Common Grind: Tales from the Driptray

Well following some great news from Steve Leighton at Hasbean Roastery in Stafford. I wanted to write up a post on Biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic agriculture, in a nut shell, is the act of the farming the land in a way that prevents soil damage, and in fact, unlike organic farming, is actually beneficially to the soil structure and content. As a concept, it is over 80 years old, with the first “Biodynamic Farming and Gardening association” coming about in 1938, however, within coffee at least, its a very new concept. Which Hasbean, I’m proud to say, have become the first roastery in the UK to be certified Biodynamic…

To more slightly more specific, Biodynamic farming is about viewing the soil as an organism, and looking after it as such. The maintenance of the soil itself is very important, and through proper upkeep all the organic colloids (which as my scientific knowledge tells me, prevent minerals being lost through water, and other floatation agents). This is achieved through crop rotation, the use of manure, mixed crops, soil protection and more.

But what does mean to us, as coffee drinkers? It means that through Steve’s certification as the UK’s first biodynamic roastery, he can exclusively bring us two Biodynamic Indian coffees. These are from the Balmaadi Estate, situated in the Nilgiris district of India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu. Of course as part of being bio-dynamic they are also fully organic, with no chemicals being used. And he is offering them as a double pack, a 250g bag of fully washed and a 250g bag of natural.

To quote him “In the cup these are amazing coffees. Indian coffee for me in the past has been very flat uninteresting and boring (with the exception of the monsoon Malabar and peaberry bold with get from Fiaz). This natural is everything but boring. Wild is a better descriptor. It will not be to everyone’s taste and I wouldn’t want to drink it every day. Its winey, ripe fruit, with sultanas and a sherry like aftertaste. But what a treat after some of the very clean washed centrals we have arriving.”. To view the cupping notes, and try a special coffee head on over to Hasbean to try the dual pack, or you can get them separately.

Thanks guys!! By the way, issues with the rss feed are fixed, so if you refresh your feed, my newer posts should appear as if by magic.

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