Monsooned Malabar Coffee Beans

The beauty of specialty coffee lies in its regional flavors—different growing regions and terroirs produce distinct coffee profiles. Exploring specialty coffee is like taking your taste buds on a global journey. Today, we’re diving into the uniquely distinctive Indian monsooned coffee beans. Just the name alone sparks curiosity. What variety are they, how are they processed, and how does the “monsooning” actually work? Let’s take a look.

India is also the creator of the famous “Monsooned Malabar”—a unique, long-standing process exclusive to India that yields a bold and distinctive cup. It dates back to the era of British colonial coffee cultivation, when green coffee beans were shipped from India to Europe over several months. The humidity and sea winds caused the beans to swell and age.

In recent years, due to improved transportation, the beans have been less affected during transit, and European coffee drinkers noticed that the coffee was losing its characteristic bold and unique flavors. As a result, India began researching how to recreate the monsoon aging environment, using technical methods to restore this processing technique and the distinctive flavor profile of monsooned coffee beans.

Indian Monsooned Malabar coffee beans may appear plump, but they are actually soft beans with a deceiving exterior. Because the beans are exposed to humid monsoon winds for extended periods, their acidity is significantly reduced, resulting in a very unique taste. Their flavor profile includes rich caramel, raisins, and herbal notes, with a mouthfeel reminiscent of genmaicha (brown rice tea) and a berry-like aftertaste.