The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World
Many people are unaware that the coffee beans at your favorite coffee shop or supermarket are not arabica. This type of bean grows best in regions that have high altitudes. It produces smoother and sweeter flavor.
Where the coffee beans grow (aka their terroir) has a huge impact on how they taste. This is why single origin arabicas are so prized.
1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
This coffee is renowned for its citrus and floral characteristics. The top-quality beans are cultivated in small farms in the Oromia Region (formerly Harrar), at altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 2200 meters. The natural process allows for an intense sweetness and berry flavor.
The elevations that are high in Yirgacheffe causes the coffee plants to grow more slowly, giving them time to absorb flavors and nuances from the surrounding environment. The region has an extremely humid climate, which is ideal for cultivating coffee.
The green beans that are not roasted in this coffee are an excellent option for roasters who want to capture the real essence of this exotic bean. Light to medium roasts allow the berry, citrus and wine flavors to shine through. This coffee is great with desserts like lemon chocolate and pound cake. The herbal and floral notes of this coffee can be enjoyed with food items that are spicy or sour.
2. authentic arabica coffee beans is known for its consistent quality and taste, Colombian Supremo is a well-loved choice for coffee enthusiasts of all levels. Supremo beans are known for their classic, smooth flavor with notes of caramel and citrus.
The size of the beans is an important element in determining the flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. This larger size implies that the beans are more likely to go through Grade 14 (or higher) perforations on the sieve, which is lower than the grade of Excelso.
With strict quality standards, a bright acidity, and a moderately smoky body, Colombian Supremo has a universal appeal that makes it a great option for any brewing method. This coffee is from the Popayan area is grown by farmers that are part of the Colombian Coffee Federation. This organization supports over 500 000 coffee producers. This coffee is an example of the high-quality Colombian beans that have made the country famous for its top-quality coffees.
3. Jamaican Blue Mountain
The rich, smooth flavor of Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the world's most sought after gourmet coffees. This wet-processed selection from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica is well-known for its sophisticated and soft taste. It's also a key ingredient in the coffee liqueur Tia Maria.
The Blue Mountains, with their steep elevations, fertile soils mild climates and dense clouds provide the perfect environment for coffee production of top quality. The beans from this small region are highly prized and fetch high prices due to their rareness.
Jamaican Blue Mountain, as its name implies, is grown in the Blue Mountain District, a 6,000-hectare area of the island known for its natural beauty and the production of coffee. The area is designated a national park, and farmers cultivate small lots of coffee with a keen eye to preserve the distinct characteristics of the beans.
4. Costa Rican Tarrazu
A coffee lover's desire, Costa Rican Tarrazu is an ideal balance of body and acidity. The region is blessed with high altitudes and mineral-rich volcanic soil, which permits the beans to ripen in a slower rate, so they can fully develop their flavor.
Many of these farms are recognized for their sustainable practices and strict measures to maintain quality which makes them popular among eco-conscious consumers. Some also offer traceability, which enables customers to find out more about the particular farm that produced their coffee.
One World Roasters' Tarrazu is a wonderful example of the characteristic flavor profile of the region, featuring aromas of vibrant grapefruits and a rich dark chocolate. Its medium body is well-balanced and well-rounded with a smooth, silky finish that's guaranteed to please your palate.
5. Caturra de Colombia
Caturra is a coffee cultivar that has made its name in Latin America. The Caturra variety was first introduced in Brazil due to a natural mutation of Bourbon. Its production potential was superior to Bourbon but it needed higher altitudes, which resulted in lower yields. The process of mass selection was used to identify plants that produced exceptionally well. Bulk seed from these parents was later produced and the process repeated.
Colombian Caturra has a high yield and is resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust. It is one of the two parents of the Castillo, which was developed by Cenicafe to be the main plant for their "Colombia sin roya", a program aimed at recovering the production of coffee in Colombia.
This vintage Caturra is grown at 2,000 meters by farmers in Urrao and was processed by Camber Coffee. Its cup quality is vibrant with the flavors of watermelon, strawberry and citrus.
6. French Roast
Those looking for a bold cup of coffee that has smoky and charred notes will love French Roast. This blend combines arabica beans from different regions, and offers rich flavours of chocolate and caramel. The beans are dark-roasted to bring out their natural flavors and oils. This blend is of top quality and will satisfy even the most sophisticated taste buds.
These beans are more difficult to cultivate than other varieties of coffee due to the fact that they require specific conditions for climatic growth. The plants require a certain amount sunlight and rain, and they must be protected from frost and drought.
These beans are full of antioxidants that can boost your energy and improve your overall health. The antioxidants contained in these beans fight free radicals which can cause chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Furthermore they are sources of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, which is crucial for the body to convert food into energy.
7. Ethiopian Gesha
Also known as Geisha or Gesha, this variety of coffee was first discovered in the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia in the 1930s. It was brought to Panama in the 1960s, where it quickly gained recognition for its floral aromas, full-bodied flavour, and delicate acidity.
Geisha is a costly coffee variety. It's susceptible to disease and requires high altitudes for growing. The yield of the fruit is also lower. These factors make it difficult to consistently produce. This, in conjunction with its high cup score is what drives the price.
This particular Gesha lot was processed using honey. (Not real honey, but the beans were treated and then dipped into a sugar-based water.) The beans were then moved to an enclosure and dried for 96 hours by carbonic maceration. This unique method adds to the complexity and flavor of this coffee. It also gives OMA an intricate yet balanced cup profile that is full of exotic florals like jasmine and tea roses and delicate citrus and stone fruits.
8. Indonesian Liberica
Most coffee lovers are familiar with two species of the Coffea family: arabica, and robusta. The former is responsible for 80% of the global coffee trade, while the latter makes up 20%. However, there are more than 120 recognized species belonging to the genus, and some are more well-known than others.
The most well-known non-arabica species is Coffea excelsa (or var. dewevrei). This variety is cultivated on medium-sized trees with medium altitudes, and produces a teardrop-shaped bean. It is often used in blends and can give a distinctive taste that lasts for a long time.
Although it's not as well-known as arabica, it still has a market of its own in Southeast Asia. This is due to the religious demand as Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink their coffee following prayers. Additionally, liberica's resilience to coffee leaf rust and its low caffeine content make it a viable alternative for producers that do not have the funds to invest in arabica.
9. Brazilian Exelsa
While Excelsa is extremely resilient and productive, it also requires more attention from farmers to manage than other Coffea arabica or canephora species. This is due to the asymmetrical size of the bean that is larger than canephora or arabica. It also has a longer fruiting period and its leaves are bigger than those of other C. liberica varieties. Furthermore, its high production levels means that it can grow to more than 15m tall and produce a huge volume of fruit.
According to Oliveiro it's a pity that the plant has been misunderstood for so long - despite being reclassified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006, because it could be "a excellent coffee maker". It is unlikely that the species will be switched to a commodity coffee without a market for it. For those who are willing and are able to put in the time and effort to cultivate it, the advantages of excelsa beans are clear. They are generally lower in caffeine than arabica or canephora, and also have a more dense and less soluble mucilage.