Welcome Guest - Specialty Coffee

Welcome Guest - Biccode, India

Each month, we open our doors to something new - a specialty guest coffee that brings fresh character, fresh flavour and a fresh perspective to your cup.

This month’s Welcome Guest takes us to Biccode Estate in Hassan, Karnataka, where coffee has been cultivated among the hills and forests of southern India for generations.

Set between 950 and 1,180 masl, Biccode is a 150-hectare coffee and pepper plantation where coffee grows beneath a diverse canopy of trees. This shade-grown approach helps regulate temperatures, slow the ripening of the cherries and create the conditions for a beautifully expressive cup.

This Red Bourbon coffee is fully washed, bringing clarity and balance to the cup while allowing its natural sweetness and character to shine. Expect a beautifully rounded flavour profile with notes of almond, cola and raisin: nutty, sweet and gently complex.

Made from local landrace varietals and carefully washed after harvest, this coffee is selectively hand-picked to ensure only ripe cherries make it into the final lot. In the cup, expect layers of honeycomb, tropical fruit and dried apricot, expect a sweet, fruity and wonderfully distinctive profile.

Biccode Estate has a history stretching back more than a century. The estate was first developed by Englishman Clement Lake, who built the Biccode Bungalow in 1906 and lived on the property with his family until 1935.

Today, the historic bungalow has been lovingly restored and opened as Biccode Woodside Heritage, giving visitors the chance to experience the estate and its coffee first-hand. Coffee here is grown as part of a diverse agroforestry system, alongside trees and other crops including pepper and avocados. The canopy supports local biodiversity and provides natural pest control, while selective hand-picking ensures only ripe cherries are harvested.