Genetics x Environment x Management
Gundikhan Estate may be in one of the world’s oldest coffee-growing origins, but this year, they set out to explore new frontiers of flavor. With the help of a full-season processing consultant, ripe coffee cherries were sealed in cool barrels for a carefully controlled anaerobic fermentation before being dried whole. By closely monitoring the fermentation's pH, the team aimed for expressive fruit without letting it run wild. The result is thoroughly modern: bright flavors of floral hibiscus tea, ripe papaya, and a mulled wine finish. It’s a new side of Gundikhan, one we’re thrilled to share through our GEM series.
Why this coffee is a GEM
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Indian speciality coffee could almost be considered a GEM in its own right. Much of it grows outside the conditions coffee people typically associate with exceptional quality: relatively low elevations, warm temperatures, and less dramatic swings between day and night. And yet, coffee has been grown in India for centuries, including in the Western Ghats, where Gundikhan Estate sits among one of the world’s great biodiversity hotspots.
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Gundikhan’s owner, Saif, is a member of KaadKaapi, a collective of farmers who see coffee production as a tool for conservation. They protect habitat and wildlife corridors for animals like elephants and tigers, even when living alongside them comes at a cost to farmers.
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This year, KaadKaapi pushed in a new direction with processing. Working with a consultant, they fermented whole coffee cherries in cool, sealed barrels, carefully monitoring pH to develop fruit flavors. The result is a true GEM: an anaerobic natural with distinct, punchy notes of floral hibiscus tea, ripe papaya, and a mulled wine finish.
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Through our partnership with KaadKaapi and Osito Coffee, we’re delighted to share this thoroughly modern expression of one of the world’s oldest coffee origins as GEM 014.
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Another sweet gem from the Gundikhan Estate.
