Indian Monsoon Malabar

This is a coffee we’ve stocked in our retail store since day one and I must admit it was initially one of those coffee’s that I wasn’t too sure on at the beginning.  As per normal with our stock levels, sometimes we have a certain single origin or blend that runs out and we refer customers to the closest alternative.  The problem with a coffee like Malabar is that there is no other coffee remotely similar in our range.  The Monsoon Malabar was also always one of the coffee’s that we couldn’t run out of.  Why?

I quickly learned that Monsoon Malabar drinkers are very loyal and won’t settle for an alternative.

Why is Monsoon Malabar so unique?

It’s flavour, processing method and even its appearance is very different to other coffee.

The raw beans of most coffee are green in colour and the Monsoon Malabar is yellow.  It is also slightly larger in physical size than most other raw beans and it is a lot less dense.  This means that with the same volume of raw beans, the Malabar takes up more space.

Acidity

The Monsooned Malabar coffee is often regarded as the lowest acidic coffee in the world.  This poses many advantages for those looking for a coffee with lower acidity to align with a higher alkaline diet.  We are unable to guarantee the PH of the Malabar due to the water being used to brew the coffee having a big factor on the final PH of the coffee.

Flavour

I often say to people looking at this coffee that it is one that people either love or hate.  Its aroma is very distinct and a fair representation of the cup and I often refer to the aroma as malt and slightly burnt caramel.

With an extremely low acidity, the Malabar has a big bold flavour profile.  We roast this coffee reasonably light to bring out its natural malt sweetness, similar to that of a malt biscuit.  It also has hints of spice, rustic nutty tones and a chocolate/malt sweetness.

Processing

The processing method of the Malabar is extremely unique and unlike any other coffee.  Once the cherries have been picked, it is sun-dried in allocated areas.  The dried beans then get seasoned and divided into quality selections of A or AA.

From here, the beans are now stored and protected until the beginning of the monsoon season in India.  This season occurs from June to September and the raw beans are exposed to the winds and humidity of the Indian coast for a total of 3-4 months.  After the season is over the beans get transferred to an open warehouse with ventilation for 12 – 16 weeks.

During the time the beans are left in the Monsooned winds, there is still a reasonable amount of labour involved to spread, rake turn the coffee at regular intervals to ensure evenness.  The beans absorb moisture from the wet sea winds causing them to swell hence their large physical size.  This also regulates the PH of the coffee as they turn into a golden yellow.

Malabar at Meebz

The time I am writing this blog post is when our new shipment arrives after being out of stock for almost 2-months.  We were unable to find any coffee wholesalers with raw beans of the Malabar so we requested a special order.

Our latest Malabar is from the recent harvest and is the highest-grade Malabar available (AA).  Unfortunately like many things, the cost of the raw beans has increased and we have also had to increase its price.