Review: Blue Tokai – Kalledeverapura

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Beans: Kalledeverapura, sun pulp dried, S795, Chikmagalur, India
Shop: Blue Tokai, Mumbai, India.

Blue Tokai: Kalledeverapura – Background information.

Kalledevarapura Estate dates back to the 1900s and was the first farm Blue Tokai visited before they launched Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters. The lush estate is situated at an altitude of around 4400 feet above sea level in the picturesque Bababudangiri Hills in Chikmagalur, Karnataka. Kalledeverapura grows selection S795 which is bird friendly and shade grown since the estate is covered with Jack Fruit, Fig, and Silver Oak trees. The temperature in this region ranges from 12-32°C with the harvest taking place from January to March. The picking and processing of coffee beans at Kalledeverapura are done by trained staff who ensure that ripe coffee beans are harvested and processed every time. In fact, trained berry pickers carry out four rounds of hand picking as compared to the conventional two rounds to ensure that the best cherries are picked.

Blue Tokai: Kalledeverapura – Opening the package.

The Blue Tokai package comes in a beige color with beautiful art on the back. This art is different with each coffee package and on this specific package we see a tree surrounded by animals such as an Elephant, a Warthog, fishes and birds. Really beautifull! The package itself has a degassing valve and a ziplock to keep the coffee fresh. The roast is even en smells great: a sweet nutty flavor with a hint of toast. When I bite down on a bean I get a soft bitterness that reminds me of tea. Before long the bitterness changes into a fruity sweetness that makes me think of grapes and raisins. I grind the coffee and the smell of berries and almonds appear on the nose.

Blue Tokai: Kalledeverapura – The tasting.

I have reviewed this coffee on the Hario V60, the Aeropress and Siphon. The Aeropress produced a balanced cup with equal notes of nuts and fruits. The Hario and Siphon created a coffee that was less balanced but had more distinct flavors and aroma’s.

When brewing this coffee there are two different aromas to be found. The first is that of almond with a sugary sweetness to it. The second aroma is that of vanilla. This is when the coffee cools off a little.
I take a sip and slurp oxygen inside. The coffee opens up immediately and I feel a spike of sweetness on my tongue. There is a slight bitterness on the sides of my tongue that reveal the flavor of almonds. As I swirl the coffee round in my mouth the sweetness returns and brings a flavor of raisins to the table. The sweetness lingers shortly before the nutty flavors take over again. The sweetness in this coffee reminds me of honey in a way but not the typical super sweet aspect of it. It is more the flavour itself that comes forth.
The coffee has a light sparkly acidity with medium strength. This means that you will not get a ‘full’ feeling when drinking more than one cup.

Blue Tokai: Kalledeverapura – The verdict.

The Kalledeverapura is an easy coffee that has flavors which are not hard to detect. The almond, vanilla and raisin aspects are clearly present as a flavor and as an aroma as well. Indian arabica coffee is on the rise and it is coffees like this that create a solid foundation. Easy, simple and very agreeable as an all day long coffee. Great work by Chitnis, the roaster of Blue Tokai.