A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

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A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

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A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

How to roast anaerobically fermented coffee

Among the many different kinds of experimental processing methods, anaerobic fermentation is perhaps the most popular and intriguing. Interest in this processing technique is only growing, with more and more anaerobic fermented coffee available in cafés and roasteries around the world. Moreover, of all the advanced processing methods, this particular technique has one of the […]


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A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

Continuing our series on coffee packaging in India, we meet Dope Coffee Roasters, a brand living up to its name.

BY RESHIL CHARLES 
SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE 

Photos courtesy of Dope Coffee Roasters

Editor’s note: Read the first two installments of our coffee packaging series here and here.

India’s Baarbara Estate sells its coffee to several different roasting companies. But a bag of Baarbara Estate coffee from India’s Dope Coffee Roasters will clearly stand out from the others offering it. The splash of color across the multifaceted coffee goddess holding an enlightened bean in the center of the package is known to draw customers’ attention as they try to figure out where her eyes are!

The coffee bag is black with an image of a woman in red lipstick holding up a glowing red coffee bean. She wears sunglasses that say DOPE and cover her eyes. She has a pierced nose and cheeks.
Dope’s psychedelic image appeals to India’s subcultures and international buyers.

The Vibe

The brand’s co-founder, Rizwan Amlani, was clear that psychedelia would be the backdrop for the packaging design, against which elements of Indian street art and subculture would come together to tell a global story. “We always wanted to be an international brand that takes Indian coffee out to the world. People from Japan and Korea are already ordering our coffee, and we’ll be in the United States soon. So our branding and artwork has a ‘forever young’ feel to it that can connect with people from India as much as it can with communities across the globe,” says Rizwan (and fittingly enough, he talked to us while on a trip to Portugal). “We want to represent our partner estates and farms in a loud and proud manner that is anything but subtle, as they deserve all the recognition they can get.”  

A mean in jeans has his hands behind his back in handcuffs. His hands are covered in dirt. He holds the same bag as above, and you can see a rag hanging from his pocket.
Dope’s in-your-face visual approach makes them stand out from other roasters’ offerings.

The Artistry

Finding an artist who could bring this boldness to life on a coffee bag led Rizwan to Harsh Raman Paul, an experienced graphic designer and artist, who was completely in sync with the communities Dope was looking to tap into. “India has a lot of subcultures and creative people like musicians, skateboarders, dancers, rappers, and artists,” Harsh explains. ”We wanted to put out something that will appeal to them as well as an international audience. That is why our packs also say ‘250 Gs,’ not grams.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Quirky teasers are written across the bag, like “inhale the good stuff” near the vacuum valve, “break it to make it” on the reusable zip-lock, and a little writeup on the side that explains the brand’s love for coffee. They hope you’ll go, ”Damn, that’s some dope coffee,” after the first sip. The tasting notes are clearly highlighted on the back. They also include information on the estate the coffee is from, and how that ties into the artwork on the package. The language is young, and ”peeps” who prefer ”fam” over ”family” will love it.   

Before a huge yellow setting sun, a giant hornbill bird, with a big horn above his big curved bill, wears a black jacket and gold medallion and looks angry. There is a crowd of tiny people behind him.
Sid Gandhi’s Hornbill on Dope’s packaging.

After Harsh set the tone, other artists like Sid Gandhi and Osheen Siva have also worked with Dope. Sid created a larger-than-life hornbill bird to represent the Bartchinhulla Estate. Osheen’s vibrant representation of Dalit Tamil women graced the Kerahaklu Estate packaging.  

Art by Osheen Siva.

Going International

Dope Coffee Roasters is based out of Mumbai and has a shop-in-shop presence at the Social chain of cafés in a few cities. They also supply coffee to restaurants and cafes across the country. You can shop Dope’s gorgeous online store across India and internationally.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Reshil Charles (he/him) is based in New Delhi, India, and works across television, web, and print as a journalist and presenter. He has been tracking emerging Indian trends across a few sectors for the last 19 years, with a special eye on the evolving Indian coffee scene. He feels strongly about exposing the world to the variety of culture and subculture in India that meets at the crossroads of traditional and modern, and coffee fits right in. 

The post A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

A Universally Loud and Proud Approach: Dope Coffee Roasters

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