India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process

About This Coffee

Most Indian Arabica available to home roasters comes from single estates. This lot is different: a community lot grown and processed collectively by five grower couples in the B.R. Hills collective, working with Black Baza Coffee Co, a direct trade partner building long-term producer relationships across the Western Ghats and Nilgiris since 2016.

The honey process here is genuine post-harvest innovation, developed by the growers themselves rather than adapted from a manual. Cherries are hand-picked and segregated to remove underripe or low-density fruit, then pulped and dried on raised beds, a slower, more controlled method than conventional drying that builds sweetness and complexity into the cup.

Growers are paid 1,000 rupees per kilo, 2.4 times Black Baza’s own fair trade minimum, based on quality and biodiversity practice rather than commodity rates. This is direct-sourced, traceable green coffee, grower-to-roaster, back to the specific collective behind it.

Where Does It Come From?

• Country: India
• Region: BRT Tiger Reserve, B.R. Hills, Karnataka
• Farm: B.R. Hills Collective
• Altitude: 1,000 – 1,200 MASL
• Variety: Arabica (SLN9)
• Grade: Specialty
• Lot Type: Community Lot, Limited Allocation
• Process: Honey, Pulp Sun-Dried
• Drying: Raised Bed
• Farming: Non-certified Organic, Chemical-Free, Wildlife-Friendly
• SCA Score: 84 points

B.R. Hills sits at the meeting point of the Western and Eastern Ghats, a landscape of moist deciduous forest inside the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, one of South India’s most biodiverse coffee growing regions. Coffee here grows under native, high-canopy forest structure rather than cleared plantation, with wildlife moving freely among the plants at elevations close to 1,000 – 1,200 metres, cool enough to slow cherry ripening and support the density this lot’s cup depends on.

This lot is sourced through a direct trade relationship with Black Baza Coffee Co, founded in 2016 by Dr. Arshiya Bose to build equitable, conservation-adjacent markets for smallholder growers. Five grower couples in the B.R. Hills collective, including grower Basamma, hand-pick and segregate the ripest cherries before pulping and drying them on raised beds, a technique they developed themselves and refined together as a community.

Farmed without synthetic inputs, though not certified organic, this is chemical-free, low-intervention growing within a genuine wildlife corridor. Fully traceable back to the specific collective behind it, this lot stands apart from commodity trading channels.

Flavour Potential

India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process delivers a clean, crisp cup built on natural citrus acidity and honey-process sweetness. At medium-light roast, expect to unlock:

🍯 Dark Brown Cane Sugar – jaggery-like sweetness, rich and rounded
🍒 Dried Cherry – tart, fruity, lingering

Flavour potential is indicative only. Final cup profile depends on roast level and brewing method. Per SCA cupping standards.

Honey processing retains natural sugars through drying, building sweetness and complexity without tipping into overripe or fermented notes. The result is a coffee that stays sweet and crisp rather than heavy or syrupy, with acidity that stays bright and present at the recommended roast.

What Is Honey, Pulp Sun-dried Processing?

If you are new to green coffee, this processing method explains why India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process tastes the way it does.

Honey, Pulp Sun-Dried means:

• Cherries are hand-picked and segregated to remove underripe or low-density fruit
• The skin is removed through pulping, but a portion of the sticky mucilage is left on the parchment
• Beans dry with this mucilage layer intact on raised beds in the sun, rather than being fully washed clean
• Natural sugars in the mucilage are absorbed into the bean as it dries, building sweetness

Why this matters for home roasters:

• Builds natural sugar sweetness a fully washed process cannot achieve
• Retains bright, natural citrus acidity alongside that sweetness
• Produces a cup that is sweet and crisp without tipping into overripe or heavy notes
• A genuine post-harvest innovation developed by the growers themselves, not adapted from elsewhere

Roast Recommendation

Recommended Roast Range: Medium-light

Medium-light roast is how this lot is meant to be roasted, chosen specifically to preserve the natural sweetness and citrus acidity the honey process builds into the cherry during drying. At this roast, jaggery and dried berry notes stay vivid rather than flattening into generic sweetness, and the bright acidity remains fully intact.

Roast guide:

• Roast Level: Medium-light
• Target Drop Temperature: 200°C – 210°C
• First Crack: Drop shortly after first crack
• Colour: Light-medium brown, no surface oil

Tips for home roasters:

• Honey processed coffees like this one are more roast-sensitive than washed lots, pushing past medium-light risks muting the citrus brightness that defines the cup
• A slightly lighter roast keeps the cup sweet, bright, and crisp without tipping into either extreme
• Pushed too dark, the underlying jaggery sweetness that defines this lot flattens into generic roast char
• Rest 5 – 7 days after roasting before brewing for best results

Brewing Suggestion

Once roasted, India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process is best showcased through brewing methods that highlight its citrus brightness and clean, crisp character.

Recommended brewing methods:
☕ Pour Over – the recommended method, brings out citrus brightness and a clean, crisp character most clearly
☕ Filter/Drip – balanced, highlights jaggery sweetness alongside acidity
☕ Aeropress – bright, clean, workable at multiple roast points
☕ French Press – muted brightness, fuller body, workable but not where this lot is strongest

Brewing tips:

• Water temperature: 92°C – 96°C
• Medium grind, 15 grams of coffee to 250ml water, poured in slow circular motions
• Allow to bloom and filter naturally
• Allow 5 – 7 days rest after roasting before brewing
• Brew black to experience the full citrus and jaggery character

Is This Coffee Right For Me?

Yes, if you are:

• A home roaster who wants to support a direct trade, producer-partner sourcing model
• Someone who enjoys bright, citrus-forward cups with natural sweetness
• Interested in a genuinely traceable community lot, back to a specific collective and grower
• Curious about a coffee with real recognition, from a producer competition win to a national barista stage

Consider another origin, if you prefer:

• A savory, spice-forward washed Robusta, try our India Coorg Robusta Washed AA, Pambukal Estate
• A herb fermented, spiced natural Arabica, try our India Coorg Arabica Natural Herb Fermented, Sandalkad Estate

How To Store Your Green Coffee Beans

Green coffee beans are incredibly stable when stored correctly, far more so than roasted coffee.

• Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight
• A cupboard or pantry at room temperature is ideal
• Do not refrigerate or freeze
• Allow the beans to breathe, avoid fully airtight containers
• Stored correctly, green coffee beans remain fresh for up to 12 months

Why Buy From Roasters Hall?

Every coffee on Roasters Hall is chosen and shipped with Canadian home roasters in mind.

• Specialty grade only – every coffee we carry is SCA specialty grade 84 points and above
• Small retail packs – 200g, 350g, 500g and 1kg, perfect for home roasters
• Direct trade sourced – producer-partner relationships built on fair, quality-based pricing
• Ships across Canada – coast to coast, fast and reliable
• Farm-to-cup traceability – origin-to-roaster records on every lot we carry
• Home roaster focused – built for the Canadian home roasting community

Frequently Asked Questions

What is India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process green coffee?
It’s a community lot Arabica (SLN9) from B.R. Hills, Karnataka, India, grown within the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary and sourced through a direct trade relationship with Black Baza Coffee Co. Pulp sun-dried on raised beds, it delivers a bright cup of dark brown cane sugar and dried cherry.

What does honey, pulp sun-dried processing mean?
The cherry skin is pulped away, but a portion of the sticky mucilage stays on the parchment as the beans dry in the sun on raised beds. Natural sugars in that mucilage layer are absorbed into the bean, building sweetness alongside the coffee’s natural citrus acidity.

What roast level is best for India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process?
Medium-light roast is recommended. This preserves the natural sweetness and bright citrus acidity the honey process builds during drying. Pushed darker, the jaggery-like sweetness that defines this lot flattens into generic roast char.

Is India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process good for beginner home roasters?
Yes, with attention to roast level. Honey processed coffees are more roast-sensitive than washed lots, so staying close to medium-light rewards beginners with a bright, distinctive cup without much risk of over-roasting the delicate acidity.

Why is this coffee also known as Potter Wasp?
Potter Wasp is the name Black Baza Coffee Co gives this lot in their own catalogue, named after a solitary insect known for building precise mud nests, one of several lots named after species native to the growers’ forests.

How does India B.R. Hills Arabica Honey Process compare to India Coorg Arabica Natural, Sandalkad Estate?
Both are distinctive Indian Arabicas but built very differently. Sandalkad’s herb fermented natural is spiced, floral, and tropical fruit forward from a single estate. This B.R. Hills honey lot is a community lot, bright and citrus-forward with jaggery sweetness, sourced through a direct trade grower collective. Two very different stories, both genuinely traceable.

Do you ship green coffee beans across Canada?
Yes. Roasters Hall ships specialty green coffee beans to all provinces across Canada. Orders are packed fresh and dispatched within 1 – 2 business days.