Rare origin · shade-grown with spices

Indian Coffee Beans

India’s coffee grows under tall shade trees in the hills of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, often next to pepper and cardamom.

Altitude
3,000–5,000 ft
Harvest
November–February
Varieties
S795, Selection 9, Chandragiri
Usual process
Washed and natural
Rarity index
97/100

Carried by 10 of 312 US roasters we track

On Roasterland
6 coffees · 6 roasters

In the cup

Spice, chocolate and a heavy body

Rich and low in acidity: dark chocolate, spice, molasses and sometimes a hint of the pepper that grows alongside.

Dark chocolateSpiceMolassesFull body

Taste profile

SweetnessMedium
AcidityMedium
BodyFull
BitternessMedium

From our tasting of every coffee from this origin on Roasterland. Each coffee page has its own profile.

India, side by side

Same origin, different small roasters. Each roasts it its own way.

About the region

Seven beans from Yemen

Legend says a pilgrim named Baba Budan smuggled seven coffee seeds out of Yemen in the 1600s and planted them in the hills of Chikmagalur, which still carry his name.

Indian estates grow coffee under two layers of shade, mixed with pepper vines, cardamom and fruit trees. India is also home to Monsooned Malabar, coffee aged in the monsoon winds.

Roasters who roast India

Huckleberry Roasters Denver, CO

If you like India, try

Asia & PacificYemenDried fruit · Spice · Cocoa · Winey IndonesiaSumatraCedar · Herbal · Dark chocolate · Earthy Asia & PacificThailandCaramel · Nutty · Milk chocolate · Dried fruit

Questions about India

What is Monsooned Malabar?
Indian coffee exposed to humid monsoon winds for weeks, which swells the beans and gives a mellow, low-acid cup.
Is Indian coffee arabica?
India grows both arabica and robusta. Our listings are arabica unless the roaster says otherwise.