Komal, Espresso from India

Komal - Green Coffee Information

How we would prepare Komal

 For a classic 9-bar profile, we work with a brew ratio of 1:2.4 to 1:2.5. In 25-26 seconds, a nearly audacious acidity emerges, complex, zesty, yet well-balanced. At 30-32 seconds, the espresso is calmer and less intense, which may be preferred depending on the time of day. 
For the pressure profile, we used a similar brew ratio. "This coffee doesn't need a 1:2 brew ratio to show its fat body," says Michel. For 11 seconds, we create a slow cake saturation at 3 bar, then finish brewing at 8 bar. The texture becomes even softer and more velvety with the pressure profile. Extracted at 25-26 seconds, we also emphasize the acidity and fruit here, while at 30-32 seconds we produce a truly thick and velvety texture (let it cool down a bit). 

Tell me more about Komal 

During their time in London, Komal and Akshay noticed that very little good Indian coffee was being exported. Evidently, there were hardly any exporters focused on specialty coffee. "Let's start an export company – how hard can it be?" Akshay recounts with a broad grin on his face. Shortly thereafter, the two founded the South India Coffee Company (SICC) and returned to India. In addition to their new company, they also took over Akshay's family farm, which they now run as the fourth generation. They also wanted to build partnerships with diverse coffee farmers in the region. "We weren't just looking for partners," says Komal, "we were looking for passionate coffee farmers who understand the complexity of this trade." Faced with low prices and the migration of many people to cities, their approach is based on higher prices and innovations – both technological and in regenerative agriculture.

Why does Komal taste the way it does?

After manual harvesting, the cherries are sorted and fermented for 60 hours in an airtight tank. This allows for more precise control of the process as well as higher consistency and clarity in the cup. Extended fermentation time deepens the flavor complexity and also ensures complete breakdown of the coffee bean mucilage. This post-harvest process is precisely controlled by Komal through the addition of a customized yeast. The whole cherries are then dried for 7-10 days in a controlled temperature environment. Before hulling, they let the cherries rest for another two months to slow down the water activity in the bean and achieve greater stability in the characteristics of the green coffee over a longer period. 

Why did we purchase Komal?

Akshay and Komal, with their South India Coffee Company, function similarly to our Claudia in Nicaragua with her company Bridazul. Both process the cherries from selected farmers who share the same values as they do - and thus as we do. They pay fair prices, share all their know-how via social media, invest in regenerative agriculture, and thus fight poverty and migration in and out of the region. We handle the purchase through Lennart and his company This Side Up. An importer from the Netherlands who not only espouses full transparency but also demands and implements it like almost no other. 

How do we roast this coffee?

We roast the coffee in a 20kg batch on our 30kg Giesen roaster. We roast the coffee for 11:30 minutes with a development time of 60 seconds (9.2%). We decided to roast the coffee light, as this green coffee naturally brings a lot of texture, which is further emphasized by its post-harvest process. This allows us to confidently roast "edgy" and focus on the acidity and aromatics. 

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