Palani Hills Arabica, Washed
Palani Hills, Arabica, Washed is a blend of Chandragiri, Sarchimor, and SLN-8B varietals, grown at 1,100 to 1,300 metres in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu and pulped to keep each bean free from damage through processing. Washed, the result is a clean cup with moderate acidity and a distinctly earthy, spicy character, carrying notes of burnt caramel, toasted nuts, and cocoa. This lot comes from a collective of smallholder growers farming just 2 to 8 acre plots, cultivating Arabica under the shade of mostly native tree species with little to no fencing, a structure that lets wildlife move freely through the farms with minimal disruption to either the coffee or the animals.
This coffee is sourced through our partnership with Black Baza Coffee, a direct trade company working with smallholder growers across the Western Ghats and Nilgiris.
Origin
Palani Hills, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu
Process
Washed
Variety
Arabica (Chandragiri, Sarchimor, SLN-5B)
Elevation
1,100 - 1,300 MASL
Cup Profile
Burnt Caramel, Toasted Nuts, Cocoa
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Flavor Journey
Roast approach
Medium-dark roast is how this lot is roasted, a level chosen to bring out the earthy, spicy character that defines this blend, along with deeper notes of burnt caramel, toasted nuts, and cocoa. Pushed to medium-dark, the cup gains body and a fuller roast character, while staying short of the point where those toasted, roasted notes would tip into bitterness or char.
Because this is a blend of three varietals rather than a single-origin lot, a darker roast has a practical advantage: it brings Chandragiri, Sarchimor, and SLN-5B into closer alignment by the end of the roast, softening the varietal differences that would be more pronounced at a lighter profile. Each cultivar develops sweetness and structure at a slightly different pace, the medium-dark finish lets all three settle into the same earthy, cocoa-forward register rather than pulling the cup in different directions.
French press is the recommended brewing method for this lot. Coarse grind 18 grams of coffee, pour in 240ml of hot water at 92–94°C, stir gently, place the lid on, and steep for 4 minutes before pressing down slowly, a method well suited to the fuller body and earthy depth this roast level builds.
Why Roasters Choose This Coffee
Palani Hills, Arabica, Washed comes from Tamil Nadu’s Palani Hills, grown at 1,100 to 1,300 metres, where smallholder growers farm just 2 to 8 acres each under the shade of mostly native tree species with little to no fencing. This openness lets wildlife move freely through the farms, a growing model built around coexistence rather than clearance.
Roasters value this lot for the clarity and consistency the washed process delivers. Pulping ripe cherries carefully to keep beans free from damage produces a clean cup with moderate acidity, lower added depth and body by the medium-dark roast. Burnt caramel, toasted nuts, and cocoa come through cleanly, without the fruity brightness of a natural or the citrus sharpness of a lighter roast. As a blend of three varietals, Chandragiri, Sarchimor, and SLN-8B, it also carries more complexity than a single-varietal lot typically offers, without losing the clean, structured character the washed process is chosen for.
This lot is sourced through a direct trade relationship with a named grower collective rather than commodity trading channels, keeping the coffee traceable back to a specific farming community. Full detail on the current sourcing partner and the growers behind this lot is below.
Why Roasters Choose Palani Hills, Arabica, Washed:
- A three-varietal blend offering more cup complexity than a single-varietal lot
- An earthy, spicy profile with burnt caramel, toasted nut, and cocoa depth
- Grown under native forest canopy with little to no fencing, supporting free wildlife movement
- Fully traceable back to a named grower collective
- Sourced through a direct trade relationship rather than commodity channels
Behind the Cup
Kaati is the name Black Baza Coffee Co. gives to this lot in their own catalog. Founded in 2016 by Arshiya Bose, Black Baza Coffee is a Bangalore-based direct trade company working with smallholder producers across four regions of the Western Ghats and Nilgiris: B.R. Hills, Palani Hills, the Nilgiris, and Wayanad.
Kariyamal is one of the growers behind this lot, part of a collective of smallholder growers farming just 2 to 8 acres in the Palani Hills, cultivating coffee under the shade of mostly native tree species. In 2026, Black Baza Coffee paid her 1,000 rupees per kilo for this coffee, a price set by Black Baza’s own pricing structure, which pays on quality and biodiversity practice rather than commodity market rates.
The name Kaati is a name used by Black Baza Coffee Co. for this lot in their own catalog, one of several coffees they’ve named to reflect the landscapes and species their growers farm alongside.
Black Baza Coffee received the SCA 2025 Sustainability Award, recognition of its work across the value chain.
India Coffee Company sources this coffee through our partnership with Black Baza Coffee, making this Palani Hills lot known to Black Baza Coffee as Kaati available to North American specialty roasters.
Key facts:
- Sourcing partner: Black Baza Coffee, founded 2016, Bangalore
- Growers: Smallholder collective, Palani Hills, including Kariyamal
- Price paid (2026): ₹1,000/kg
- Recognition: SCA 2025 Sustainability Award
- Trade model: Transparently traded
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Have questions first? Get in touch
About the Palani Hills Arabica, Washed Coffee Lot
The Palani Hills form part of the southern Western Ghats, extending across Tamil Nadu and into Kerala. The landscape is mixed forest sitting around 1,200 metres elevation, cool enough to slow cherry ripening and support the density behind this lot’s fuller body. This mix supports a wide range of wildlife, including the Indian Gaur, one of the region’s largest resident mammals, alongside other species that share the landscape directly with coffee cultivation rather than being displaced by it.
Growers in this region typically farm small plots, often between 2 and 8 acres, under the shade of mostly native tree species. Fencing is minimal or absent on many of these farms, a deliberate choice that allows wildlife to move through the growing area with little conflict, coffee and forest function as one connected system rather than separate land uses.
The washed processing used for this lot involves pulping each cherry to remove skin and fruit shortly after harvest, a method chosen to protect bean integrity and produce a clean, consistent cup before roasting develops the earthy, spicy character this lot is known for. Chandragiri, Sarchimor, and SLN-5B are all established Arabica cultivars in South India, valued for combining reasonable yield with a cup profile that holds up well through washed processing and a fuller roast.
Agronomy and growing conditions:
- Forest type: Mixed
- Elevation: 1,200 MASL
- Varietal: Chandragiri, Sarchimor, SLN-5B blend
- Region: Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu
- Growers: Smallholder collective, including Kariyamal
- Farm size: 2 – 8 acres per grower
This coffee is part of India Coffee Company's Black Baza Coffee sourcing programme, which also includes:
B.R. Hills Arabica, Honey Process
- Arabica (SLN9)
- Honey Process, Pulp Sun-dried
- 1,000 - 1,200 MASL
- B.R. Hills, Karnataka
- Jaggery, Dried Cherry
B.R. Hills Arabica, Washed
- Arabica (Chandragiri)
- Washed
- 1,000 - 1,200 MASL
- B.R. Hills, Karnataka
- Dark Chocolate, Brown Sugar
Wayanad Robusta, Natural
- Robusta
- Natural, Sun-dried
- 700 - 900 MASL
- Wayanad, Kerala
- Dark Chocolate, Tobacco, Spice
B.R. Hills Arabica, Peaberry, Washed
- Arabica (SLN-9)
- Washed - Peaberry
- 1,0oo - 1,200 MASL
- B.R. Hills, Karnataka
- Cherry, Milk Chocolate, Fruits & Nuts
