Rick's Coffee

Indian Monsooned Malabar is one of my favorite coffees. I fell in love with its one of a kind flavors and notes on my very first sip! It is one of the staples here in my roasting kitchen. It is a very unique coffee. Most people I have roasted for and shared with feel that its really tasty, some (who prefer more subtle mild coffees) are not big fans of this super flavorful bean.

Here’s what makes this coffee so individualistic. Monsooned Malabar Coffee is prepared from Arabica cherries (“cherry” refers to dry processed coffees in India) After grading, the “monsooning” is carried out in large open walled warehouses. During the rainy months of June through August, the coffee is spread inside the warehouse where the air is maintained at a particular thickness using specific aeration and ventilation as to allow the coffee beans to slowly absorb moisture. After the beans bloat with moisture they are bagged and stacked to achieve the proper uniform “monsooning.” After September, after the rains and as the temperatures rise, the ghostly white, swollen beans get their final grading. This process is done by hand sorting and with gravity tables. Only after this step will the coffee obtain its Malabar export quality.

(before (green smaller bean) after the monsooning process (whitish larger bean)

This coffee is grown by farmers who also grow and produce pepper, cardamom anise and even oranges! These other crops affect the flavor development within the coffee cherries. The same honeybees pollenate all of the blossoms which all play a magical role.

The tasting notes of this great coffee are very full bodied and creamy. Of course, the roast level plays a big role, but generally you will taste soft fruit tones at lighter roast points, chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and earthy cinnamon tones as well.

 

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