PHANTOM - Ashok Patre

RATNIGIRI ESTATE

Producers: Ashok & Divye Patre

Origin: Western Ghats, Chikmagalur, India

Altitude: ~1350M

Process: Natural fermentation in custom-made bioreactors for 36 hours with lab-isolated microbes before drying on raised beds for 25 days.

Notes: grape jelly, wild flowers, mountain memories

The right moment had come in Chicago a handful of years ago...during the pandemic. We met & cupped with Pranoy & Ashok of 2 different regions and 2 different coffee projects in India. The amount of people attending the cupping was...incredible. It was PACKED. Knowing we wouldn't necessarily get a chance to make a pass, we decided to focus on talking to Pranoy and Ashok about what they do & how they're still very much trying to change the status quo of coffee in their country. One of us was able to make a VERY quick pass to some cups that were basically coffee grounds with some liquid in them...& the coffees were AMAZING. We DO have to go into it with the clear reminder that this is INDIAN COFFEE. It's NOT going to taste like a washed Colombian...or an Ethiopian...it's an Indian coffee. This one is very creamy, smooth, & has some super sweet grape jelly funk on it. It ends long & floral & makes us think of the Karakoram...being in nature & being contact with everything that makes us human. This includes drinking the beautiful coffees that nature & Ashok provides us. 

The name Ratnagiri means “pearl mountains.” It alludes to the dense silver oak trees populating the hillside in and around Ratnagiri Estate. The oaks provide shade for coffee.

Ashok Patre is the latest in a long line of Patres to own and operate Ratnagiri Estate. Begun in 1927, the Patre family has been focused on producing coffee at Ratnagiri estate for nearly 100 years.  In 2000, Ashok began investing in modern agricultural technology and focusing on specialty coffee production. He continues to expand the capabilities and increase quality at Ratnagiri Estate each year.

In addition to improving coffee quality, Ashok is also focused on protecting the environment. He uses organic fertilizer and compost to fertilize trees. Coffee trees grow under 50% shade cover, which he believes is the best way to minimize fungal infections while improving coffee quality.

The farm is fed by 2 freshwater streams. Ashok has implemented a strict protocol for processing wastewater before releasing it back into the environment.