Gal Costa - Índia
Here at The Good Thing HQ, on occasion when we can we like to match the origin of the coffee to the home of the artists who make the record. Keeps it interesting, ya know? This month’s pairing is not a perfect origin to origin match exactly but it’s pretty perfect. We’ve had a stack of Gal Costa’s strange and beautiful Índia records stashed here in the roastery for a few months now just waiting for the perfect coffee with whih to be paired. We’ve also had 15 bags of Ratnagiri staying fresh in the freezer waiting for the perfect record. The time has come. How could we resist?
Ratnagiri - Chikmagalur, India
Chikmagalur, India. Near Bababudangir–the place where coffee originated in India, in a breathtaking and fertile corner of the South Indian Western Ghats–sits the Ratnagiri estate. The name means ”pearl mountains” because of the Silver Oaks that are found there, shading the coffee's growth. They give the hills of the estate a pearlescent appearance. To Ashok and Divya Patre, this place is just as precious as a pearl. The Patre family has been tending this land since 1927, and their continued adherence to sustainable methods and environmental conservatism has produced excellent coffee and pepper meant to delight the palate. The family's operation is impressive, not just in India and not just for their farming practices. We had their Anaerobic offering last year, and Ashok and Divya are always toying with new processes to create even better coffees. This release is one of their stunning washed offerings. Clean, bright, and flavorful, it's a truly wonderful example of Indian Coffee.