Coffee Story
About the Attikan Estate
Nestled at an impressive elevation of 1600 meters in the picturesque Billigiri Rangan Hills of Karnataka, this coffee farm spans 150 acres of rich, loamy soil, ideally suited for cultivating exceptional coffee. Under the stewardship of producers Hamsini and Shreeram Appadurai, the farm employs the Yele Natural process, ensuring that the unique characteristics of the Arabica Catimor beans are fully expressed, resulting in a distinctive flavour profile that reflects the region's rich agricultural heritage.
Randolph Hayton Morris, a Scotsman believed to have ridden on horseback from Coonoor in the Nilgiris, was captivated by the Biligiri Rangan Hills. In 1887, he acquired a sizable area of forest land from the Coimbatore Collectorate and, under challenging conditions, established the estate known as "Attikan" in 1890.
The name "Attikan" derives from the abundance of wild fig trees ("Atti" in the local language) in the region, which impart unique flavours to the coffee grown there. Situated at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, Attikan is the highest location for coffee cultivation in South India, bordered by a reserve forest that is home to tigers, leopards, elephants, Indian gaurs, black bears, spotted deer, and a variety of native fauna, all enhanced by natural wind belts. Spanning 150 hectares, the estate cultivates several coffee varieties, including Arabica SLN 9, SLN 795, Catimor, Kent, Yellow Catuai, and Chandragiri. The estate also has a mysterious past as it was once the hideout of the infamous bandit Veerappan.
About the Yele Natural Process
Carefully selected ripe coffee cherries are picked once they are fully mature and have a rich red colour. This method is essential for achieving optimal sugar content, which is crucial for a clean, really expressive fermentation, uniform sugar levels across the seeds, and balanced fermentation. Immediately after harvest, the cherries are placed in a siphon. The dense, fully mature cherries sink, while the floaters—typically underripe or defective ones—are skimmed off and discarded. Density sorting through flotation helps eliminate low-quality cherries early, enhancing consistency and improving overall cup quality at the end of the process.
The cherries are then transferred to fermentation barrels lined with banana leaves (called yele) grown on the farm. After fermentation, the cherries are slowly dried in a polyhouse over 26 days. This extended drying enhances depth and sweetness. Throughout the drying process, they regularly rake the cherries to ensure even drying and prevent clumping. Frequent turning reduces microbial hotspots, maintains clarity, and provides a consistent moisture gradient across the lot. Next, they dry the coffee to a stable moisture level of 11-12%, which is ideal for safe storage and flavour retention. Precise moisture control locks in sweetness and fruit-forward profile while minimizing the risk of mould during storage.
Once dried, the coffee is packed into jute bags and rested for at least 2 months before hulling. This resting period allows the coffee's flavour to stabilize and the internal moisture to equalize. This "reposo" process is crucial for stabilizing the coffee's cell structure and achieving overall cup harmony, bringing out the best in these naturals—a technique being implemented for the first time at Attikan.
