What Makes Chikmagalur Coffee Different

Legend has it that coffee cultivation in India began in Chikmagalur in the 1600s, when the pilgrim Baba Budan is said to have smuggled seven coffee beans out of Yemen and planted them in the hills that now bear his name. Whatever the exact history, Chikmagalur's altitude — estates here sit between 900 and 1500 metres — and its shade-grown tradition under native rainforest canopy produce a distinctly bright, floral Arabica. The slower ripening at altitude concentrates sugars and acids in the cherry, which is why estates like the one behind our Chikmagalur Estate Arabica consistently produce a lighter, more aromatic cup than lowland-grown coffee. Shade-growing isn't just a flavour choice — it keeps the surrounding forest intact, supporting biodiversity that a monoculture plantation would strip out. It's slower, lower-yield farming, and it's exactly why we pay a premium for it.