Types of Coffee Beans

Behind every cup of coffee we enjoy, are carefully graded bean. The beans are graded based on the size, color and shape.

The AA classification is given to coffee beans that meet all the criteria above, with the exception that they should not have more than three deficient qualities (quakers). Most often, these are Kenya AA beans.

Arabica

Arabica coffee beans, also referred to as Coffea arabica, are the most popular kind of bean around the globe. According to legend coffee was discovered by a goatherder in Ethiopia after he observed that his livestock had more energy when they consumed the fruit of the plant. This led him to experiment with roasting the seeds and brewing them, which resulted in the beverage that we love today.

While many types of coffee plants are available however, there are two primary species used as the base for all of our favorite coffees: robusta and arabica. The former is generally thought superior to the latter and this is evident in the flavor of the final beverage.

There are a variety of arabica cultivars. Each one has its own distinct taste profile. Typica and Bourbon are two of the most sought-after arabica cultivars. All other arabica cultivars were derived from these two varieties, either through natural mutations or deliberate crossbreeding. The SL28 cultivar, for instance was developed in Kenya by Scott Labs and is known for its distinct chocolatey flavor.

The flavor of an arabica variety will depend on the environmental conditions in which it is planted, as well as the way it is treated and roasted. For instance, the type of shade a plant receives along with its altitude and soil composition may all play a role in the final result.

Robusta

Robusta coffee beans, also known as coffee canephora, are the second most widely used type of coffee. They are the beans used in the majority of instant coffees. They also have twice as much caffeine as Arabica Coffee Beans. They are also used to make many blends of espresso specifically for cappuccino caffe latte and various other beverages that are Solimo Intenso Dark Roast Coffee Beans 2kg-based.

Coffea Canephora is a plant which was discovered in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been cultivated across the world since then. It is able to grow at lower elevations and can tolerate higher temperatures than the Arabica coffee plant, making it a much more practical crop for farmers. Vietnam is currently the biggest producer of robusta coffee followed by Brazil and Indonesia.

While the robusta coffee plant has its benefits However, it's not adored by cupping enthusiasts due to its bitter taste and smoky rubber notes. Many large coffee companies employ arabica beans to make their top products since it's considered to be lower-quality coffee.

However, the demand for gourmet coffee is increasing, and even small roasters are experimenting with premium robusta varieties to make the most of its exceptional qualities. Our Valhalla Java coffee and Death With Coffee coffee are two examples. Both are excellent robustas that blend with arabica to create the perfect balance of strength and flavour. These are carefully procured from Uganda where robusta is cultivated for long periods of time. You can read more about them here.

Liberica

Liberica coffee beans are rare and aren't used much around the globe. They comprise less than 2% of the world's coffee bean consumption and are often overlooked since they don't have the same amount of caffeine as Arabica and Robusta do. They have a distinctive taste that many coffee drinkers find irresistible.

Despite being very rare, Liberica coffee beans are still very popular in many parts of Asia. They are most popular in Malaysia and Indonesia with large Muslim population. In these countries, the coffee industry has been steady for a number of years. Drinking a cup of coffee following a prayer is a part of their culture.

The background of Liberica coffee dates back to the 1890s when a worldwide epidemic of coffee leaf rust wiped out most of the world's arabica crop. This caused coffee producers to search for a more robust plant that could flourish in tropical climates. They soon discovered Liberica.

Liberica plants have a high tolerance for pests and diseases and pests, making the perfect substitute for the ravaged arabica crop. Liberica also has the ability to thrive in hot temperatures and lower altitudes, which allowed it to flourish in the climate of Southeast Asia. Liberica beans are used to produce most of the coffee in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Excelsa

Although it's not common for coffee drinkers to find excelsa beans, they are gaining recognition for their distinct flavor. According to Komal Sable, a fifth generation coffee farmer with South India Coffee Co., these beans are "a variant of the liberica species with the same teardrop shape, however, they are smaller." It's important to understand that despite the resemblance in family between excelsa and liberica, this species is not an individual one.

It's not clear how to classify excelsa beans. This confusion is largely responsible for the absence of the presence of these beans in the current coffee industry. Many roasters, growers, and brewers are unaware of how to properly cultivate and use these beans.

It's up to each individual to decide if they enjoy the flavor of excelsa, and it may take some time to find the perfect blend. It's crucial to be flexible and try every kind of coffee until you've found the one you like. By doing so you'll be able enjoy the full variety of possibilities these unique beans have to offer. This is a trip worth taking.