India Monsooned Malabar Dark

Tasting Notes: Cedar, Spiced Nuts, Cocoa

Monsooned Malabar is a processing method unique to the Malabar Coast of Karnataka. Typically the coffee is naturally processed and then transported to the Malabar coast for 3 to 4 months, where the beans are exposed to monsoon rain and winds - June through September - in well ventilated warehouses. During this time, the beans swell in size and become pale gold in color, replicating this coffee’s historical journey on wooden sailing vessels from India to Europe. The resulting flavor of the coffee is deep and big-bodied, with earthy and cocoa notes.

The India Monsooned Malabar Dark, sourced from the Malabar Coast and roasted by Montana Coffee Traders, represents a unique intersection of geography and tradition. This coffee undergoes the distinct monsooning process, a technique where beans are exposed to moisture-laden winds for several months, significantly altering their physical structure and flavor profile. While processing methods vary globally, this specific approach is renowned for producing a cup with remarkably low acidity and a heavy, syrupy body.

In the cup, this selection presents a profile defined by cedar, spiced nuts, and cocoa. These characteristics often align with the deeper, earthier segments of the flavor wheel, offering a stark contrast to the bright, acidic profiles found in many high-altitude washed coffees. By embracing the environmental conditions of the Indian coast, this coffee provides a sensory experience that is as much a product of its climate as it is of its origin.