A Productive Rant About Best Arabica Coffee Beans In The World

The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Most people don't know that coffee beans sold at the supermarket or in your favorite cafe are not all arabica. This kind of coffee bean thrives at high altitudes, and has a softer flavor.

The place where coffee beans are grown (aka their terroir) can have a significant influence on the taste. This is why single-origin arabicas are so prized.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

The coffee is known for its floral and citrus qualities. The top-quality beans are grown on small farms located in the Oromia Region (formerly Harrar), at altitudes of between 1,400 and 2,000 meters. The natural process results in the beans to be ripe with a distinct sweetness and berry taste.

The high elevations in Yirgacheffe result in the coffee plants to develop more slowly which allows them to absorb nuances and flavors from the surrounding environment. The region also has a rich tropical climate that is perfect for growing coffee.

This coffee is available in green beans that haven't been roast. They are great for roasters looking to reveal the true essence. Light to medium roasts bring out the citrus, wine and fruity flavors. This coffee is great with desserts like lemon chocolate and pound cake. The floral and herbal notes of this coffee also can be enjoyed with savory dishes that are spicy or sour in taste.

2. Colombian Supremo

Colombian Supremo, a coffee that is well-known for its consistency in taste and quality, is a favorite for coffee lovers of all levels. Supremo beans are renowned for their classic, smooth taste with notes of caramel and citrus.

The size of the bean plays a significant role in the flavor profile of Colombian coffee, and Supremo beans are characterized by their large size. This bigger size means that the beans are more likely to be able to pass through Grade 14 (or higher) perforations on the sieve, which is lower than the grade of Excelso.

Colombian Supremo is an all-purpose coffee with universal appeal. Its high quality standards, bright acidity and moderately rich body make it a fantastic choice for any brewing method. This particular coffee originates from the Popayan region is cultivated by farmers who are part of the Colombian Coffee Federation, an organization that provides support to over 500,000 coffee growers. As such, this coffee is an excellent example of the premium Colombian beans that have been renowned for its premium coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most sought-after gourmet coffees in the world. Its rich, smooth taste makes it one of its most sought-after varieties. This wet-processed Jamaican Blue Mountain variety is known for its sophistication and smoothness. It's also an important 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 production of top quality. The coffee beans grown in this small region are sought-after all over and command high prices due to their rareness.

The name implies that Jamaican Blue Mountain is grown in the Blue Mountain district, a area of 6,000 hectares on the island, which is famous for its stunning natural beauty and coffee cultivation. The area is protected as a national park, and farmers cultivate small amounts of coffee with meticulous care to preserve the distinctive characteristics of the beans.

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 as well as a mineral-rich volcanic soils, which allow the beans to mature at a slower rate so that they can fully develop their flavor.

Many of these farms are also recognized for their sustainable practices and strict measures to control quality that make them a favorite with eco-conscious consumers. Some also provide traceability, which allows buyers to find out more about the specific farm that produced their coffee.

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is a prime example of the region's characteristic flavor profile, with notes of vibrant grapefruit and rich dark chocolate. Its medium-bodied body is well-balanced and well-rounded with an elegant finish that is sure to delight your taste buds.

5. Colombian Caturra

Caturra is a coffee cultivar, has become the most popular name in Latin America. The cultivar was first introduced in Brazil due to an organic alteration of Bourbon. Its capacity for production is superior to Bourbon however it requires higher altitudes which results in lower yields. Growers used a process called mass selection to identify individual parents that had extraordinary performance, and then the seeds were grouped from these parents and repeated the process.

Colombian Caturra is a yield-producing plant that is resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust. It is one of the two parents of the Castillo that was created by Cenicafe to be the flag plant of their "Colombia sin roya", an initiative aimed at restoring the production of coffee in Colombia.

This heirloom Caturra is cultivated at 2,000 meters by farmers in Urrao was processed by Camber Coffee. The cup is vibrant with the flavors of watermelon, strawberry and citrus.

6. French Roast

French Roast is a strong cup of coffee with smoky, charred notes. This blend is a combination of arabica beans from different regions that have rich flavor like caramel and chocolate. The beans are roasted darkly to enhance their natural oils and flavor. This blend is of top quality and will please the most sophisticated taste buds.

These beans are more difficult than other varieties of coffee to grow because they require specific climate conditions to thrive. The plants require a certain amount of sunshine and rain and 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 in these beans help fight free radicals which can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. These beans also contain vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, which are essential for the body's conversion of food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

Known as Geisha or Gesha, this coffee variety was first discovered in the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia in the 1930s. It was introduced to Panama in the 1960s, where it quickly gained recognition for its floral aromas, full-bodied flavor and delicate acidity.

Geisha is among the most expensive varieties of coffee available on the market, due to it being extremely susceptible to disease and requires high growing altitudes with a lower fruit yield. These features make it difficult to produce consistently. This, in conjunction with its high score on the cup makes it a major factor in the price.

This particular lot of Gesha was processed with honey (not real honey, but the beans are treated and then dipped in water that contains sugar) and then transferred to a marquee for drying for 96 hours with carbonic maceration. It's a unique method which adds to the richness of this amazing coffee. It also provides OMA a rich and balanced cup profile that is full of exotic florals like tea rose and jasmine with delicate citrus and stone fruits.

8. Indonesian Liberica

Coffee lovers are mostly familiar with two species belonging to the Coffea genus which are arabica and robusta. The former accounts for 80percent of all coffee sold around the world, while the second only makes up 20 percent. There are over 120 species of the genus and some are less well-known than others.

The most well-known non-arabica species is Coffea excelsa (or var. dewevrei). This variety grows on medium-sized trees at medium altitudes, and produces a teardrop-shaped bean. It is often used in blends and adds an enduring flavor to the cup.

It's not as popular in Southeast Asia as specialty arabica coffee beans but it is still a niche market. This is due to the religious demand for coffee, as Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink coffee following their prayers. Liberica's resistance to rusty coffee leaves and its low levels of caffeine make it an attractive alternative for producers who do not have the money to invest in arabica.

9. Brazilian Exelsa

While Excelsa is extremely resilient and productive, it also requires more focus from farmers to manage than other Coffea arabica or canephora varieties. This is in part because of its asymmetrical beans which are larger than freshly ground arabica coffee beans (nerdgaming.science) and canephora. It also has a longer time to fruit, and its leaves are larger than those of other C. liberica varieties. It can also grow to 15m tall, and produce a large volume of fruit.

According to Oliveiro the reason is that the plant has been misunderstood for so long despite it being classified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006 - because it is "a very good coffee maker". However, without a commodities market and a tiny demand for the species, the switch is unlikely to happen. For those who are willing and able to invest in the time and effort required to cultivate it, the benefits of excelsa beans are clear. They are less caffeine-rich than arabica or canephora, and have a denser, less soluble Mucilage.