Kerehaklu, India

Kerehaklu Estate is located in Chikmagalur, in southern India, and is run by father and son Ajoy and Pranoy Thipaiah. The 97-hectare farm is a remarkable place where coffee grows surrounded by dense jungle and native biodiversity, far from the intensive farming models that dominate much of the coffee-producing world. Among the vegetation you’ll also find tall Liberica and Excelsa trees scattered across the landscape, creating a complex ecosystem that shapes the character of the coffee.

While Ajoy brings more than 35 years of agronomic experience and oversees the management of the plantation in harmony with the surrounding environment, Pranoy leads the processing work. With a background in biology and a deep curiosity about fermentation, he has spent the last few harvests experimenting with methods that respect the coffee’s origin while exploring new layers of flavor.

For this lot, Pranoy uses a fermentation starter culture developed from coffee mucilage and parchment coffee. This culture, rich in native yeasts and bacteria, is used to inoculate the fermentation and add greater complexity to the final cup. Interestingly, part of the culture used for this lot was frozen during the previous harvest, when the microbial profile had reached its optimal point, and reactivated for this season’s processing.

The cherries are first fermented overnight before being pulped and transferred to water where fermentation continues with the starter culture for around 35-37h. The coffee is then washed and slowly dried, beginning under shade before finishing in a polyhouse.

The result is a coffee that reflects the terroir and varieties of India, yet with a clarity and complexity rarely found in the region. A project that combines agricultural tradition, scientific curiosity, and a deep respect for the surrounding environment.