The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Most people don't know that coffee beans sold at the grocery store or in the cafe you frequent 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) has a huge influence on how they taste. This is the reason why single-origin arabicas are extremely sought-after.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Known for its floral and citrus characteristics This coffee is an old-fashioned. The premium 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 results in a berry-like flavor and sweetness.

The elevations high in Yirgacheffe permit the coffee plants to develop more slowly, allowing them to absorb the subtleties and flavors of the surrounding environment. The region has an arid climate that is ideal for the cultivation of coffee.

The unroasted green beans of this coffee are an excellent option for any roaster looking to reveal the true essence of this exotic coffee. Light to medium roasts bring out the wine, citrus and fruity flavors. This coffee is great with desserts like lemon cake, chocolate and 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 popular option for coffee lovers of all levels. Typically featuring a smooth, classic flavor profile that has notes of citrus and light caramel, Supremo beans have an overall mild taste that's well-rounded enough for many palates.

The size of the beans is a major element in determining the flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. This larger size implies that the beans are more likely to pass through Grade 14 (or higher) perforations in the sieve that are lower than the grade of Excelso.

Colombian Supremo is a coffee with universal appeal. Its high quality standards, bright acidity, and moderately rich body make it an excellent option for any brewing technique. This coffee is from the Popayan area is grown by farmers that are members of the Colombian Coffee Federation. This organization supports over 500,000 coffee farmers. This coffee is an excellent example of the high-quality Colombian beans that have made the country famous for its premium coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most sought-after gourmet coffees around the world. Its smooth, rich taste makes it one of its most sought-after varieties. This wet-processed Jamaican Blue Mountains variety is known for its sophistication and smoothness. It's also a key ingredient in the coffee liquor Tia Maria.

The soaring elevations of the Blue Mountains and their unique combination of fertile soil, mild climate, and dense cloud cover provide the ideal environment for growing coffee of exceptional quality. The coffee beans from this tiny region are highly prized and fetch premium prices due to their rarity.

Jamaican Blue Mountain, as its name suggests, is grown in the Blue Mountain District, a area of 6,000 hectares on the island that is known for its natural beauty and the production of coffee. 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

A coffee lover's dream, Costa Rican Tarrazu is the perfect balance of body and acidity. The region boasts high altitudes and mineral-rich volcanic soil, which allows the beans to mature in a slower rate, so they can fully develop their flavor profile.

Many of these farms are known for their environmentally-friendly practices and strict measures to maintain quality, which makes them popular for eco-conscious buyers. Some of them offer traceability so that customers can find out more about the farm that made their coffee.

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is a perfect example of the region's distinctive flavor profile, displaying notes of vibrant grapefruit and rich dark chocolate. Its Lavazza Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee Blend body is well-rounded and balanced, resulting in a smooth finish that's sure to delight your taste buds.

5. Caturra de Colombia

Caturra, a coffee cultivar is now a household name in Latin America. The variety was introduced to Brazil as a natural mutation from Bourbon. Its potential for production was superior to Bourbon but it needed higher altitudes, resulting in lower yields. The process of mass selection was used to identify plants that produced exceptionally well. Bulk seed from these parents was then produced and the process was repeated.

Colombian Caturra has an excellent yield and 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 for their "Colombia sin roya", a program aimed at recovering coffee production in Colombia.

This vintage Caturra is cultivated at 2,000 meters by farmers in Urrao was roasted by Camber Coffee. Its cup is lively with the flavors of watermelon, citrus and strawberry.

6. French Roast

French Roast is a strong cup of coffee with smokey, charred notes. This blend is a blend of arabica beans from various regions, delivering rich flavors of chocolate and caramel. The beans are darkly-roasted to bring out their natural flavors and oils. This blend is of top quality and will satisfy the most sophisticated palate.

These special beans are more difficult to cultivate than other varieties of coffee due to the fact that they require very specific conditions for climatic growth. The plants require a certain amount sunlight and rainfall and they need to be protected against frost and drought.

Consuming coffee made of these beans can improve your energy levels and improve your health. The antioxidants contained 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 acids which are vital to the body's conversion of 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, and it quickly gained fame for its strong floral aromas and full body. It also has delicate acidity from citric.

Geisha is a pricey coffee variety. It's susceptible to disease and requires high altitudes for growing. The yield of the fruit is also lower. These features make it difficult to consistently produce. This, combined with its high cup score 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 dipped in water that contains sugar) and then moved to an outdoor marquee to dry for 96 hrs through carbonic maceration. It's a unique method which adds to the richness of this incredible coffee. It also provides OMA a complex yet balanced cup profile that is full of exotic florals like jasmine and tea roses, with delicate citrus and stone fruits.

8. Indonesian Liberica

The majority of coffee enthusiasts are familiar with two species belonging to the Coffea family: arabica, and robusta. The former accounts for 80% of all coffee traded in the world, while the second only makes up 20%. There are more than 120 species within the genus, and some are less well-known than others.

The most popular non-arabica is Coffea Excelsa (or the variant. dewevrei). This variety is cultivated on medium-sized trees at medium elevations. It produces a teardrop-shaped bean. It is commonly used in blends, and can provide an enduring flavor to the cup.

Although it's not as popular as arabica but it does have an established market in Southeast Asia. This is largely because of the demand generated by religion, as Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink their coffee following prayers. Liberica's resistance to rust on coffee leaves and its low caffeine content make it an attractive alternative for producers who do not have the funds to invest in arabica.

9. Brazilian Exelsa

While Excelsa is extremely durable and productive, it requires more focus from farmers to manage than other Coffea arabica or canephora species. This is due to its asymmetrical bean which are larger than canephora and arabica. It also has a longer fruiting period and its leaves are larger than other C. liberica varieties. Furthermore, its high production levels means that it can reach a height of 15 meters and produce an enormous amount of fruit.

According to Oliveiro, it's a shame that the plant has been misunderstood so much - even though it was reclassified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006, because it could be "a really good coffee maker". It's unlikely that this plant will be converted to a commercial coffee without a market. For those who are willing and able to invest in the time and effort needed to cultivate it, the advantages of excelsa beans are clear. They are generally less caffeine-rich than arabica or canephora and also have a more dense more soluble mucus.