A Very Special Day in My Coffee Journey
Hi, I’m Aditya, and I am seven years old, The Youngest Roaster. I love coffee very much, not the drinking part, because I still do not drink coffee, but everything else around it. I love the smell, the roasting, the warm feeling, the learning, and the way coffee brings people together. During my Bangalore travel journey, I got to visit a place that felt very special to me — the Sensory and Roasting Laboratory at the Coffee Board of India.
For me, this was not just another visit. It felt like stepping into a real coffee learning world. I was already excited before going, because I knew this was a place where coffee experts study beans very carefully. But when I actually reached there, I felt even more amazed. There were so many coffees, so many details, and so much to learn. As the youngest roaster, moments like this make me feel even closer to the big coffee world I love so much.
Walking Into a Real Coffee Lab Felt Amazing
When I entered the Sensory and Roasting Laboratory, I felt very curious right away. It did not feel like an ordinary room. It felt like a place where coffee is taken seriously, where people look closely, smell carefully, and learn deeply before roasting even begins.
That was one of the things I liked most. At home, I already watch beans, roasting, brewing, and aroma very carefully. But here, I could see how coffee experts do it in a more detailed and professional way. It made me understand that coffee is not only about roasting or brewing. Before that, there is a whole world of checking, sorting, grading, and studying.
That was very exciting for me because I love learning how coffee changes at every stage.
So Many Coffees on the Table
One of the first things that made my eyes go wide was the table full of coffee samples. There were so many different coffees kept there, and it felt so exciting to see them from so close. I did not want to rush. I wanted to stop and look at each one carefully.
Some beans looked bigger. Some looked smaller. Some were lighter. Some were darker. Some had different shapes too. Until you see many coffees side by side like that, you may not notice how different they can look. But when I saw them all together, it became very clear to me that coffee is not just “coffee.” Every type has its own look and its own story.
That made me feel even more curious. I kept looking and thinking about how all these little differences must matter later in roasting and in the cup.
Learning How Coffee Experts Study Beans
This visit to Coffee Board of India helped me understand how coffee experts study beans before roasting. They do not just look quickly and move on. They observe carefully. They smell carefully. They check quality. They compare. They sort. They grade.
I found that very interesting because it showed me that coffee learning begins even before the roasting stage. The experts were not guessing. They were understanding the beans properly first. That felt important to me.
As someone who is learning coffee step by step, I really liked seeing that process. It made me feel that coffee deserves respect from the beginning. A bean is not just something that gets roasted. It is first understood, checked, and appreciated for what it is.
Hariom Sir Made the Visit Even Better
I was very happy that @hariom.coffeeboard sir was so kind during my visit. When you are a child, it means a lot when grown-ups explain things nicely and make you feel welcome. That always helps me learn better.
Good teachers make such a big difference. They make learning feel warm instead of confusing. That is how I felt during this visit. I did not feel like I was only seeing things. I felt like I was really learning from the people there.
That made the whole experience even more special to me. I will remember that kindness along with all the coffee learning.
The Grading Lesson Was One of My Favorite Parts
One of the biggest things I learned at the Coffee Board of India was grading. Before this, I already knew that coffees can be different, but here I learned more clearly how they are sorted and graded before they reach our cup.
This part felt very important to me because grading helps people understand the quality and type of coffee properly. When I saw the coffees closely, I could understand that grading is not just a fancy word. It is a real way of identifying how coffee looks and how it is categorized.
I learned about many coffees during this visit, and that made me very happy because I love learning the names and stories behind different beans.
The Coffees I Learned About
During my visit to Coffee Board of India, I learned about some very special coffees. These names stayed in my mind because they sound beautiful and also because seeing them made the lesson feel real.
I learned about Monsooned Malabar, which already sounded very interesting to me even before I knew more about it. I also learned about Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold, and I remember thinking that the name itself sounds strong and important. Then there was Kaapi Royale, which I also found very exciting to learn about.
I also saw and learned about Plantation AA and different Arabica Cherry grades like AA, A, PB, AB, and C. I learned about Robusta Cherry too, along with many other plantation and commercial grades of Arabica and Robusta.
For a child like me, seeing these names in real life and not only hearing them made a very big difference. It helped me remember them better and understand that the coffee world has many beautiful categories, not just one simple kind of bean.
Every Coffee Looked a Little Different
This was one of the most interesting lessons for me. Every coffee looked a little different in size, colour, and shape. That may sound small, but when you are standing there and really looking, it teaches you a lot.
Some beans looked bold and large. Some looked smaller and rounder. Some looked more even. Some looked different in colour. These little changes helped me understand that sorting and grading are not random. People are paying attention to real differences.
That made me appreciate coffee even more. It showed me that before coffee reaches roasting, brewing, and finally the cup, there is already so much care happening behind the scenes.
This Visit Helped Me Connect More Dots
I think one reason this visit meant so much to me is because it connected many things I was already learning. At home, I roast coffee in small batches. I watch the colour change. I listen carefully. I notice aroma. I think about roast levels. But at the Coffee Board of India, I got to see more of what happens before roasting begins.
That helped me connect more dots in my mind.
I understood better that if you want to roast well, you should also understand the bean first. You should know how coffees are sorted, graded, and checked. You should learn to see the small differences. That makes roasting feel even more meaningful.
For me, this visit added an important chapter to my coffee learning story.
Being Around Experts Makes Me Want to Learn More
Something always happens to me when I spend time around coffee experts and coffee labs. I do not feel tired. I feel more excited. I feel like I want to learn even more. That is exactly how I felt here too.
When I see experts studying coffee carefully, it makes me want to watch more carefully too. When I hear new coffee names, I want to remember them. When I see how much detail goes into quality checking, it makes me want to respect every step even more.
That is why this visit stayed in my heart. It was not only informative. It was inspiring too.
I Am Also Excited to Learn More About Roasting
This visit was already very special, but I also feel excited because my learning journey is still continuing. I was very happy to learn at the Sensory and Roasting Laboratory, and I am also excited for my learning with @immandappa sir about coffee roasting.
That makes me feel very hopeful and happy. Every new person, every new lab, and every new coffee lesson teaches me something different. I really enjoy that. Coffee never feels boring to me because there is always another layer to understand.
As the youngest roaster, I feel lucky that I get to see these places, meet these people, and keep asking questions.
My Final Thought From Bangalore
My visit to the Coffee Board of India during my Bangalore journey was one of the most exciting learning experiences for me. I got to see the Sensory and Roasting Laboratory, learn about grading, look closely at so many coffees, and understand how experts check beans before roasting. I learned about coffees like Monsooned Malabar, Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold, Kaapi Royale, Plantation AA, Arabica Cherry grades, Robusta Cherry, and many others.
Most of all, I learned that coffee has a long story even before roasting begins. It starts with careful looking, careful sorting, and careful understanding. That lesson is very important to me.
Being around coffee labs and coffee experts makes me feel even more excited to keep learning. I am still small, but my love for coffee learning feels very big. And this visit made that feeling even stronger.
