India, Ratnagiri - Extended Carbonic Maceration

Producer: Ashok & Divya Patre

Farm: Ratnagiri

Country: India

Region: Chikmagalur

Elevation: 1340 MASL

Varietal: Catuaí

Process: Extended Carbonic Maceration

Taste: Orange, Floral, Raisin

For almost a century, the Patre family has been a steward of the Ratnagiri estate, producing speciality coffee and fine pepper. Ashok Patre, the third generation to work the land, alongside his wife, Divya, is commited to ensuring the future of the farm by making it one of the most impressive operations - not just in India, but in the coffee-producing world. 

Mr Patre's processing are both intentional and impressive. He understands that Indian terroir and varieties can only produce speciality coffee of a particular character and quality. Consequently, he has developed processing methods that manipulate the flavour of the final product to create something unique and exceptional. 

While this approach to coffee processing can sometimes lead to "over-processed" or unclean-tasting coffees, many of Mr Patre's coffees are clean, complex and interesting. Through tireless research and the careful application of scientific techniques, Mr Patre is able to control fermentations in such a way as to create truly delicious coffees. 

This is our import partner Osito's second harvest working with the Patres. During multiple trips to India early last year, they witnessed the construction of a state-of-the-art processing facility with an atmosphere more reminiscent of a winery or brewery than a typical coffee processing facility. In many ways, watching Ashok work and develop his processes is like taking a glimpse into the future of speciality coffee, Osito say.

The coffee cherries for this lot were harvested at 23.9 brix, floated and then placed in a stainless steel tank and allowed to ferment for 60 hours before being moved to raised beds and dried for 30 days.