One of the Coffee Board's named regions, the 'elephant hills' along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, with plantations around Valparai.
The Anamalai (Anaimalai) Hills are part of the southern Western Ghats, along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. 'Anamalais' is one of the Coffee Board of India's regional coffee brands, and on the Tamil Nadu slopes around Valparai coffee and tea plantations flourish. The Board puts the coffee at 1,000-1,400 m with 2,500-3,000 mm of rain, mostly high-grown arabica including Kents, on about 2,500 ha.
Field notes
- i
The name comes from the Malayalam 'aana' and Tamil 'yaanai' (elephant) plus 'mala' (mountain), literally 'elephant mountain'.
- ii
Anamudi, at 2,695 m, is the highest peak of the Anamalai range and of southern India, and annual rain across the range runs from 2,000 to 5,000 mm.
- iii
Valparai Estate was named Best of Anamalais for both arabica and robusta at the Coffee Board's 2014 Flavour of India awards.
- iv
The Board's Anamalais page notes high-grown arabicas including Kents, with spotted leopards in the surrounding wildlife sanctuaries.
In the cup, according to guides
- BodyMoreICB's buying guide describes Anamalais coffee as mild with full body.
Within Anamalais
Sources · 6 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Indian Coffee Regions · Coffee Geography Magazine
- Anaimalai Hills · Wikimedia Foundation
- Coffee Board of India: coffee regions and grades · Coffee Board of India
- Winners list, Flavour of India Fine Cup Award 2014 · Coffee Board of India
- Database on Coffee, July 2023 · Coffee Board of India, Market Intelligence Unit
- Coffee Regions of India: A Complete Guide · Indian Coffee Beans (roaster/retailer)