Indian Coffee Varieties Explained: SLN-795, SLN-9, Chandragiri, and More

Variety names are appearing on Indian specialty bags more often than they did five years ago. SLN 795, Sln. 9, Chandragiri, S-274 — these labels carry real information about coffee varieties in India, but no widely available reference connects them to what buyers should expect. Unlike processing method or origin, which now have reasonable documentation across the specialty ecosystem, variety is almost never explained for the Indian consumer. Variety is one input to the cup; the guide to processing and flavour covers another, and India's coffee regions shows where each variety grows.

This article documents the major Indian cultivars appearing on bags, plus the rarer named selections most buyers never see labeled: their genetics, where they're grown, and what they tend to produce in the cup. As of October 2026, roughly 40% of the coffees in ICB's active catalog carry a disclosed variety name. That the majority still carries no variety disclosure isn't a platform gap — it reflects how most Indian coffee is still marketed: by processing, roast, and origin, with variety as an optional label rather than a standard one.

Indian Coffee Varieties at a Glance

Before the variety-by-variety detail, here's a quick-reference map of the cultivars a buyer is most likely to see named on a bag.

Four smaller selections — Hemavathi, SLN-7, SLN-10, and SLN-5A — each sit under 1% of the tagged catalog (SLN-5A currently at none) and show up in the expanded roster section below rather than in this table.

Why Indian Varieties Are Their Own Category

India's dominant coffee varieties are unlike those from Ethiopia, Kenya, or Central America. Ethiopia's genetic diversity comes from wild landrace populations developed over millennia. Kenya's SL-28 and SL-34 were selected from Ethiopian-derived material by Scott Laboratories in Nairobi. India's portfolio is almost entirely the product of deliberate institutional breeding at the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in Balehonnur, Karnataka — established in 1925 and celebrating its centenary this year.

The CCRI's breeding priorities were shaped by a practical crisis: coffee leaf rust devastated Indian and Sri Lankan estates in the 19th century and remained a persistent threat through the 20th. The result was a century of crosses designed to combine rust resistance with cup quality, producing varieties with a genetic profile unlike either Ethiopian-origin arabicas or Central American cultivars.

Most Indian arabica varieties carry the Hibrido de Timor (HdT) parentage or derive from crosses involving the S288 parent (an Arabica × Liberica interspecific hybrid). HdT appears in SLN-9 and Chandragiri; S288 appears in SLN-795. Both contribute rust resistance. The Liberica influence in S288 shapes the body-forward, structured character that runs through much of Indian arabica. SLN-9 is the main exception: its Ethiopian Tafarikela parent pulls the variety toward brightness and aromatics that other CCRI crosses don't carry. Cauvery and the CxR-type selections (SLN-5B, SLN-6) extend the same HdT-based rust-resistance strategy into compact, disease-forward cultivars rather than cup-quality-forward ones — which is why the expanded roster section documents them separately from the four headline varieties.

Variety sets the baseline characteristics the processing and roast work with.

SLN-795: India's Most-Planted Arabica

SLN-795 is a cross between S288 — an Arabica × Liberica interspecific hybrid — and Kent, a Typica selection from Mysore. Developed by R.L. Narasimhaswamy at the Balehonnur Coffee Research Station, it was released in 1945-46. It represents an estimated 25-30% of India's arabica acreage and is the default variety across most of Chikmagalur. Many coffees from the region that don't list a variety on the bag are likely SLN-795.

The plant is tall, vigorous, and wide-spreading, with oblong, bold beans — typically 60-65% 'A' grade by screen size. Partial rust resistance, yield potential of 1,500-2,000 kg/ha. The S288 Liberica ancestry contributes density and structural heaviness to the cup; the Kent parent contributes clean Typica character.

In the cup, SLN-795 tends toward balance and body rather than brightness or aromatics. Among SLN-795 coffees with flavor data, fruity, nuts, and dark chocolate each appear in roughly 15% of entries, with citrus and toast each in roughly 10%. The chocolate-nut-citrus pattern maps to a structured, medium-to-full body profile. Processing shifts these notes considerably: naturals push the fruity notes outward; washed lots tend toward cleaner citrus and nut character.

The near-equal frequency of fruity, nuts, and dark chocolate — three flavor families that pull in different directions — suggests SLN-795 doesn't push strongly toward any single profile. That flexibility may be part of why it has remained the dominant planted variety: it works for roasters pursuing different cup directions without demanding a particular processing or roast approach.

SLN-9: India's Fine Cup Arabica

SLN-9 is a cross between Tafarikela — an Ethiopian Arabica landrace known for fine cup quality — and Hibrido de Timor. Developed at CCRI. Won India's Fine Cup Award in 2002. Tall plants with drooping branches, round bold beans, 60-65% 'A' grade. Drought-hardy and adaptable, but performs best at high altitude — the Shevaroy Hills examples, grown at 5,000-6,500 ft, show the variety near its ceiling.

The Tafarikela parent is the reason SLN-9 drinks differently from other Indian varieties. Ethiopian genetics bring aromatics and brightness that the Liberica-influenced or HdT-Caturra-type crosses don't carry. This makes SLN-9 the closest India has to an Ethiopian-style arabica in flavor character — not identical, but directionally related. It is different from SLN-795, not superior to it.

In the cup, SLN-9 is brighter and more aromatic than SLN-795. Among SLN-9 coffees with flavor data, citrus, dark chocolate, and fruity each appear in roughly 15%, with toast and raisin each in roughly 10%. The citrus-forward character and relative brightness distinguish it from SLN-795's nuttier, heavier profile. SLN-9 trends a bit above 4 out of 5 across a small handful of rated coffees, clearly ahead of SLN-795's low-3s average — both samples too small to be more than directional. There's also a selection effect worth noting: roasters who label and spotlight SLN-9 are typically working with traceable, lot-specific material — the kind of sourcing that already correlates with higher cup quality independent of variety. The rating gap is as much about that curation as the variety itself.

SLN-9 appears across a wider set of regions than SLN-795: roughly a quarter of entries come from Chikmagalur, about 10% each from Shevaroy Hills and Biligiriranga Hills, and a smaller share from Palani Hills. The Shevaroy Hills examples — at the upper altitude limit — tend to show the most distinct aromatic expression.

Chandragiri (SLN-13): The Newer Entry

Chandragiri is a cross between Villa Sarchi — a compact, wind-resistant Costa Rican dwarf Arabica — and Hibrido de Timor. Developed at CCRI over 21 years of research from approximately 1986, released commercially in 2007. It has been in the ground on working estates for nearly 20 years.

The Villa Sarchi parent determines the plant architecture: compact bush with shorter branches, smaller and thicker leaves. Better suited to high winds at elevation. Recommended above 3,300 ft. 95-98% leaf rust resistance — notably higher than SLN-795. Bean grades run 20-25% MNEB (Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold), 27% 'AA', 35% 'A'. The plant architecture is a departure from SLN-795 (tall, wide-spreading) and SLN-9 (tall with drooping branches), which shapes where it can be grown effectively.

In the cup, Chandragiri's documented presence has grown substantially over the past year, and it's now one of the three most common named varieties, alongside SLN-795 and SLN-9. Among Chandragiri coffees with flavor data, caramel appears in roughly 15%, with dark chocolate and jaggery each in roughly 10%, and pomegranate, honey, and brown sugar each in a smaller single-digit share. By process, washed accounts for roughly a third of Chandragiri entries, with natural and anaerobic each around a fifth and honey process a bit smaller. Rated coffees trend around 4 out of 5, though the rated sample is still a small share of the total — directional, not definitive. The profile reads sweeter and more stone-fruit-adjacent than a lean, bright-acidity cup: caramel, jaggery, and pomegranate rather than citrus and floral.

Chandragiri turns up beyond the traditional coffee belt. It appears in Biligiriranga Hills, Koraput (Odisha), Mokokchung (Nagaland), and Garo Hills (Meghalaya) — regions where the tall older varieties don't adapt as well to altitude, wind, and newer growing conditions. The compact architecture is what makes this expansion possible: SLN-795 and SLN-9, both tall with spreading canopies, don't tolerate high-altitude wind as effectively. Chandragiri's Villa Sarchi parentage solved a structural problem that older Indian varieties couldn't address, which is why it's the variety enabling the current northeast and Odisha sourcing wave. As specialty sourcing expands into these areas, Chandragiri is likely the variety in those bags even when unlabeled.

Kent: The Historical Ancestor

Kent is a Typica selection discovered on Doddengooda Estate, Mysore, by A.F. Kent in the early 20th century. Selected specifically for rust resistance — significant in an era when disease was devastating estates — and became one of the first commercially grown disease-resistant arabica varieties in India. By the 1930s it had spread to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, where its resistance characteristics were valued in challenging climates.

Kent's main role in modern Indian coffee is genealogical: it is one parent of SLN-795 (Kent × S288 = SLN-795). The clean Typica cup character in SLN-795 comes from the Kent side of the cross. Still grown in small pockets in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, though no longer commercially dominant anywhere.

Kent's current catalog footprint is well under 1% of the variety-tagged catalog, with no rated coffees. Directional flavor pattern from flavor note data only: toast, dark chocolate, almond, cacao — a classic, unadorned Typica profile. Its rust resistance, strong enough for the 1920s, has been superseded by HdT-based genetics in newer varieties.

S-274: India's Fine Robusta

S-274 is a Robusta (Coffea canephora) selection from a Sri Lankan collection, and the first Robusta variety released by the Indian Coffee Research Station, dating to the 1940s. Selected for bold beans, high yield — double the family mean at the point of selection — and wide adaptability. Most South Indian filter coffee, including the pre-ground blends used in traditional brass filter sets, is built on S-274 Robusta from Kerala and Coorg, typically blended with chicory. Most South Indian coffee drinkers have been drinking this variety throughout their lives without knowing the name.

India is one of the few countries with an active fine Robusta program, and S-274 is the variety at its center. The Coffee Board of India's India Kaapi Royale designation grades screen-17-and-above Robusta to specific cup quality requirements; S-274 is the primary variety underlying this grade. Several European green importers now list Indian Robusta as a distinct specialty origin rather than aggregating it with commodity grades.

Estate-grown S-274 processed as single-origin is a different thing from commodity Robusta: chocolate, caramel, nuts, spices, creamy body, long finish. The best examples pick up prune and tobacco in the aftertaste. Higher caffeine content and body than arabica are features in context, not defects. Filter blends use S-274 for exactly this density and structure. Its catalog presence sits at a small single-digit share (under 5%) — a reflection of how little Robusta is tagged with a named variety at all, not scarcity of Robusta itself. Readers wanting the full species-level comparison can see the arabica vs Robusta breakdown.

The Rest of the Roster: Cauvery, Catimor, and the Smaller CCRI Selections

CCRI and the Coffee Board have named roughly 13 selections in commercial or historical use; the four preceding sections cover the ones a buyer is most likely to see labeled. This section covers the rest, each with its catalog share as of October 2026.

Cauvery (SLN-12) is a Catimor-type variety — a cross of Caturra and Hibrido de Timor — named after the Cauvery river. CCRI released it sometime in the 1980s, though the exact year isn't confirmed. Compact, early-bearing, and disease-resistant, it shows up more often in mid-altitude estate blends than in specialty single-origins. Catalog share: a small single-digit share, under 5%. Among its tagged entries, caramel shows up in roughly 4 in 10, chocolate in roughly 3 in 10, almond in about a quarter, and cacao, plum, and cherry each in smaller shares. Only one rated coffee exists for the variety, and it scores near-perfect — too thin a sample to call a quality signal, directional only.

Catimor and Sarchimor (generic, non-Cauvery-labeled) are HdT-based crosses bred for disease resistance and yield, with cup quality variable and generally rated below SLN-9 or SLN-795. Catalog share: a small single-digit share, under 5%, similar in size to Cauvery's — this is the catch-all roasters use when a specific selection isn't disclosed, distinct from the named Cauvery cultivar even though some roasters use "Catimor" loosely to mean Cauvery. Directional flavor pattern: nuts, orange, milk chocolate, toast.

CxR interspecific selections — SLN-5B and SLN-6 (also written "Selection 6") — are Robusta × Arabica interspecific crosses developed at CCRI, unusual globally. Both sit at a small single-digit share, under 5%, with SLN-5B somewhat ahead of SLN-6/Selection 6 (the two namings group to the same variety in the raw catalog data). There isn't enough rated data for either to establish a flavor pattern reliably — share only, no cup claim. Interspecific hybrids at this commercial scale are rare outside India's program; most producing countries work within a single species.

The smaller selections below are named here for the first time at ICB, drawing on Counter Culture Coffee's variety notes rather than a primary CCRI document. That distinction matters: it's the only source found naming them, and it hasn't been independently confirmed against CCRI's own records.

Hemavathi is a separate CCRI composite selection, named after the Hemavathi river (the same naming convention as Cauvery); it sits under 1% of the tagged catalog, well below the threshold for any flavor-pattern claim.

SLN-7 is described as a San Ramon-type cross according to Counter Culture Coffee's variety notes; it sits under 1% of the tagged catalog.

SLN-10 is described as a double-cross — Caturra × Cioccie and Caturra × S.795 — according to the same source; it sits under 1%, the thinnest documented presence of any named selection with at least one catalog entry.

For all three: this documents the share, not a cup profile. The sample is too thin to generalize.

Reading the Variety on Your Bag

When a variety name appears on an Indian specialty bag, it's one variable in a three-part equation: variety + processing + roast level. No single variable determines the cup. A natural-processed SLN-9 from Shevaroy Hills at light roast will taste markedly different from a washed SLN-9 from Chikmagalur at medium. Variety sets the flavor archetype and ceiling; processing and roast determine how much of that potential is expressed and in which direction.

Naming decoder:

All of these refer to the same variety: SLN-795 / SL795 / S795 / S-795 / Sln. 795 / Selection 795 / SLN. 795

All of these refer to the same variety: SLN-9 / Sln. 9 / SLN 9 / S9 / Selection 9

Chandragiri is also written SLN-13. Cauvery is also written SLN-12.

Working mental model for the main varieties:

• SLN-795 — Structured, balanced, body-forward. Chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit as the baseline. The default Indian arabica. Most Chikmagalur coffee, labeled or not.
• SLN-9 — Brighter and more aromatic. Citrus-forward, floral tendency, cleaner finish. The Ethiopian Tafarikela genetics show. More pronounced at high altitude.
• Chandragiri — Sweeter and more structured. Caramel, jaggery, and stone-fruit-adjacent character rather than bright acidity. Appears in non-traditional growing areas and newer estates at altitude.
• S-274 — Full-bodied, rich, spice-caramel-chocolate. Robusta, not arabica. The backbone of South Indian filter coffee and India's fine Robusta program.
• Cauvery — Caramel-chocolate-almond, compact and disease-resistant, more common in blends than single-origin specialty.

Single-Origin Coffees with Stated Varieties

Orange Ferment

Ainmane

Mysore Nuggets Filter Coffee Powder

Red Sirocco

Deep Linger of Guji

Red Sirocco

Espresso Blend – Signature 70:30 Arabica Robusta Coffee

Zupreme Coffee

References

1. Central Coffee Research Institute — Breeding and Genetics (CCRI Centenary, 1925-2025)
2. S-795: A Veteran Coffee Variety Revived in the Specialty Wave — XLIII Coffee
3. Discovering SLN 9: India's Unique Arabica Hybrid — XLIII Coffee
4. The Chandragiri SLN13 Coffee Variety Revolution in India — XLIII Coffee
5. What is the Kent Coffee Variety? — XLIII Coffee
6. S-795, Line S — Sweet Maria's Coffee Library
7. High Quality, Single-Estate Robusta — Josuma Coffee Company
8. Leading Robusta Coffee Varieties in India — Agriculture.Institute
9. India Kaapi Royale Robusta SCR 17 — Genuine Origin
10. India's Arabica Coffee Varieties — Counter Culture Coffee

Related Coffee

• Coffees from Chikmagalur
• Coffees from Shevaroy Hills
• Indian Coffee Varietals: S795, Chandragiri, Catuai, and Selection 9 Compared
• Arabica vs Robusta in India