The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Many people are unaware that the coffee beans in your favorite café or supermarket aren't arabica. This type of coffee plant thrives at higher altitudes, and has a smoother flavor.

The place where coffee beans are grown (aka their terroir) has a major impact on how they taste. This is why single-origin arabicas are adored.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Known for its citrus and floral scents The coffee is an iconic. The premium beans are grown in small farms in the Oromia Region (formerly Harrar), at altitudes of between 1,400 and 2200 meters. The natural process gives pronounced sweetness and berry flavor.

The high elevations in Yirgacheffe cause the coffee plants to grow more slowly which allows them to absorb the nuances and flavors from the surrounding environment. The region also has a thriving tropical climate that is ideal for coffee cultivation.

The unroasted green beans of this coffee are an excellent alternative for roasters looking to reveal the true essence of this exotic bean. Light to medium roasts let the citrus, berry and wine flavors to shine through. It is a great match for desserts that complement these tastes, such as lemon pound cake or chocolate. The herbal and floral notes of this coffee also can be enjoyed with food items that are spicy or sour in flavor.

2. Colombian Supremo

It is known for its consistent quality and taste, Colombian Supremo is a favorite choice for coffee lovers of all levels. Typically, it is smooth and has a classic flavor profile with notes of light roast arabica coffee beans caramel and citrus, Supremo beans have an overall mild character that's well-rounded enough to satisfy a variety of palates.

The size of the beans is an important element in determining the flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. This bigger size means that the beans will go through Grade 14 or higher perforations on the sieve which are lower than Excelso.

With strict quality standards, a vibrant acidity, and a moderately smoky body, Colombian Supremo has a universal appeal that makes it an excellent choice for any brewing technique. This particular coffee comes from the Popayan region is cultivated by farmers who are part of the Colombian Coffee Federation, an organization that assists more than 500,000 coffee farmers. This coffee is an excellent example of the top quality Colombian beans which 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 in the world. Its smooth, rich taste makes it among the most sought-after varieties. This wet-processed Jamaican blue Mountain variety is known for its elegance and smoothness. It's also an essential ingredient in the coffee liquor Tia Maria.

The Blue Mountains, with their steep elevations, fertile soils, mild climates and dense clouds, provide the perfect environment for coffee production of top quality. The beans grown in this small region are highly prized and fetch premium prices due to their rareness.

As the name suggests, Jamaican Blue Mountain is grown in the Blue Mountain district, a 6,000 hectare swath of the island that's known for its breathtaking natural beauty and the cultivation of coffee. The area is designated a national park, and farmers cultivate small lots of coffee with a keen eye 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 and the volcanic soil's mineral richness allows for a more gradual ripening process, allowing the beans to develop their full flavor profile.

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

One World Roasters' Tarrazu is an excellent illustration of the region's distinctive flavor profile, with notes of vibrant grapefruit and lush dark chocolate. The medium body is balanced and well-rounded. This results in a smooth, satisfying finish.

5. Caturra de Colombia

Caturra is a coffee cultivar that has earned an impact in Latin America. The Caturra variety was first introduced in Brazil due to an organic alteration of Bourbon. Its capacity for production is superior to Bourbon however, it requires higher altitudes resulting in lower yields. Growers employed a technique known as mass selection to identify individual parents that had extraordinary performance, and then bulked seed from those parents and repeated the process.

Colombian Caturra is a high-yielding plant that is resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust. It is one of 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 coffee production in Colombia.

This historic Caturra was cultivated by farmers in the department of Urrao at 2,000m and carefully roasted for you by Camber Coffee. Its cup quality displays a lively acidity that is flavored with citrus, watermelon, and strawberry.

6. French Roast

French Roast is a strong cup of coffee with smokey, charred notes. This blend is a combination of arabica beans from different regions that have rich flavor such as caramel and chocolate. The beans are roasted darkly to bring out their natural flavors and oils. This is a high-quality blend that will satisfy even the most sophisticated palate.

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

These beans are rich in antioxidants which can boost your energy levels and improve your overall health. These beans contain antioxidants that fight free radicals that can cause chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. They also contain vitamin B5 or pantothenic acids, which are essential for the body's conversion of food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

Geisha or Gesha as it is also known, was discovered in Ethiopia's Gori Gesha Forest in the 1930s. It was brought to Panama in the 1960s, where it quickly became renowned for its strong floral scents and full body. It also has delicate citric acidity.

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

This particular batch of Gesha was processed with honey (not real honey however the beans are treated and dipped in sugar-rich water) and then transferred to a marquee to dry for 96 hrs through carbonic maceration. It's a unique process that adds to the complexity of this incredible coffee. OMA has a complex but balanced cup profile with exotic florals like tea rose, jasmine and delicate stone fruits, citrus and citrus.

8. Indonesian Liberica

Coffee drinkers are generally familiar with two species of the Coffea genus: arabica and robusta. The former accounts for 80% of the world's coffee trade, whereas the latter is responsible for 20 percent. However, there are more than 120 identified species belonging to the genus, and some are more well-known than others.

The most popular non-arabica is Coffea Excelsa (or the variant. dewevrei). This variety is cultivated on medium-sized trees in moderate elevations and produces a teardrop shaped bean. It is often used in blends, and can add a distinctive lasting flavor to your drink.

Although it's not as well-known as arabica however, it has a market of its own in Southeast Asia. This is due to the religious demands in the region, as Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink coffee following their prayers. Liberica's resistance to rusty coffee leaves and its low caffeine content, make it a desirable 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 partly due to the asymmetrical size of the bean that is bigger than canephora or arabica. It has a longer time of fruiting and its leaves are bigger than other C. liberica types. Furthermore, its high production levels allow it to reach a height of 15 meters and produce a huge volume of fruit.

According to Oliveiro the reason is that the plant is so misunderstood - even though it was reclassified as the dewevrei variety of liberica in 2006, because it can be "a really good coffee maker". It is unlikely that the species will be changed to a coffee that is a commodity without a market. But for those who are willing to put the time and effort in cultivating it, the benefits are evident: Excelsa beans tend to have a lower caffeine content than canephora and best arabica coffee beans in the world, and also have a more dense mucus with less solids that are soluble.