This coffee is grown and produced on the well-known Kerehaklu estate by father/son duo, Ajoy and Pranoy Thipaiah who are doing incredible work elevating the quality reputation of Indian coffees, an origin that hasn't historically gotten much love in specialty, being known instead for its robusta and commercial-grade arabica production. But, no more!

Father, Ajoy oversees the farm, with a focus on agronomy and plant health, whilst Pranoy brings his expertise in post-harvest processes to the table. His deep curiosity about how processing can add nuance and complexity to coffee, has led to many exciting developments on the farm over the past four years. They’re also both equally committed to allowing plant genetics and the native microbiome to remain the dominant forces in shaping quality and flavour.

This coffee in particular is processed in a fascinating way, calling for the unique process name of ‘Sequentially Fermented Washed’.

Pranoy’s method has an analogue in sourdough bread. He creates a starter culture using parchment and mucilage. The native yeasts and bacteria on the fruit activate within the mixture, which is then cultivated into a vibrant culture used to inoculate fermentations.

The freshly harvested cherries are floated in open-air tanks to ferment for approximately 15 hours overnight, the coffee is then pulped and transferred to lidded plastic barrels containing water and Pranoy’s unique starter. The coffee is sequentially stirred every few hours to introduce oxygen and ensure a clean and uniform fermentation. It is then mechanically washed after 35 hours and dried under heavy shade for two days before it’s transferred to a polyhouse to complete drying.

This creative and considered process makes for a unique cup profile and one we’re truly excited to share with you.

Although versatile, we think Tidal Wave shines on espresso and have profiled it with this brew method in mind.