantly larger, turning a pale golden color. Further sorting is done to separate fully monsooned beans.

OUR DEEP ROAST stays true to the monsoon process and delivers a unique and potent smelling coffee, earthy and with a tinge of sweetness from front to back. The dry grounds give off sweet granola notes, and a smoky/earthy accent. The wet aroma is marked by smells such as rustic palm sugar and green mossy smells. Our roast delivers earth-toned sweetness, accented by hints of cocoa powder in the finish.

*** All prices are per pound ***