Single estate, fermented, barrel-aged, cold-smoked… coffee is going special

In Vasai near Mumbai, coffee cognoscente Bobby Daniels is busy putting finishing touches to his speciality coffee bar—which he is “a hundred per cent sure will boom with business”. His conviction is not misplaced. The coffee scene in India today is evolving faster than light, and appreciation for premium coffee as Adrit Mishra, Starbucks COO stated in a recent interview with World Coffee Portal, “is moving beyond major metropolitan areas”.

Today, love for coffee and coffee-derived drinks among young, educated, well-travelled, and increasingly affluent consumers is stoking a celebration of artistry and spirited refreshment that is echoing in the sprawling coffee plantations of India’s south and among a breed of enterprisers who are fiercely championing a new era of home-grown coffee brews.

India coffee market valued at USD 478 million in 2022 is expected to reach USD 1,227.47 million by 2032 at a CAGR of 9.87 per cent during 2024-2033—driven significantly by specialty coffees which the Coffee Board defines as “high-quality coffees that differ from the normal in both visual quality or cup or both—decaffeinated, organic, high-grown, estate, and variety”.

India’s coffee beans, until not very long ago sold in bulk to large buyers for blending into anonymous commercial blends, are now being exported to the tune of more than 70 per cent of production. And, most significantly, being curated as best single origins and different roast profiles. Now, not only are the best global brands serving up, even Indian entrepreneurs are competing and winning neck to neck internationally.

In 2018, ARAKU became the first specialty coffee from India to receive the Epicure D’or at Prix Épicures De L’Épicerie Fine Awards, in France. In 2021, Indian coffee estate Jumboor was voted Best of the Best by Ernesto Illy International Coffee Awards. Very recently, India’s richly-flavoured elixir South Indian Coffee was ranked by TasteAtlas as Second-Best Coffee in the World, after Cuban Espresso!

India’s entrepreneurs are now engaging in global roasting trends and experimenting with brewing techniques to keep the country drinking. As 93˚ Coffee Roasters states: “The singular goal is to revolutionise India’s coffee culture, rather than looking forward to the next international travel itinerary in search of the perfect cup.” Mishthi Aggarwal, its CEO and the only woman specialty coffee roaster in India would also go on to say in an interview that “the idea is to elevate the Indian coffee experience with a unique blend of Indian-grown specialty coffee.”

Ambrosial experiences

So now, from paying homage to the ancient Indian style of brewing coffee in a brass filter to growing beans in a regenerative forest to packing them specially for cold brews—like homegrown brands Sleepy Owl, Blue Tokai (a pioneer, and others do—coffee curators are serving up specialty and artisanal versions, whose exotic names are enough to conjure up images of ambrosial experiences. Most of them blend high-quality fresh and hand-roasted beans of Indian-origin estates and advice a range of brewing styles—from the good old French press to Moka pot, nitro, and more. Innovative blends include notes of caramel, chocolate, vanilla, and even banana, pineapple, and tangerine.

Also, much like the farm-to-table food movement that has gained traction, coffee too is witnessing a momentum in the crop-to-cup movement, with curators jumping onto this hit bandwagon every other day. This even has veteran coffee enthusiasts intrigued. “I love my coffee classic style. But lately, with the noise building up around the derived varieties, I am feeling the need to savour coffee such ways as well,” says Mumbai-based graphic designer Yogita Iyer, who is now a regular at the Mahim outlet of Third Wave Coffee, a pan-India chain that seeks to “change the world one cup at a time” by sourcing their coffee directly from farms while ensuring that “they are sustainably grown and ethically traded”.

Conscious roasts

Some brands, of course, stand out with distinctive USPs in growing, roasting or blending. For instance, ARAKU whose beans are grown in the regenerative forests of Araku highlands of the Eastern Ghats, found mention in the 2018 World Economic Forum as an exemplar of “how indigenous Indian farmers are fighting deforestation with gourmet coffee.” Priding itself on flagships in Paris and Bangalore, ARAKU is the world’s first terroir-mapped pure Arabica coffee. Grown by indigenous tribes, the label’s organic beans have a rare aromatic profile—with notes of berry, caramel, and vanilla in their Grand Reserve variety; chocolate and spice in Signature; and fruity in Micro Climate. Or even 93˚ Coffee Roasters which boasts of coffee roasts that range from Pina Colada to Tiramisu, Banoffee, Vietnamese Filter Coffee, and many others.

Another coffee connoisseur’s paradise is Black Baza, which calls itself an “interdisciplinary specialty coffee roastery” and believes in giving back to the community and the environment. Famed for its Whistling Schoolboy blend—perfect for iced and filter coffees—the label’s beans can be traced back straight to the farms. “Its limited-editions are especially mind-blowing with undertones of dark chocolate, fruity tang, and more,” says Nandita Moral, a Guwahati based lawyer and coffee aficionado.

Yet another distinctive boutique brand is Halli Berri, perhaps the only family-owned, all-women concern in the country which is “conscious and responsible in its produce”. Grown under a canopy of trees that are under rainforest alliance, its single-origin UTZ certified coffees aim to promote “responsible caffeinating”. Halli Berri’s super-specialty coffee varietals achieved through a process of experiment and innovation, are roasted in small batches for greater complexity; so, an elegant cup of Halli Berri coffee has a natural honey-dew flavour that lingers on the palette.

Fruity, filter, fermented

The variety of gourmet coffees today are quite staggering. With chocolatey notes, dark caramel undertones, fresh fruit flavours (think ice apple, coconut malai, peach) or even complex-fermented, labels like Tulum, Toffee Coffee Roasters and Karma Kaapi seize the attention—much of the oohs and aahs for their banana, pineapple, papaya, and Tangerine fermented coffee variants. And no wonder since fermenting beans with fruits to give them a unique tone is a raging global trend today and fermented or cultured coffees, as they are known, notch up several points with their refined sweetness, body, and acidity. “A couple of must-try fermented coffee variants are Maverick and Farmer’s orange juice-fermented Orange You Curious and lactic acid bacteria fermented Milk & Honey,” recommends Moral. “Another showstopper is Toffee Coffee Roaster’s barrel-aged Single Malt Whiskey Barrel Aged Coffee, whose nuances of fine malt and green apple are heady,” she adds.

Then there is Bhava, with a plethora of artisanal blends to satiate the tastes of coffee drinkers. Curating its coffee exclusively from Indian beans, it encourages the modern coffee drinker to experiment with South Indian style filter coffee. SLAY’s Madras Mud Blend does that too—its temperature-resistant packaging making the product last longer. As for Bhava, its many blends—a rich repertoire of aromas that range from roasted nut to cocoa roast, milk chocolate, cardamom, and more—are making enough waves for the brand to now plan experience centres.

The niche ones

Talking about aromas is also incomplete without the mention of Ainmane’s Civet Coffee. One of the most expensive coffee varietals in the world, civet coffee or kopi luwak is created from partially-digested coffee cherries that have been consumed and defecated by wild civet cats. It is no wonder then that although Ainmané sells several speciality coffees including the bittersweet, spicy, and smokey Monsooned Malabar or even the Green Coffee Powder, it is this ‘wildly’ interesting Civet Coffee that has enthusiasts in raptures.

Another such unconventional coffee is Ol’ Smoky, the first cold-smoked coffee ever produced in the world. Curated by niche brand Maverick and Farmer, it is for those who love a mellow, sweet-smoky lining to their favourite drink that is best enjoyed black or slow cold-brewed with a touch of milk.

With the word now out loud about the exceptional coffees emerging from the estates of India, coffee lovers are not only home-brewing but also flocking to gourmet cafes that are mushrooming as chains or boutique cafes to taste the unique flavours of artisanal brews. And in evolving their palates and sharing their stories they are creating a unique flywheel for India's burgeoning artisanal coffee movement.