9 Things Your Parents Teach You About Best Arabica Coffee Beans In The…

The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Many people are unaware that the coffee beans at your favorite café or supermarket aren't arabica. This type of bean grows best in regions that have high altitudes. It produces smoother, sweeter and more nuanced flavor.

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

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

This coffee is known for its citrus and floral qualities. The top quality beans are grown on 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 high elevations of Yirgacheffe allow the coffee plants to develop slower, which allows them to absorb the subtleties and flavors of the surrounding area. The region also has a rich tropical climate that is ideal for coffee cultivation.

This coffee is available in green beans that have not been roasted. They are ideal for roasters who want to reveal the true essence. Light to medium roasts bring out the citrus, wine and berry flavors. This coffee is great with desserts such as lemon pound cake and chocolate. This coffee's herbal and floral notes go well with spicy or sour dishes.

2. Colombian Supremo

It is known for its consistent quality and flavor, Colombian Supremo is a popular option for coffee lovers of all levels. Typically, it is smooth and has a classic flavor profile that has notes of citrus and light caramel, Supremo beans have an overall mild flavor that's balanced enough to satisfy a variety of palates.

The size of the beans is a major factor in determining their flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. This bigger size means that the beans will go through Grade 14 or more perforations in the sieve, which is less than Excelso.

With strict quality standards, a bright acidity and a moderately rich body, Colombian Supremo has a universal appeal that makes it a great choice for any brewing technique. This particular coffee from the Popayan region is grown by farmers who are part of the Colombian Coffee Federation, an organization that provides support to more than 500,000 coffee farmers. This coffee is an excellent example of the premium Colombian beans that have made Colombia famous for its top-of-the-line coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most sought-after gourmet coffees in the world. Its rich, smooth flavor makes it one of its most popular varieties. This wet-processed variety from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica is renowned for its sophistication and smooth taste, and it's also one of the main ingredients 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 growing of exceptional quality. The coffee beans from this tiny region are highly prized and fetch a premium price due to their rarity.

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 coffee production. The area is protected by a national park and farmers cultivate a small amount of coffee with great care to preserve their unique characteristics.

4. Costa Rican Tarrazu

Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee is a coffee lover's delight. It has the perfect balance between acidity and body. The high altitudes of the region and the volcanic soil's mineral richness allows for a more gradual maturing process, allowing the beans to get their full flavor.

Many of these farms are recognized for their sustainable practices and strict measures to control quality that make them a favorite for eco-conscious buyers. Some offer traceability so that customers can learn more about the farm that produced their coffee.

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is an excellent example of the characteristic flavor profile of the region, featuring notes of vibrant grapefruits and rich dark chocolate. The medium body is balanced and well-rounded. This results in an elegant, satisfying finish.

5. Colombian Caturra

Caturra is a cultivar of coffee that has earned a name for itself in Latin America. The variety was introduced to Brazil as a natural change from Bourbon. Its capacity for production was superior to Bourbon but it required higher altitudes and lower yields. The process of mass selection was employed to identify parent plants that produced exceptionally well. Bulk seeds from these parents were then produced and the process repeated.

Colombian Caturra has an excellent yield and is resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust. It is one of the parents of the Castillo variety, which was developed by Cenicafe as the plant that will be the flag for their "Colombia sin roya" program designed to revive and revitalize the production of coffee.

This historic Caturra was grown by farmers in the department of Urrao at 2,000 meters and then roasted with care by Camber Coffee. The cup quality is a lively acidity that is flavored with strawberry, watermelon 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 blend of arabica beans from a variety of regions, delivering rich flavors of chocolate and caramel. The beans are darkly roasted to highlight their natural oils and flavors. This blend is of top quality and will satisfy even the most sophisticated palate.

These beans are more difficult than other varieties of coffee to grow because they require very specific climate conditions to thrive. The plants need a specific 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. They are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals that can trigger chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease. They also contain vitamin B5, or pantothenic acids which are vital to the body's transformation of food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

Geisha, or Gesha as it is also known, was first discovered in Ethiopia's Gori Gesha Forest in the 1930s. It was introduced to Panama in the 1960s when it quickly gained fame for its floral aromas, full-bodied flavor, and delicate acidity.

Geisha is a pricey coffee variety. It is susceptible to disease and requires high altitudes for growing. The fruit yield is also lower. These features make it difficult to consistently produce. This, along with its high cup score, drives the price.

This particular batch of Gesha was processed with honey (not real honey however the beans are treated and dipped in water that contains sugar) and then placed on an outdoor marquee to dry for 96 hours with carbonic maceration. It's a unique process that enhances the complexity of this incredible coffee. It also gives OMA a complex yet balanced cup profile of exotic florals, such as jasmine and tea rose with delicate citrus and stone fruits.

8. Indonesian Liberica

Coffee lovers are mostly familiar with two species of the Coffea genus which are robusta and arabica. The former accounts for 80percent of all coffee that is traded around the world, whereas the second only makes up 20%. There are more than 120 species in the genus and some are less popular than others.

The most well-known non-arabica coffee bean suppliers is Coffea Excelsa (or var. dewevrei). This variety grows on huge trees at moderate altitudes and produces a teardrop-shaped beans. It is commonly used in blends, and can give a distinctive lingering finish to your cup.

It's not as popular in Southeast Asia as arabica but it is still a niche market. This is largely because of the religious demand as Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink their coffee following prayers. Liberica's resistance to rusty coffee leaves and its low acidity arabica coffee beans caffeine content, makes it a viable alternative for those who don't have the funds to invest in arabica.

9. Brazilian Exelsa

Excelsa is resilient and productive, however it requires more care from farmers than other Coffea arabica species or canephora. This is in part because of its asymmetrical beans, which are bigger than arabica and canephora. It also has a longer fruiting period, and its leaves are bigger than other C. liberica varieties. Furthermore, its high production levels means that it can grow to more than 15m tall and produce a large amount of fruit.

According to Oliveiro, it's a shame that the plant is so misunderstood - despite being reclassified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006 - because it is "a really good coffee producer". It's unlikely that this plant will be converted to a commodity coffee without a market for it. But for those willing to invest the time and effort in cultivating it, the benefits are obvious: Excelsa beans tend to have a lower caffeine content than arabica and canephora, and have a denser mucilage, with less solids that are soluble.