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Balmaadi Estate is situated in the Nilgiris district  of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu.  It is part of a group of plantations developed over 150 years ago by Scotsman John Ouchterloney and sits nestled in the verdant O'Valley, criss-crossed by numerous mountain streams.  Balmaadi produces some of India's highest altitude coffees with plantations at an elevation ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 ft above sea level.

The estate merges into the forum and its coffee bushes are grown under the natural shade of Sholas, trees native to the Nilgiris biosphere.  This provides an ideal habitat for local animal and bird life.  At sunset, groups of Sambhar, Bison and Barking Deer are a frequent sight and by night, elephants and panther roam freely.  Monkeys keep the estates' workers company throughout the day and Balmaadi is currently creating a special monkey playground to keep the animals busy and away from the coffee cherries!

Balmaadi is committed to sustainable, unintrusive methods of agriculture and maintaining the exceptional biodiversity of the area.  It produces it's own compost, liquid manure and cow horn manure as well as "Pachagavyam" which is a concoction of 5 products from a cow - milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine which is fermented and sprayed as a fertiliser.  The coffee is harvested in November when the "just ripe" cherries are hand-picked, pulped, fermented, washed and sun-dried on tables.  At no stage in the processing are chemicals used.

The estate is certified organic and practices a mix of ancient Vedic methods and biodynamic techniques advocated by Rudolf Steiner.

The coffee offers a fragrant, aromatic and floral cup with a medium body and medium acidity.  Definintely more reminiscent of a fine Ethiopian than a commercial Indian coffee.

Price shown per 500g.

£8.50

Product Code: INDM14