Ratnagiri Estate, India

About this coffee

For nearly a century, the Patre family has stewarded Ratnagiri Estate, producing specialty coffee and fine pepper. Ashok Patre, the third generation to work the land alongside his wife, Divya, is securing the farms future by making it one of the most impressive operations we‚Äve seen - not just in India, but globally. Mr. Patre’ s processing methods are both intentional and impressive. He understands that Indian terroir and varieties can only produce specialty coffee of a particular character. Consequently, he has developed processing methods that create something unique and exceptional. This coffee is naturally processed and underwent anaerobic fermentation in custom-made bioreactors for 36 hours with lab-isolated microbes before drying on raised beds for 25 days. While this approach can sometimes result in ‚Äúover-processed‚Äù or unclean coffees, many of Mr. Patre‚Äôs lots are clean, complex, and distinctive. Through constant research and scientifically grounded practices, he‚Äôs able to guide fermentations with remarkable precision. Over the past year, he‚Äôs collaborated with a renowned food scientist to design a bespoke line of processing equipment. In his facility, nearly every aspect of fermentation is under control. He‚Äôs also assembled a small team of professionals, including two microbiologists. Each fermentation is carefully tracked, from microbial plating to titratable acidity measurements that guide decisions about when to finish a batch. Mr. Patre is helping push specialty coffee into the realm of true food science, drawing close parallels to beer or wine fermentation.