India Pearl Washed

Ratnagiri Estate, also known as Pearl Mountain Estate, was established in 1920 and is now owned and operated by Ashok Patre. The farm has passed through three generations of the Patre family, from grandfather to father to son. Ashok represents a more progressive direction for Indian coffee production, drawing from global coffee practices while continuing to build on the estate’s long agricultural history.

Located in Bababudangiri in the Western Ghats, Ratnagiri is a single-estate farm growing Arabica at 1200–1500 meters. The farm is planted with Catuai and Caturra and operates under a deeply ecological approach to agriculture. While the estate is not described here as officially organic, its farming practices align with organic and biodynamic principles, supported by quarterly soil testing, organic soil corrections, and applications such as ionic seawater and seaweed extract to support plant health and fruit development.

The estate is Rainforest Alliance Certified and maintained under a dense, multi-layered shade system. This environment supports significant biodiversity, including recorded bird populations, monkeys, leopards, wild boar, tigers, mongoose, and occasional elephants. For Ashok and his family, farm management is directly tied to maintaining balance between coffee production and the surrounding ecosystem.

This washed lot is harvested with attention to fruit maturity, including Brix testing before picking. After harvest, the coffee is fermented for 42–72 hours and dried on raised beds. The coffee is packed in 60 kg GrainPro or Ecotact bags for export.

We have purchased from Ratnagiri Estate for nearly three years, making this lot part of an ongoing relationship with one of India’s leading coffee estates.