Atlas Coffee Club India Review

By

Bryan Huynh

on March 21, 2024

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This batch of coffee originates from India, which is famed for producing the world's best-tasting, shade-grown coffee. The design on the coffee bag looks so cool that I wanted to collect them all! All thanks to Atlas Coffee Club, I was able to get the medium roast from Tamil Nadu, India delivered straight to my door. If you are getting bored of your same old cup of coffee everyday, then this service is a blessing for you. Atlas Coffee Club is a coffee subscription service that provides specialty-grade coffees from over 50+ countries to ensure a diverse collection of coffee beans.

The beans are roasted to order and delivered straight to your door. A great addition that this service added was the opportunity to specify your preferred brewing method, your coffee roast preference, how frequently you'd like to get shipments, and the quantity of coffee. Appealing to the customers personal preferences while still being diverse is what really hooked me. Continue reading to hear my full review on the Atlas Coffee Club India! Check out our Coffee Club page to compare and read more reviews of our favorite coffee clubs.

Background

According to legend, when Sufi saint Baba Budan returned from a journey to Mecca, he became fascinated with a dark drink he discovered in Mocha, Yemen. He was unable to legally depart Arabia with raw coffee seeds, but sneaked 7 seeds concealed behind his beard, eventually planting the very first 7 trees in Chikmagalur's shaded hills in 1670. British colonialism drove production to a high by the mid-nineteenth century, but government restriction of exports slowed expansion. This was until a 1996 amendment passed, permitting farmers to sell globally, with between 70% and 99% grown on today's farms. Coffee culture in India continues to commemorate its origins, with several shops named after the Sufi saint. Today, the incredible journey of this coffee makes its way to our homes, providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

You've landed in India, the world's most populated democracy, a spiritual hotspot dominated by its people's vibrancy, chaos, and connectedness. Aromatics entice you into Mumbai's narrow alleys bazaars, which are packed with saree silk and mango leaves, coconuts and chaat. You follow a spidery network of lagoons in Kerala's backwaters, among wandering wild elephants and weaved houseboats. You're sprinkled with powdered daubs of electric teal and marigold yellow on the medieval streets of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal as well as one of the world's largest Holi celebrations.

In oil, aromatic seeds crackle. Sputtering rickshaws weave their way through tight crowds. Bengal tigers prowl the Himalayan foothills, while hazy fog sweeps over Darjeeling's huge green terraced tea gardens. You sunbathe on gorgeous Goan beaches. The crumbling rocks of Hampi's rust-red ruins spread out for miles all around you, artifacts of a 2,300 year old city slowly overrun with lively new life, with the grand Virupaksha Temple looming in the distance.

Summary 

Atlas Coffee Club supplies all single-origin specialty grade coffee. I would describe this coffee as having moderate acidity, firm, enjoyable body and strong aftertaste. This product features flavor notes of Marzipan, Milk Chocolate, and Raisin. This is perfect if you enjoy a sweet, yet fruity tasting cup of coffee.

Sub-Region: Yercaud

Altitude: 1300-1600 Meters

Processing: Fully Washed 

Try It With A: Chemex

Tasting Notes: Marzipan, Milk chocolate, Raisin

Pros

  • These wonderful coffee beans are only available to Atlas subscribers and cannot be found anywhere else.
  • High quality coffee from over 50+ countries (In this case, India) 
  • The presentation and packaging is wonderful. Bags are customized with one-of-a-kind patterns based by the showcased country.
  • Roasted fresh to order.
  • Satisfaction guarantee. Their customer service team works hard to meet your coffee satisfaction
  • Atlas Coffee provides fresh coffee to you, whether pre-ground or whole bean, on a plan that best suits your schedule. When desired, the delivery date can be skipped or changed.
  • Great for last minute gifts because you can schedule it out and recipients can choose their own preferences 
  • There are no allergens: the only ingredient is coffee.

Cons

  • Just one coffee is featured each month
  • May not be the cheapest option to receive your coffee

Buying the Product

When Atlas Coffee Club's delivery package arrived, it had a strong, aromatic odor! It came with a selection of the world's best single origin coffees, postcards from a new location, and tasting notes for each batch. Because this shipment box includes whole beans, you will need to blend them yourself, but it is well worth the effort! The ordering and shipping process was quick and simple, and you should have it within 3-6 business days.

Here is how to acquire yourself (or another coffee enthusiast) a coffee haul each month:

  1. First, choose your preferred method of brewing. Then, select whether you would prefer whole or pre-ground coffee beans. I recommend choosing the whole beans for maximum freshness, unless you do not have a burr coffee grinder. If you prefer pre-ground coffee, Atlas Coffee offers a variety of grind-size options to complement whichever brewing technique you choose.
  2. Next, choose your preferred coffee roast. If you don't care about how long your beans were in the roaster or if you like to experiment with different roasts, there's an option for "all roast kinds".
  3. Finally, indicate how many coffee bags you want every shipment and whether you want them every two or four weeks. There are three available quantities:

This medium roast coffee is definitely something that you should try, it is well balanced, sweet, clean, and full of great flavor. If you have the option, I recommend buying freshly roasted coffee beans. Consider how long they've been on shelves or in warehouses. A great part about purchasing coffee from Atlas Coffee Club is that everything is roasted fresh to order. You will not have to question your coffee’s freshness. And once you select your preferred coffee type, you can then specify what exactly you want it ground for (ex. Drip Machine, French Press, Pour over, etc.).

Results

I absolutely loved how much time and effort went into the packaging. From the moment I opened it, I knew that this was going to be a great experience. Coffee from around the world is showcased, and each coffee is wrapped in vivid, graphic packaging influenced by the scenery and textiles of the featured country. 

The information and post card were an excellent addition to the product, particularly in educating the consumer where their coffee comes from and what to expect. It compels me to think about the origins of the products I buy. This medium roast is extremely drinkable and worth a try. This coffee is sweetened by the combination of marzipan and milk chocolate. I really liked how this cup of coffee also had a fruity flavor from the raisins!

I'd give the Atlas Coffee Club India a cupping score of 81/100. In accordance with the Total Score Quality Classification, it would be considered very good, also known as a specialty coffee.

Cupping Scores

Published by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The Cupping Form allows you to note the following coffee flavor qualities: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean Cup, Sweetness, Defects, and Overall. These are evaluated on a 16-point scale indicating quality levels in quarter-point increments ranging from 6 to 9. To score your coffee, go through each specific flavor attribute and mark the points based on your own personal appraisal. 

Quality Scale

  • Good: 6-6:75
  • Very good: 7 - 7.75
  • Excellent: 8 - 8.75
  • Outstanding: 9 - 9.75

The Final Score is calculated by adding the individual scores for each of the key criteria in the "Total Score" box. Defects are then subtracted from the “Total Score” to arrive at a “Final Score.” The Scoring Key below has shown to be an effective technique to represent the range of coffee quality for the Final Score.

Bottom Line

If you aren’t scared to try something new, then why not give it a shot? Coffee lovers out there, this is your sign to ditch your old brews. With each shipment, you will learn a new story by exploring and curating coffees from countries around the world. India cultivates some of the best, specialty coffee beans in the world thanks to the country's natural environment, nutrient-rich soil, and high elevations.In conclusion, Atlas Coffee Club was such a great experience and I would absolutely recommend their subscription service. 

This is best suited for those who enjoy medium roasts. You will receive your box of freshly roasted coffee beans including an India postcard, info card, and your selection of grind type in 3 to 6 days. India is currently the world's sixth-largest coffee grower, responsible for more than 4% of worldwide coffee production. Although India was one of the first to cultivate Arabica, it today produces a bigger proportion of Robusta. Arabica cultivated in India is grown at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 1,600 meters above sea level. 70% of coffee farms in India are small, frequently under 10 acres. Almost all coffee grown in India is shade-grown, with pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg frequently intercropped. The cup is low-acid, smooth, well-balanced, and a full body with aromatic tasting notes of marzipan, milk chocolate, and raisins. 

Each brew reveals the amount of effort that went into each package. We've sampled a lot of coffee, but if you are not really interested in coffee from India, return to our coffee reviews and check out some other blends:

Atlas Coffee Ethiopia Roast Review

Atlas Coffee Ecuador Coffee Review

Atlas Coffee Tanzania Blend Review

Atlas Coffee Kenya AA Nyeri Blend Review

Atlas Coffee Brazil Mantiqueria de Minas Blend

About the Author

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh is a determined Product Tester & Writer. Being a coffee addict, it is only right that he mainly tests and reviews different coffee from around the world and coffee subscription services.

Bryan Huynh is a determined Product Tester & Writer. Being a coffee addict, it is only right that he mainly tests and reviews different coffee from around the world and coffee subscription services.