The Best Arabica Coffee Beans in the World

Most people are unaware that the coffee beans you find in your favorite coffee shop or supermarket aren't arabica. This kind of coffee bean thrives at high altitudes, and has a smoother flavor.

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

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

This coffee is known for its citrus and floral characteristics. The high-quality beans are cultivated in small farms located in the Oromia Region (formerly Harrar), at altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 2200 meters. The natural process gives a berry-like flavor and sweetness.

The high elevations in Yirgacheffe result in the coffee plants to grow slower and allow them to absorb nuances and flavors from the surrounding environment. The region also has a rich tropical climate that is ideal for growing coffee.

The green beans that are not roasted in this coffee are an excellent option for any roaster looking to bring out the true essence of this exotic coffee. Light to medium roasts allow the citrus, berry and wine flavors to shine through. This coffee is great with desserts like lemon chocolate and pound cake. This coffee's floral and herbal notes pair well with spicy or sour meals.

2. Colombian Supremo

Known for its consistent quality and flavor, Colombian Supremo is a popular option for coffee lovers of all levels. Typically, it has a smooth, classic flavor profile, with notes of light caramel and citrus, Supremo beans have an overall mild flavor that's balanced enough to satisfy a variety of palates.

The size of the beans is a key element in determining the flavor profile. Supremo coffee beans are large. The larger size indicates that the beans will pass through Grade 14 or more perforations on the sieve which are lower than Excelso.

Colombian Supremo is a coffee that has universal appeal. Its high quality standards, bright acidity and moderately rich body make it a great choice for any brewing method. This particular coffee originates from the Popayan region is grown by farmers who are members of the Colombian Coffee Federation, an organization that provides support to over 500,000 coffee growers. As such, this coffee is an example of the high-quality Colombian beans that have made the country famous for its world-class coffees.

3. Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most sought-after gourmet coffees in the world. Its rich, smooth flavor makes it one of its most sought-after varieties. This wet-processed selection from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica is known for its elegance and smooth taste, and it's also one of the main ingredients in the coffee liqueur Tia Maria.

The soaring elevations of the Blue Mountains and their unique combination of fertile soil and mild climate as well as dense cloud cover create the perfect conditions for the cultivation of coffee of the highest quality. The coffee beans grown in this small region are sought-after the world across and fetch a premium 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 spectacular natural beauty and the cultivation of coffee. The area is protected by a national park, and farmers cultivate small amounts coffee with extreme care to preserve their unique characteristics.

4. Costa Rican Tarrazu

Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee is a coffee lover's delight. It has the perfect balance of acidity and body. The region has high altitudes and mineral-rich volcanic soil, which permits the beans to mature at a slower pace so they can fully develop their flavor profile.

Many of the farms that make these coffees are also famous for their environmentally-friendly practices and strict quality control measures, which make them popular with eco-conscious consumers. Some also offer traceability, which allows customers to know more about the particular farm that produced their coffee.

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

5. Caturra de Colombia

Caturra is a coffee cultivar that has earned its name in Latin America. The variety was introduced to Brazil as a natural mutation from Bourbon. Its potential for production is superior to Bourbon however it requires higher altitudes resulting in lower yields. The process of mass selection was employed to identify parent 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 the parents of the Castillo variety, which was developed by Cenicafe as the plant that will be the flag for their "Colombia sin roya" program designed to revive and revitalize the production of coffee.

This family-owned Caturra was grown by farmers in the department of Urrao at 2,000 feet and then roasted with care by Camber Coffee. Its cup quality is vibrant with the flavors of watermelon, strawberry and citrus.

6. French Roast

French Roast is a strong cup of coffee that has smokey, charred notes. This blend combines arabica beans from a variety of regions, offering rich flavors of chocolate and caramel. The beans are darkly roasted to enhance their natural oils and flavors. This blend is of top quality and will please the most sophisticated taste buds.

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

Drinking coffee brewed of these beans can increase your energy levels and improve your overall health. The antioxidants found in these beans fight free radicals which can cause chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. These beans also contain vitamin B5 or pantothenic acids which are vital for the body's transformation of food into energy.

7. Ethiopian Gesha

Known as Geisha or Gesha, this variety of coffee 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 flavor and delicate acidity.

Geisha is one of the most expensive varieties of coffee available on the market, due to it being highly prone to disease and requires high growing altitudes with lower fruit yield. These features make it difficult to produce consistently. This, along with its high cup score is what drives the price.

This particular batch of Gesha was processed with honey (not honey itself, but the beans are treated, then dipped in sugar-rich water) and then moved to a marquee for drying for 96 hours through carbonic maceration. This unique process adds to the complexity and flavor of this coffee. It also gives OMA an intricate yet balanced cup profile that is full of exotic florals, like jasmine and tea rose, with delicate stone fruits and citrus.

8. Indonesian Liberica

Coffee drinkers are generally familiar with two species of the Coffea genus which are robusta and best tasting arabica coffee beans. The former is responsible for 80% of the global coffee trade, while the latter makes up 20%. There are over 120 species within the genus and some are more popular than others.

The most popular non-arabica is Coffea Excelsa (or the variant. dewevrei). This variety grows on large trees at moderate altitudes and produces a teardrop-shaped beans. It is often used in blends, and can add a distinctive taste that lasts for a long time.

Although it's not as popular as arabica but it does have an established market in Southeast Asia. This is due to the demand generated by religion and the fact that Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia drink their coffee following prayers. Liberica's resistance to rusty coffee leaf and its low caffeine content, makes it a viable alternative for producers who don't have enough 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 exquisite arabica coffee beans or canephora varieties. This is due to the asymmetrical size of the bean that is larger than canephora or arabica. It also has a longer fruiting period and its leaves are bigger than other C. liberica varieties. Plus, its high productivity levels allow it to grow to over 15m tall and produce a huge volume of fruit.

Oliveiro believes it's a pity that the plant is misunderstood, despite it being reclassified in 2006 as the dewevrei liberica variety. It can be considered a "really good coffee producer". It's unlikely that the species will be switched to a commodity coffee without a market for it. If you're willing and are able to put in the time and effort required to grow it, the benefits of excelsa beans are clear. They tend to be less caffeine-rich than arabica coffee beans with rich flavor or canephora, and have a thicker more soluble mucilage.