The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World
Most people are unaware that the coffee beans you find in your favorite café or supermarket aren't
organic Fair trade Arabica coffee beans. This kind of coffee plant thrives at higher altitudes and has a more smooth flavor.
The terroir (or the place of origin) of the coffee beans has a significant influence on their taste. This is why single origin arabicas are so sought-after.
1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
The coffee is known for its citrus and floral characteristics. The high quality beans are cultivated on small farms in the Oromia region (formerly Harrar) at altitudes that range from 1,400 to 2200 meters. The natural process gives an berry-like taste and sweetness.
The elevations that are high in Yirgacheffe causes the coffee plants to grow slower and allow them to absorb flavors and nuances from the surrounding environment. The region has an extremely humid climate, which is ideal for cultivating coffee.
This coffee is available in
green arabica coffee beans beans that have not been roast. They are ideal for roasters who want to bring out its true essence. Light to medium roasts bring out the wine, citrus and fruity flavors. This coffee is a great match for desserts like lemon cake, chocolate and pound cake. The coffee's herbal and floral notes go well with spicy or sour dishes.
2. Colombian Supremo
Colombian Supremo, a coffee that is well-known for its consistency in flavor and quality is a popular choice for coffee lovers of all levels. Supremo beans are renowned for their classic, smooth flavor with notes of citrus and caramel.
The size of the beans is a key element in determining the flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. This bigger size means that the beans will generally go through Grade 14 (or higher) sieve perforations which is less than the grade of Excelso.
With strict quality standards, a bright acidity and moderately rich body, Colombian Supremo has a universal appeal that makes it a great choice for any brewing technique. This coffee is from the Popayan area is grown by farmers who are members of the Colombian Coffee Federation. This organization has over 500 000 coffee producers. This is a fantastic example of the high quality Colombian beans that have been renowned for their top-of-the-line coffees.
3. Jamaican Blue Mountain
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most sought-after gourmet coffees around the world. Its smooth, rich flavor makes it one of its most popular varieties. This wet-processed Jamaican Blue Mountains variety is known 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, make the perfect setting for coffee growing of exceptional quality. The coffee beans from this tiny region are highly sought-after and fetch a premium price due to their rareness.
As 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 the cultivation of coffee. The area is protected as a national park, and farmers cultivate small quantities of coffee with care to preserve the distinct characteristics of the beans.
4. Costa Rican Tarrazu
Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee is an absolute delight for coffee lovers. It is the perfect balance between acidity and body. The high altitudes of the region and the volcanic soil that is mineral-rich allows for a more gradual maturing process, which allows the beans to create their full flavor profile.
Many of the farms that produce these coffees are also famous for their sustainable practices and strict quality control measures, which make them popular with eco-conscious buyers. Some of them offer traceability so that customers can know more about the farm that made their coffee.
One World Roasters' Tarrazu is a great illustration of the distinctive flavor profile of the region, featuring aromas of vibrant grapefruits and a rich dark chocolate. The medium body is balanced and rounded. This gives a smooth, satisfying finish.
5. Colombian Caturra
Caturra is a cultivar of coffee, has become an iconic name in Latin America. The Caturra cultivar was first introduced in Brazil due to an unnatural mutation of Bourbon. Its production potential is superior to Bourbon, but it requires higher altitudes, resulting in lower yields. Growers used a process called mass selection to select parent plants for their extraordinary performance, and then bulked seed from those 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 which was developed by Cenicafe to be the flag plant for their "Colombia sin roya", a program aimed at recovering the production of coffee in Colombia.
This family-owned Caturra was cultivated by farmers in the department of Urrao at 2,000 feet and then carefully roasted by Camber Coffee. The cup quality is a vibrant acidity, with flavors of citrus, watermelon, and strawberry.
6. French Roast
French Roast is a strong cup of coffee that has smoky, charred notes. This blend is a blend of arabica beans from various regions, delivering rich flavors of chocolate and caramel. The beans are roasted darkly to enhance their natural oils and flavors. This blend is of high quality and will satisfy the most sophisticated taste buds.
These special beans are more difficult to cultivate than other varieties of coffee because they require specific conditions for climatic growth. The plants require a certain amount sunshine and rain and must be protected against frost and drought.
These beans are rich in antioxidants that can boost your energy levels and improve your overall health. These beans are loaded with antioxidants that fight free radicals which can cause chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. They also contain vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid which are vital for the body's transformation of food into energy.
7. Ethiopian Gesha
Also known as Geisha or Gesha, this coffee variety was first discovered in the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia in the 1930s. It was brought to Panama in the 1960s when it quickly gained fame for its floral aromas, full-bodied flavour and delicate acidity.
Geisha is among the most expensive varieties of coffee available on the market, as it's highly susceptible to diseases and requires high growing altitudes with a lower fruit yield. These factors make it difficult to consistently produce. This, along with its high cup score is what drives the price.
This particular batch of Gesha was processed with honey (not real honey but the beans are treated and then dipped in sugar-rich water) and then transferred to a marquee for drying for 96 hours through carbonic maceration. This is a unique process that enhances the complexity of this incredible coffee. It also provides OMA an intricate yet balanced cup profile that is full of exotic florals like tea rose and jasmine and delicate citrus and stone fruits.
8. Indonesian Liberica
The majority of coffee drinkers are familiar with two species in the Coffea family:
bulk arabica coffee beans, and robusta. The former makes up 80% of all coffee that is traded around the world, while the second only makes up 20 percent. There are more than 120 recognized species within 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 cultivated on medium-sized trees with medium elevations. It produces a teardrop shaped bean. It is commonly used in blends and adds an interesting lingering flavor
where to buy arabica coffee beans a cup.
Although it's not as popular as arabica, it still has a market of its own in Southeast Asia. This is largely because of the demand generated by religion and the fact that Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink their coffee following prayers. Additionally, liberica's resilience to rust on coffee leaves and low caffeine content makes it a viable alternative for producers who don't have the money 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 because of its asymmetrical beans that are larger than arabica and canephora. It also has a longer fruiting period, and its leaves are larger than those of other C. liberica varieties. Additionally, its high productivity 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 it being classified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006 - as it can be "a very good coffee maker". It's unlikely that this species will be changed to a commercial coffee without a market. For those who are willing and able to commit the time and effort needed to cultivate it, the benefits of excelsa beans are evident. They tend to be lower in caffeine than arabica or canephora and have a denser more soluble mucus.
