India Monsooned Malabar

The Story

This is one of the most unusual coffees in our lineup, born from a historical accident. In the days of sailing ships, green coffee beans traveling from India to Europe would swell and change character during months of exposure to monsoon moisture in cargo holds. When steamships shortened the journey, the distinctive flavor was lost—so Malabar coast producers began deliberately recreating the process. Our beans are spread in open-sided warehouses during the June-September monsoon, absorbing humid winds off the Arabian Sea for 12-16 weeks. The transformation is dramatic: near-zero acidity, a heavy, almost chewy body, and flavors of pipe tobacco, black pepper, and loamy earth. Not for everyone, but unforgettable for those who love it.