Thogarihunkal Estate is located in Chikmagalur, nestled in the hills of Baba Budangiri, the birthplace of Indian coffee culture. The estate is managed by brothers Mallana Gowda and Chenna Basave Gowda, who are now in the process of passing on the baton to the next generation, Nandan and Abishek.

The family has been in the coffee business since 1857. Their estate was initially started by the British who picked the location because of the favourable conditions and high elevation.  At 1350m above sea level, the estate has maintained separate blocks for Arabica and Robusta, which are then segregated by varietal. Chandragiri, Selection 795, and micro lots of Selection 5 and Selection 7 are the Arabica varietals that are grown on the estate.

In addition to taking care of the quality of the coffee, Thogarihunkal is also invested in the care of its workers. The staff are provided housing, schooling for their children and on-site healthcare facilities. They also follow environmentally friendly practices of growing and harvesting by maintaining forest shade, treating water in a dedicated treatment plant, and limiting pesticides and fertiliser.

The estate uses modern processing facilities to transform the cherries into green coffee. These include two pulping units, multiple fermentation tanks, spacious drying yards, and raised beds.  

Since 2017, Blue Tokai has worked with the estate during the harvest period on cherry selection and processing. Through this hands-on process, we were able to see an increase of several points in the cupping score compared to the lot of coffee we bought the previous year.  

Click here for Thogarihunkal Estate Coffee.