What Types of Coffee Beans Are There & What Makes Them All Different?
It is safe to say that if there is just one thing folks all over the world can agree on nowadays, it’s that coffee is truly amazing. We all love it; a good cup of coffee not only gives us extra focus and energy, but it also helps us to connect with one another. In fact, it’s very origin stems from it’s use in assisting monks connect to a higher spiritual plane.
All around the world millions of us start our mornings with a cup of coffee, yet somehow most of us do not know much about it. We can tend to find a familiar brand and stick with it for years without ever getting to experience all the robust tastes and beautiful aromas found in different coffees grown all over the world. This article aims to help expand your knowledge into the vast world of different types of coffee beans along with their many unique origins so you can better enjoy the wide and colorful palate the globe has to offer.
Coffee beans themselves are actually small seeds grown inside of “coffee cherries”, which are also known as Coffea. Depending on where the Coffea plants are farmed and how they are processed, they will all develop their own unique and distinguishing characteristics. For example, a plant of a certain species grown in Brazil will develop entirely different than the same species planted in Africa. Let’s dive deeper and start with what choices of coffee we have to begin with.
The four primary types of coffee beans we'll be dealing with are:
- Arabica (coffee arabica),
- Robusta (coffee caniphora)
- Liberica (coffee liberica)
- Excelsa (coffee liberica var. deweveri)
Arabica
Arabica, as you may have noticed strolling down the coffee aisle, is by far the most commonly roasted and sold coffee bean in North America. Especially in the United States, consumers tend to prefer it’s sweeter aroma accompanied by it’s fairly low acidity making it much relatively more enjoyable to drink than most other types of coffee.
Arabica is best grown in high elevation climates, well above sea level, in areas with plenty of rain and healthy soil. Brazil for example, known for its flourishing rain forests, is the world’s leading exporter of arabica beans and has been so for quite some time. These ideal conditions make for a truly delicious coffee bean irresistible to most consumers. Here at Bloody Pirate Coffee Co. we source 100% of our beans used in our Blackbeard Dark Roast from these Brazilian Arabica farms. We love the sweeter notes found in these high elevation Arabica beans and especially when dark roasted, it acquires an earthy, perfectly rounded finish. The roast profile further helps lower the acidity which has us saying, bingo. This combination of sweet notes and an approachable acidity is exactly what we were looking for in a dark roast and is why we chose this particular bean in our blend.
The Arabica plants themselves tend to be quite a fragile plant and need a lot of personalized care and attention, especially when they are grown organically or without the use of pesticides as ours are. This drives the price of these beans up in the global market, yet consumers don’t seem to mind paying the price for the quality of the bean. Aside from being a tad more expensive and notably high maintenance, Arabica also tends to lose some of its keynote flavor when served chilled. To the average consumer, however, it’s smooth finish is still enjoyable especially when accompanied with milk or sweetener and the small degree of lost flavor typically goes unnoticed.
Robusta
When it comes to the Robusta species of coffee, there is no secret as to how it acquired it’s name. It is known for it’s robust and sometimes harsh flavor along with it’s relatively much stronger caffeine levels. Robusta is the most popular type of coffee consumed in Europe, Africa, & the Middle East while remaining the second most popular in the United States. These Robusta plants by nature are much more resilient than the Arabica species due to their higher levels of caffeine which in turn deters insects and invasive pests away. Indeed those high levels of caffeine are a real two for one for Robusta farmers. Along with it’s resilience to insects, Robusta plants are also able to withstand many more environmental factors and can be easily grown in multiple different altitudes and climates. These plants thrive in low altitudes unlike other delicate plants.
As mentioned earlier its flavor profile can be a bit…harsh. Robusta is commonly known for it’s burnt taste and isn’t typically desired in most places except for where it is the cultural norm to drink it. In the United States it is not uncommon to see companies sneak up too 25% Robusta in their dark roast recipes in an effort to reduce overhead costs. This tactic does indeed reduce the quality of the product and thus is why many companies will loudly display “100% ARABICA COFFEE”on their labels. You can also find Robusta in some instant coffees as well. If you are looking to try a quality Robusta blend search for small batch coffee roasters who truly take their time crafting a quality product. They will try their best to arise the dark chocolatey notes it may have to offer and with a little sweetener could be a sure way to add a boldly caffeinated kick to your day.
Liberica
Much less commonly found nowadays is the legendary Liberica coffee. Once upon a time these plants were in high demand and greatly sought after, but nowadays are considered a rare treat. They are described as having a floral & fruity taste with some woody back end to it. Like Arabica plants, Liberica plants are quite high maintenance and only grow in a very specific climate range. This makes it extremely difficult for most coffee farmers around the world to yield any real quantity to sell in the global market. Aside from the Philippines, it has not been successfully grown anywhere else on a large scale.
At the end of the 19th century a widespread plant disease referred to as “Coffee Rust” wiped out almost all of Earth’s Arabica plants. This disease was gravely devastating to the Arabica species and many regions such as Indonesia are still recovering from it today. Coffee Rust left farmers eagerly searching for an alternative coffee plant to fill the hole Arabica left, which eventually came to be Liberica. At this time the Philippine Islands were still an U.S. territory and became a massively large supplier of this popular coffee. For quite a while business was booming and Liberica was enjoyed all over the world. Eventually as their economy grew in the islands, the Philippines grew to establish their own independence from the United States, which was met with heavily imposed sanctions, and thus began the decline of the Liberica era. These plants still exist today but are difficult to come across, yet if ever stumbled upon Liberica coffee is considered a great delicacy.
Excelsa
Excelsa is part of the Liberica family described above and is also grown primarily in Southeast Asia. Excelsa is a very distinct bean of it’s own and is often sought after by true coffee fanatics. What makes it such a desired bean is it’s unique ability to harbor attributes of both light and dark roasts, making it a real treat to an acquired palate. Known for being tart and fruity, this too is difficult to find in the United States but ultimately a real treat abroad.
Now that we are familiar with the different types of beans and their distinct traits, the information on any given bag should start telling you much more of what to expect when you take it home to brew. While the species of plant is important, there are still several factors to consider in your endeavors. As notable as the species of coffee is, it’s origin of where the bean is grown makes a tremendous impact on the flavor profile as well. Then of course how that bean is roasted will make further massive impacts on your experience. Roast profiles and processing techniques are vast topics alone, well worthy of their own coverage in separate discussions which will also be available on our website. For now, let’s touch on what you can expect from popular coffee farming regions all around the world and what they have to offer.
POPULAR ORIGINS
Coffee can only be grown in select areas around the world in what is referred to as “The Coffee Belt”. The Coffee Belt hugs the equator in warm tropical & subtropical regions. Coffee plants absolutely thrive off of rich soil with minimal pests and diseases in these areas. Each region has it’s own kick of flavor for you to enjoy. A quick glance at popular coffee farming regions can help you narrow down the best coffee for your taste.
Brazil
As mentioned earlier, Brazil has been the leading exporter of coffee worldwide since about 1840 when French settlers brought it over from Ethiopia and eventually planted it in the nutrient rich soils of Vale do Paraiba. These are the same beans we use to source our Blackbeard Dark Roast. With Brazilian beans you can typically expect notes of sweet chocolate and caramel with a nutty finish and low acidity.
Columbia
Columbia is known for having some of the world’s best coffee and a wide array of flavors due to it’s diversity in ideal microclimates. It’s rich tropics allow for the perfect conditions to farm Arabica coffee and has been doing so since Spanish settlers brought it over in the early 17th century. Columbian beans grown in the north are known for having a well rounded nutty, chocolatey flavor with gentle sweetness and mild acidity, while the beans in the south which are grown in higher elevations, tend to have a more floral aroma with stronger acidity. In our signature Mutiny House Blend, we use a heavy mix of Columbian beans from the São Paulo region which gives it it’s rich chocolatey flavor and full bodied smoothness we love. Overall, though Columbian coffee is noted as being relatively weaker in caffeine than other origins, it is also accredited as having some of the absolute richest flavors on the planet.
Africa
The Ethiopian region of Africa is where coffee’s roots run the deepest as it marks the birthplace of it’s first discovery in 800 A.D. Legend goes coffee was first discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi, when he noticed his goats eating a strange fruit and then not sleeping through the night. When Kaldi harvested this unknown berry and took it to a monk he wasn’t sure what to make of it. The monk found the cherries to be the work of the devil and quickly cast them into a fire. From the fire arose a wonderful heavenly smell and aroma that suddenly made them question their decision. The cherries were quickly raked up from the fire and crushed into embers. In an effort to reverse their mistake hot water was cast on the ember berries to try to preserve what they had. As the monks went on to drink their new discovery they found themselves able to stay awake long into a night of devotional prayer. They loved it. From there coffee was born into the world and to this day to tradition of this drink lives on in Africa.
From this region you can find rich blueberry aromas, with notes of chocolate and spice. African Kahawa is known for having a medium body and clean finish, and is the other half of our signature Mutiny House Blend recipe. We also use our finest African beans in our Double Reef French Roast as well.
Indonesia
Indonesia was the first to commercially export coffee in the world, and today is the 4th leading exporter globally. In the 1600’s coffee was smuggled from Yemen to Indonesia where they first began planting them on the island of Java. As Javan coffee was blended with Yemens Port of Mokha coffee, the first commercial blend was introduced as “Mocha Java”. Since the devastation to their Arabica farms during the Coffee Rust era, they are currently known for supplying mainly Robusta coffee, though in recent days Arabica farms have been making a comeback.
Due to variety of regions they farm in and their specific growing and processing methods, there is a variety of flavors coming from this region though their premier coffee enjoyed in the west is known for its rich sweetness and earthy spiciness.
Honduras
Honduras first saw coffee plantations as early as the 1700’s and today is the globes 7th leading exporter. The key to their success has been in their high elevation farms that yield some of the sweetest coffee available. Like most regions, there are microclimates throughout Honduras to enjoy but generally you can expect robust notes of caramel, chocolate, hazel, vanilla, with sweet fruity tones. Honduran coffee tends to have a well balanced acidity and overall very well rounded. You can enjoy the sweet notes Honduras has to offer in our Bird’s Nest Breakfast Blend, as we’ve blended our finest Honduran coffee with other favorites in South America.
Peru
Like many other regions, Peru’s coffee plantations began forming in the mid 1700’s. As their farms grew Peru tended to keep their drink a domestic product and it really became a thing of it’s own for a while without outside influence. It was not until the Coffee Rust disease wiped out so much of Asia’s Arabica farms that Europe began searching elsewhere and discovered the magic of Peruvian coffee. Today it has reached the 5th largest exporter of Arabica beans and the 10th largest exporter of coffee overall. Though Peru grows coffee in both low and high elevations with a range of profiles, much of the country’s coffee found on shelves today feature vibrant floral aromas, crisp acidity, with a medium body and distinct sweetness loved around the world.
Hawai’i
The paradise islands of Hawai’i are known for many things, one being their delicious coffee which is grown year round. Coffee is Hawai’i’s second most exported crop and though it is grown on neighboring islands, the state’s biggest farms are on the big island of Hawai’i. Kona coffee has become a household name for it’s floral aroma, silky light body, and sweet notes of chocolate, caramel, and vanilla.
HOW TO START EXPERIENCING NEW COFFEES
Now that we have a deeper understanding in the differences of coffee types and origins, the coffee aisle may no longer appear like an abyss of the unknown. Hopefully you will now view it as an aisle full of exciting opportunities to experiment with and enjoy. If diving into specialty coffee is a new endeavor we recommend sticking within the Arabica family at first and slowly getting to know it’s different regions. When you take home single origin coffees you can deep dive into what those regions have to offer and the difference between them is much more evident. After brewing your first batch at home, try it black without sweetener and allow your palate to enjoy what the farmer worked so hard to deliver from across the planet to you. After establishing a foundation of each roast, you then can combine with your preferred sweeteners and enjoy how they compliment each other as well. As you acquire a more developed taste for coffee and continue searching for new experiences, Robusta may be the very thing you are meant to find.
Of course these featured origins are just the beginning as there are several other exciting regions to dive into. Even one particular origin may have several distinct microclimates within them to explore offering different aromas and flavors. As you experiment more, you may accidentally find yourself being labeled a “coffee snob” amongst the community. To this we say cheers and welcome to the club. We will cover on all the distinct roast profiles to choose from, different brewing methods, and much more in our following blogs, but as of now the gates to coffee farms everywhere have opened for you. We salute you on your own journey discovering all the wonderful tastes the world has to offer.
Cheers.