9 Things Your Parents Taught You About Best Arabica Coffee Beans In The World

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 arabica. This kind of coffee plant thrives at higher altitudes and has a softer flavor.

Where the coffee beans grow (aka their terroir) can have a significant impact on how they taste. This is why single-origin arabicas are so cherished.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

It is renowned for its citrus and floral scents This coffee is an old-fashioned. The top-quality beans are grown 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 a berry-like flavor and sweetness.

The high elevations in Yirgacheffe cause the coffee plants to grow more slowly and allow them to absorb nuances and flavors from the surrounding environment. The region has an extremely humid climate, which is ideal for the cultivation of coffee.

This coffee is available in green arabica coffee beans beans that haven't been roasted. They are great for roasters who wish to bring out its essence. Light to medium roasts bring out the wine, citrus and the berry flavor. This coffee is great with desserts that complement these flavors such as lemon pound cake or chocolate. The floral and herbal notes of this coffee can be enjoyed with savory dishes that are spicy or sour in taste.

2. Colombian Supremo

It is known for its consistency in quality and flavor, Colombian Supremo is a well-loved choice for coffee enthusiasts of all levels. Supremo beans are known for their classic, smooth taste with notes of caramel and citrus.

Bean size plays a crucial role in the flavor profile of Colombian coffee and Supremo beans are characterized by their large size. This larger size implies that the beans are more likely to pass through Grade 14 (or higher) sieve perforations that are lower than the grade of Excelso.

Colombian Supremo is an all-purpose coffee with universal appeal. Its premium quality standards, bright acidity and moderately rich body make it a great choice for any brewing technique. This coffee from the Popayan area is grown by farmers that are members of the Colombian Coffee Federation. This organization supports over 500,000 coffee producers. As such, this coffee is an excellent example of the top-quality Colombian beans that have earned the country a reputation for its top-quality coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

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

The soaring elevations of the Blue Mountains and their unique combination of fertile soils and mild climate as well as dense cloud cover create an ideal setting for growing coffee of exceptional quality. The coffee beans grown in this small region are coveted the world over and command high prices for their rareness.

Like the name suggests, Jamaican Blue Mountain is grown in the Blue Mountain district, a area of 6,000 hectares on the island that is known for its stunning natural beauty and coffee cultivation. The area is protected as National Park, and farmers cultivate small amounts of coffee with care to preserve the distinctive characteristics of the beans.

4. Costa Rican Tarrazu

A coffee lover's dream, Costa Rican Tarrazu is a perfect balance of body and acidity. The high altitudes of the region as well as the mineral-rich volcanic soil permit a slower maturing process, which allows the beans to create their full flavor profile.

Many of the farms that make these coffees are also famous for their environmentally-friendly practices and strict quality control measures, which make them popular with eco-conscious buyers. Some of them offer traceability to allow customers to find out more about the farm that made their coffee.

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is a great example of the characteristic flavor profile of the region, featuring the vibrant grapefruit notes and rich dark chocolate. The medium body is rounded and balanced. This results in a smooth, satisfying end.

5. Colombian Caturra

Caturra is a coffee cultivar that has earned a name for itself in Latin America. The Caturra variety was first introduced to Brazil as a result of a natural mutation of Bourbon. Its production potential is superior to Bourbon, but it requires higher altitudes which results in lower yields. The process of mass selection was employed to identify plants that produced exceptionally well. Bulk seed from these parents was later produced and the process repeated.

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

This heirloom Caturra was grown by farmers in the department of Urrao at 2,000 feet and then carefully roasted by Camber Coffee. Its cup quality shows lively acidity that is flavored with watermelon, strawberry and citrus.

6. French Roast

French Roast is a strong cup of coffee with smokey, charred notes. This blend is a mix of arabica beans from different regions that offer rich flavors such as chocolate and caramel. The beans are darkly roasted to highlight their natural oils and flavor. This blend is of top quality and will please the most sophisticated taste buds.

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

These beans are rich in antioxidants that can boost your energy levels and improve your overall health. These beans contain antioxidants that fight free radicals that can trigger chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Additionally these beans are sources of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid which is essential for the body to convert food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

Known as Geisha or Gesha, this particular coffee variety was first discovered in the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia 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 acidity from citric.

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

This particular lot of Gesha was honey processed (not actual honey but the beans are treated, then dipped in water that contains sugar) and then moved to an outdoor marquee to dry for 96 hours through carbonic maceration. This is a unique process that adds to the complexity of this amazing coffee. It also gives OMA a complex yet balanced cup profile with exotic florals like jasmine and tea rose, with delicate stone fruits and citrus.

8. Indonesian Liberica

Most coffee lovers are familiar with two species in the Coffea family: wild harvested arabica coffee beans and robusta. The former accounts for 80% of all coffee sold around the world, whereas the second is only 20 percent. There are more than 120 known species belonging to the genus, and some are far less popular than others.

The most well-known non-wild harvested arabica coffee beans is Coffea Excelsa (or var. dewevrei). This variety grows on large trees at moderate altitudes and produces a teardrop-shaped beans. It's commonly used in blends and can add a distinct lingering finish to a cup.

Although it's not as popular as arabica however, it has a niche market in Southeast Asia. This is due to the demand generated by religion and the fact that Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink their coffee following prayers. Liberica's resistance to rusty coffee leaves and its low levels of caffeine make it a desirable alternative for those who do not have the money to invest in arabica.

9. Brazilian Exelsa

While Excelsa is extremely durable and productive, it requires more attention from farmers to manage than other Coffea arabica or canephora species. This is in part due to its asymmetrical beans that are larger than arabica and canephora. It also has a longer period of fruiting, and its leaves are bigger than other C. liberica varieties. Plus, its high productivity levels means that it can reach a height of 15 meters and produce a huge volume of fruit.

Oliveiro says it's a pity that the plant is often misunderstood despite it being reclassified in 2006 as the dewevrei liberica variety. It can be considered a "really good coffee producer". It is unlikely that the species will be changed to a coffee that is a commodity without a market for it. For those who are willing and are able to put in the time and effort needed to grow it, the benefits of excelsa beans are evident. They are generally less caffeine-rich than arabica coffee bean suppliers or canephora and have a denser more soluble mucilage.