At a glance

• Farmers: Shamveel Nizam and S M Faisal

• Origin: Coorg (Kodagu), India

• Elevation: 1,170 m (up to 1,370 m at the highest blocks)

• Species: Arabica and Robusta

• Arabica varieties: Sarchimor (SL Chandragiri), selections 795, 9 and 6

• Growing system: Shade-grown agroforestry, two-tier rainforest canopy

• Processing: Washed, honey, natural, and specialty fermented micro lots

• Drying: Shade-dried

• Cupping score: Up to 86.75

• Certification: Rainforest Alliance

• Recognition: Fine Cup India Top 5, Coffee Board of India

The estate

Sandalkad Estate sits in the heart of the rolling hills of Kodagu (Coorg), in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. It covers 225 acres of coffee, spice and orange orchard, with elevations reaching 1,370 m above sea level at its highest blocks. Here, rainforest, monsoon and altitude create a naturally fertile home for coffee cultivation, contribute to the unique terroir of Coorg coffee and influence its flavour, aroma and overall cup character.

For seven generations and more than 175 years, the Bota family has cultivated coffee in a natural, shade-grown environment, where coffee bushes grow beneath a multi-layer canopy of rainforest trees. The family combines traditional plantation knowledge with careful attention to coffee quality, processing and environmental stewardship.

Shamveel Nizam and S M Faisal are seventh-generation coffee farmers managing Sandalkad Estate, one of the oldest continuously operating coffee estates in Kodagu. Together, they have transitioned their ancestral estate from traditional farming into a modern hub for experimental specialty coffee.

Sandalkad offers something genuinely rare in Indian green coffee: a heritage estate with recognised quality and active processing innovation.

Processing

Sandalkad is a producer that experiments deliberately rather than defaulting to convention. The estate has developed its own post-harvest methods for both Robusta and Arabica, moving beyond the processing defaults that characterise most Indian coffee at this scale. For roasters who want Indian green coffee that performs consistently in the cupping room and holds up across multiple roast profiles, that processing precision is what sets it apart.

Robusta. The estate uses extended fermentation and slow drying to reduce the bitterness and woodiness typical of commercial Robusta grades. It is a deliberate, time-intensive decision, addressing the higher chlorogenic acid and caffeine content that gives standard Robusta its harshness. The result is a washed C x R Robusta with a cleaner, more rounded cup character.

Arabica. Sandalkad has developed a natural process lot using herb fermentation, its own version of co-fermentation. Handpicked cherries ferment together with herbs sourced directly from the estate's land. The method is the estate's own, refined through iteration, with results evaluated on cupping panels. For Sandalkad, post-harvest innovation is a core part of the quality programme.

What grows here

Coorg Arabica, an Indian coffee origin with GI status, is among the distinctive coffees produced in this region.

The estate produces both Arabica and Robusta. Arabica grows at higher elevations, mainly Sarchimor (SL Chandragiri) alongside selections 795, 9 and 6, while Robusta grows lower down.

The estate is also experimenting with Geisha and Pink Bourbon, Castillo from Colombia, and TN1 from Laos.

The estate's coffee is trusted by roasters and coffee lovers in the USA, Japan, Italy, France and beyond.

How it's grown

The estate's approach places importance on careful cultivation, selective harvesting and maintaining the natural environment surrounding the coffee plantations. The natural canopy provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, creating a more balanced agricultural environment.

People and practice

The estate runs education camps for its workers on hygiene and environmentally friendly practices, to improve living and working conditions. It also holds regular medical camps to ensure health and safety.

The vision

Shamveel Nizam wants to share the heritage and quality of Indian coffee with the world. SAUCCI is committed to bringing that vision to Australia.The estate