The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Many people are unaware that the coffee beans at your favorite cafe or at the supermarket aren't exclusive arabica coffee beans. This type of coffee plant thrives at high altitudes, and has a more smooth flavor.

The terroir (or location of origin) of the coffee beans has a major impact on their flavor. This is the reason why single origin arabicas are highly sought-after.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

This coffee is renowned for its citrus and floral characteristics. The premium beans are cultivated in small farms that are located in the Oromia Region (formerly Harrar), at altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 2200 meters. The natural process results in the flavor of berries and a sweet taste.

The high elevations of Yirgacheffe permit the coffee plants to develop more slowly, allowing them to absorb the subtleties and flavors of the environment. The region has an extremely humid climate, which is ideal for cultivating coffee.

This coffee is available in green beans that haven't been roast. They are great for roasters who want to reveal its true essence. light medium roast arabica coffee beans medium to medium roasts allow the berry, citrus and wine flavors to shine through. It is a great match for desserts that compliment these flavors like lemon chocolate or pound cake. The floral and herbal notes of this coffee also are great with food items that are spicy or sour in taste.

2. Colombian Supremo

Affectionately known for its consistency in quality and flavor, Colombian Supremo is a favorite choice for coffee lovers of all levels. Supremo beans are known for their smooth, classic flavor with notes of caramel and citrus.

Bean size plays an important factor in the flavor profile of Colombian coffee and Supremo beans are distinguished by their size. This larger size means the beans will pass through Grade 14 or more perforations in the sieve, which is less than Excelso.

With strict quality standards, a vibrant acidity and a moderately rich body, Colombian Supremo has a universal appeal that makes it an excellent option for any brewing method. This particular coffee comes from the Popayan region is cultivated by farmers who are members of the Colombian Coffee Federation, an organization that supports over 500,000 coffee growers. This coffee is an example of the premium Colombian beans that have earned the country a reputation for its world-class coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

The smooth, rich flavor of Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the most sought after gourmet coffees. This wet-processed Jamaican Blue Mountains variety is famous for its elegance and smoothness. It's also a key ingredient in the coffee liquor Tia Maria.

The Blue Mountains, with their steep elevations, fertile soils, mild climates and dense clouds provide the perfect environment for coffee growing of exceptional quality. The beans from this small region are highly prized and fetch a premium price due to their rarity.

Jamaican Blue Mountain, as its name suggests is grown in the Blue Mountain District, a area of 6,000 acres on the island renowned for its natural beauty and the production of coffee. The area is protected by a national park. farmers cultivate small amounts of coffee with careful attention to preserve their unique qualities.

4. Costa Rican Tarrazu

Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee is an absolute coffee lover's delight. It has the perfect balance between acidity and body. The region boasts high altitudes and a mineral-rich volcanic soil, which permits the beans to ripen in a slower rate, so they can fully develop their flavor.

Many of the farms that produce these coffees are also renowned for their environmentally-friendly practices and strict quality control measures, making them popular with eco-conscious consumers. Some of them provide traceability, so that consumers can find out more about the farm that made their coffee.

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is an excellent example of the region's distinctive flavor profile, with aromas of vibrant grapefruit and rich dark chocolate. Its medium body is well balanced and rounded. This results in an elegant, satisfying finish.

5. Colombian Caturra

Caturra is a coffee cultivar that has made its name in Latin America. This variety was introduced to Brazil as a natural change from Bourbon. Its production potential is superior to Bourbon, but it requires higher altitudes which results in lower yields. Growers employed a technique known as mass selection to select parent plants for their exceptional performance, then bulked seed from those parents and repeated the process.

Colombian Caturra is a high yielding plant that is resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust. It is one of two parents of the Castillo which was developed by Cenicafe to be the official plant of their "Colombia sin roya", a program aimed at recovering the production of coffee in Colombia.

This heirloom Caturra was cultivated by farmers in the department of Urrao at 2,000m and carefully roasted for you by Camber Coffee. Its cup quality displays a vibrant acidity with flavors of watermelon, strawberry and citrus.

6. French Roast

French Roast is a strong cup of coffee that has the aroma of charred, smoky notes. This blend is a mix of versatile arabica coffee beans beans from several regions that provide rich flavors like caramel and chocolate. The beans are darkly roasted to bring out their natural oils and flavor. This blend is of high quality and will satisfy the most sophisticated taste buds.

These beans are more difficult than other coffee varieties to grow because they require very specific conditions for their growth. The plants need a specific amount of sunshine and rain, and must be protected from frost and drought.

Consuming coffee made from these beans can help increase your energy levels and improve your overall health. These beans are loaded with antioxidants that fight free radicals which can trigger chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Additionally, these beans are also a source of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, which is essential for the body to convert food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

Geisha, or Gesha as it's known, was first discovered in Ethiopia's Gori Gesha Forest in the 1930s. It was then brought to Panama in the 1960s, where it quickly became renowned for its strong floral aromas as well as its full body and delicate citric acidity.

Geisha is a very expensive coffee variety. It's susceptible to disease and requires high altitudes for growing. The yield of fruit is also lower. These characteristics make it difficult to consistently produce and it is combined with its high scores on the cup to drive up the price.

This particular Gesha lot was processed using honey. (Not real honey, but the beans were treated and dipped into a sugar-based water.) The beans were then placed in an enclosure and dried for 96 hours through carbonic maceration. This unique process adds to the complexity and flavor of this coffee. OMA has a complex, yet balanced cup profile with exotic florals like tea rose, jasmine and delicate citrus and stone fruits. citrus.

8. Indonesian Liberica

The majority of coffee enthusiasts are familiar with two species belonging to the Coffea family: arabica, and robusta. The former is responsible for 80% of the global coffee trade, while the latter accounts for 20 percent. However, there are more than 120 identified species belonging to the genus and some are more well-known than others.

Currently, the most well-known non-arabica species is Coffea excelsa (or var. dewevrei). This variety is found on medium-sized trees in moderate elevations. It produces a teardrop shaped bean. It is often used in blends and adds a distinct lingering finish to the cup.

Although it's not as well-known as arabica however, it has a market of its own in Southeast Asia. This is due to the religious demand in the region, as Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink coffee following their prayers. Liberica's resistance to rust on coffee leaves and its low acidity arabica coffee beans caffeine content make it an attractive alternative for producers that don't have the money to invest in arabica.

9. Brazilian Exelsa

Excelsa is a robust and productive, however it requires more attention from farmers than other Coffea arabica species or canephora. This is partly due to the asymmetrical size of its beans, which 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. It can also reach 15m in height, and produces an abundance of fruits.

Oliveiro says it's a shame that the plant is often misunderstood despite it being reclassified in 2006 as the dewevrei liberica variety. It is a "really good coffee producer". However, without a commodity market and minuscule demand for the species, making the change is unlikely. But for those who are willing to put the time and effort into cultivating it, the benefits are evident: Excelsa beans tend to have lower levels of caffeine than arabica and canephora, and also have a more dense mucus with less soluble solids.