The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Most people don't know that coffee beans sold at the grocery store or at your favorite cafe aren't all arabica. This kind of coffee bean thrives at high altitudes, and has a smoother flavor.

The location where the coffee beans are grown (aka their terroir) has a huge influence on the taste. This is why single-origin arabicas are so prized.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

This coffee is renowned for its citrus and floral qualities. The high-quality beans are grown on small farms that are located in the Oromia Region (formerly Harrar), at altitudes of between 1,400 and 2,000 meters. The natural process gives an intense sweetness and berry flavor.

The high elevations of Yirgacheffe result in the coffee plants to grow more slowly and allow them to absorb nuances and flavors from the surrounding environment. The region is characterized by an arid climate that is ideal for the cultivation of coffee.

The unroasted green beans of this coffee are a great option for roasters who want to bring out the true essence of this exotic beans. Light to medium roasts let the berry, citrus and wine flavors to shine through. It is a great match for desserts that complement these flavors, such as lemon cake or chocolate. The herbal and floral notes of this coffee also are great with food items that are spicy or sour in taste.

2. Colombian Supremo

Known for its consistency in quality and taste, Colombian Supremo is a popular option for coffee lovers of all levels. Supremo beans are known for their smooth, classic flavor with notes of citrus and caramel.

The size of the beans is a key factor in determining the flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. This larger size implies that the beans will generally go through Grade 14 (or higher) sieve perforations that are lower 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 option for any brewing method. This particular coffee originates from the Popayan region is cultivated by farmers who are members 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-quality coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

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

The soaring elevations of the Blue Mountains and their unique combination of fertile soils, mild climate, and dense cloud cover provide the ideal environment for growing coffee of exceptional quality. The coffee beans grown in this small region are sought-after the world across and fetch a premium due to their rareness.

Jamaican Blue Mountain, as its name suggests is grown in the Blue Mountain District, a area of 6,000 hectares on the island renowned for its natural beauty and coffee production. The area is protected as an official national park. farmers cultivate small lots of coffee with care to preserve the distinct characteristics of the beans.

4. Costa Rican Tarrazu

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

Many of these farms are well-known for their sustainable practices and strict measures to maintain quality, which makes them popular among eco-conscious consumers. Some of them provide traceability so that customers can learn more about the farm that produced their coffee.

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is an excellent example of the region's distinctive flavor profile, displaying aromas of vibrant grapefruit and lush dark chocolate. Its medium body is well balanced and well-rounded. This produces a smooth, satisfying end.

5. Caturra de Colombia

Caturra is a cultivar of coffee that has earned an impact in Latin America. This variety was introduced into Brazil as a natural mutation from Bourbon. Its production potential is superior to Bourbon however it requires higher altitudes, resulting in lower yields. Growers employed a technique known as mass selection to identify individual parent plants for their exceptional performance, then bulked seed from those parents and repeated the process.

Colombian Caturra is a high-yielding plant with exceptional resistance to Coffee Leaf Rust. It is one of two parents of the Castillo that was created by Cenicafe to be the flag plant of their "Colombia sin roya", a program aimed at recovering coffee production in Colombia.

This heirloom Caturra is cultivated at 2,000m by farmers in Urrao and was roasted by Camber Coffee. The cup quality is a vibrant acidity with flavors of watermelon, strawberry and citrus.

6. French Roast

For those who want a bold cup of coffee with smokey and charred notes will enjoy French Roast. This blend combines arabica beans from a variety of regions, delivering rich flavors of chocolate and caramel. The beans are roasted darkly to bring out their natural oils and flavors. This blend is of high quality and will satisfy even the most sophisticated taste buds.

These beans are more difficult than other coffee varieties to cultivate because they require very specific conditions for their growth. The plants require a certain amount sunlight and rain, and they must be protected from frost and drought.

Consuming coffee made of these beans can boost your energy levels and improve your overall health. The antioxidants found in these beans fight free radicals, which can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Furthermore, these beans are also a source of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid which is vital for the body to convert food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

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

Geisha is one of the most expensive varieties of coffee on the market, due to it being extremely susceptible to disease and requires high altitudes for growth with a lower yield of fruit. These factors make it difficult to make consistently, which combines with its high cup scores to drive the price.

This particular batch of Gesha was processed with honey (not actual honey, but the beans are treated and dipped in sugar-rich water) and then moved to a marquee to dry for 96 hours with carbonic maceration. This unique process adds to the complexity and taste of this coffee. OMA is a complex, yet balanced cup profile that is bursting with exotic florals such as jasmine, tea rose and delicate stone fruits, citrus and citrus.

8. Indonesian Liberica

Coffee lovers are mostly familiar with two species of the Coffea genus: arabica and robusta. The former is responsible for 80percent of all coffee that is traded around the world, while the second is only 20 percent. However, there are more than 120 known species belonging to the genus and some are less popular than others.

The most popular non-arabica is Coffea Excelsa (or var. dewevrei). This variety grows on large trees that are at medium altitudes. It produces a teardrop-shaped beans. It is commonly blended into blends and can give a distinctive lingering finish to your cup.

Although it's not as popular as arabica coffee beans direct from the source however, it has a market of its own in Southeast Asia. This is because of the religious demand in the region, since Muslims in Malaysia & Indonesia drink coffee after their prayers. Liberica's resistance to coffee leaf rust, and its low levels of caffeine make it a desirable alternative for producers who do not have the money to invest in arabica.

9. Brazilian Exelsa

While Excelsa is extremely resilient and productive, it requires more focus from farmers to manage than other Coffea authentic arabica coffee beans or canephora species. This is due in part to the asymmetrical bean size that is larger than canephora or arabica. It also has a longer fruiting period, and its leaves are larger than other C. liberica varieties. It can also reach 15m in height, and produces an abundance of fruits.

According to Oliveiro the reason is that the plant has been misunderstood so much despite it being classified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006 - because it could be "a excellent coffee producer". However, without a commodities market and a tiny demand for the species, making 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 advantages of excelsa beans are clear. They tend to be lower in caffeine than canephora or organic fair trade arabica coffee beans and have a thicker, less soluble Mucilage.