Kerehaklu Estate

In Chikmagalur, near Aldur village, Kerehaklu Estate has been farmed by the Thipaiah family for generations — a lineage that now includes Pronoy, who continues the family's tradition of experimental, quality-first processing. The estate takes its name from two old Kannada words: "kere," meaning lake, and "haklu," meaning shelter — together, "the shelter by the lake," a fitting name for a farm tucked into such quiet, forested surroundings.

Kerehaklu sits at roughly 1200 metres above sea level and is farmed chemical-free, with a deliberate focus on maintaining a healthy microbial ecosystem in the soil. Coffee here grows alongside wild fig, jungle mango, avocado, jackfruit, and pomelo trees, creating a biodiverse canopy that shelters the plants and supports the surrounding wildlife, flora, and fungi.

The estate grows a wide range of varietals — Chandragiri, Selection 795, Selection 9, Selection 6, and small amounts of Anokhi Liberica and Robusta — and processes its coffee using washed, natural, and honey sun-dried methods, depending on the lot.

This spirit of experimentation is exactly what drew us to Kerehaklu — it's where our Culture Washed microlot comes from, processed with a 40-hour anoxic fermentation that captures the estate's jammy, layered character in the cup.