Five Top Arabica Coffee Beans Lessons Learned From Professionals
Top Arabica Coffee Beans
For the best tasting coffee, you require the finest quality beans. You're in luck as you can purchase top arabica beans that give you delicious flavor with every sip.
Arabica beans are more smooth and sweeter, with notes of fruit, chocolate, and nuts. They are also generally lower in caffeine, making them less bitter.
1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Often called "Ethiopian Crown Jewel," the Yirgacheffe is a top arabica coffee bean that has bright, floral, citrus, and wine-like notes with a smooth finish. Dry or wet processed, Ethiopian Yirgacheffes exhibit a light body with delicate acidity. They are grown in a coffee-rich region that is awash with moisture and shade and the soil is full of natural nutrients, which helps produce an extraordinary bean.
The word Yirgacheffe translates to "garden of flowers" in the local Guji language and the coffee from this area of southern Ethiopia is highly regarded for its delicate, aromatic qualities. It is also known for the silky smooth finish that is more refined than other Ethiopian coffees. This milder Ethiopian coffee has a light body and it has a floral, citrus taste with undertones similar to berries or wine.
Coffee beans from this region, which are planted at an altitude of 1,700-2200 meters, are often called high-grown coffee and are eligible for Strictly High Grade. The higher elevation helps the coffee plant to develop slowly, allowing it to deliver more nuanced flavors to the coffee.
Ethiopian coffee is typically wet processed. The coffee beans are soaked in large vats filled with water until the mucilage, which tastes fruity and wine-like, is removed. This method isn't as common in Latin America but it is what makes the famous washed Yirgacheffe cups.
Look for light roasting to bring out the lemon-yet-sour taste of the Yirgacheffe bean. Its fresh taste makes it an excellent arabica coffee for espresso. The fruity taste of the coffee will be there even after a dark roast. Pour over brewers are a great way to experience the flavor of Ethiopian Yrigacheffe.
2. Colombian Supremo
The mild flavor and smooth taste of Colombian Supremo coffee beans is well-known. They are a favorite among many coffee drinkers. Colombia's rich soils and climate create the perfect conditions for growing the world's best coffee beans. Regional influences and grading methods also create unique flavors found in Columbian coffees. The distinct characteristics of each variety of bean creates a vivid blend of flavors in each cup of Colombian coffee.
The Columbian Supremo grade is based on the size of the beans as well as their uniformity. This system of grading ensures consistency of quality in Colombian coffee. The higher the grade, the larger the beans.
This coffee is roasted in small batches to produce a well-rounded, rich flavor. With a sweet and fruity flavor, it's perfect to enjoy as a morning coffee or a midday treat.
The Colombian Supremo offers bright acidity and fruity or floral notes that go well with its silky body. The quality and balance of this coffee makes it a standard for a variety of coffee blends.
This particular Colombian Supremo is grown in the Popayan Region at elevations up to 6,000 feet above sea level on the Sierra Nevada mountain slopes. The best coffee is grown at higher altitudes and has volcanic soil. After harvest the coffee is transported to wet mill processing facilities where it is sorted by hand to determine its quality and then fermented to increase its distinctive characteristics. After this process the coffee is dried at a controlled temperature to ensure that there is no loss. The coffee is then roasted, either to a medium or a dark roast, depending on the flavor that you desire in the final cup. Coffeee is available in fine grind, drip grind, and whole bean and are suitable for all brewing methods.
3. Jamaican Blue Mountain
A truly unique and scarce coffee, Jamaican Blue Mountain is a single origin, premium arabica coffee that is only grown in the Blue Mountains region of Jamaica. The beans are known for their distinctive mild flavor and lack of bitterness. They are often used in coffee blends, and are the basis of Tia Maria, a popular coffee liqueur. Blue Moon, an ice cream with a coffee flavor is also made of beans.
The unique conditions of the region's growing contribute to the beans' superior quality. The hills are rough and steep, which makes cultivation difficult. The soil is rich in mineral content and there is constant fog in the region. The fog is essential because it slows down the maturation process of the coffee berries. The weather is also cool and cloudy which assists in preventing the scorching heat from destroying the coffee plants.
Another factor in the high-quality beans is that they are picked by hand, a labor-intensive process. Only a small number of farmers are allowed to grow Blue Mountain coffee and must adhere to strict requirements. To be classified as Blue Mountain, a cup of coffee must come from one of four parishes and harvested at a specific elevation.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is expensive due to its superior taste, reputation and quality. The high price has resulted in counterfeiters trying to pass off their products as authentic. To stop these counterfeits there are now methods in place to prove that a cup of coffee is authentically from the Blue Mountains. The certification programs also emphasize ethical sourcing, including fair wages for the farmers and sustainable methods of growing. This is a great step in protecting this premium coffee.
4. Costa Rican Tarrazu
Costa Rican Tarrazu takes its job seriously. The region is known to have a crisp acidity, snappy flavor and a fine, satisfying aroma. Coffee from this region is rich and full of flavor. It has a delicate sweetness and tangy citrus flavor that makes it a favorite of cuppers.
The high altitude of the region, its fertile volcanic soil and its perfect drainage make it a highly sought-after region. The coffee produced by Costa Rican Tarrazu is considered one of the best gourmet coffees around the world. The region is also known for its beautiful scenery.
The coffee is grown on small cooperatives and family farms. They have a great relationship with the micro mills who process their beans to ensure that they can control the quality from the beginning. They are certified Rainforest Alliance, and they strive to maintain an ecologically sustainable ecosystem, agricultural education for their farmers and gender equality.
In the 1960s, a few profit-making private firms began buying Costa Rican farms in Heredia and putting their workers in charge. Farmers were worried about losing financial support and their ability to take care of their coffee crop. They voted to create the Coope Libertad in 1961.
This particular lot is from the Bella Vista Farm in the Tarrazu Region of Costa Rica. It's medium-roasted, smooth, and notes of cocoa, caramel and fruit. Its acidity, sweetness, and tart lemon are all balanced. The beans are classified as SHB and were harvested in January of 2016. We enjoy the perfect balance between acidity, sweetness and a hint tartness. The supply is limited, so don't wait!
5. Guatemalan Huehuetenango
Guatemalan Huehuetenango (way-way-ten-oh-gawn) is a classic Central American coffee region known for producing coffees with balanced fruitiness, chocolate notes and a rich mouthfeel. Coffees from Huehuetenango are distinguished by clean, crisp acidity as well as delicate fruit flavors such as grape, lemon, and apple. They also have a smooth, long-lasting finish.
The farms are located in the high mountain ranges of Guatemala, these farms are set amongst mist-shrouded peaks and fertile volcanic soils which is the ideal environment to cultivate the finest specialty coffees. Guatemala's coffee industry has made it one of the world's most well-known regions for its rich and distinctive coffees.
Huehuetenango is one of the most well-known coffee-growing regions in Guatemala, is located in this region. Our coffee from Huehuetenango is grown by the ASPROCDEGUA Coop (Asociacion Productores de Cafe Diferenciados y Especiales de Guatemala). The cooperative works with farmers to grow and harvest premium arabica beans, and improve the production methods and quality. They also offer training and support for women working in the coffee industry to ensure sustainable farming practices.
This coffee is roasted to bring out its best qualities. With a light roast, this coffee is bright and clean with a great balance of new crop citrus fruitiness as well as nutty malt tones. As the roast progresses into a medium ballpark, the coffee will start to exhibit more sour acidity and will begin to develop sweeter dark tones to create a fantastic combination of flavors.
This coffee is part of our Great Arabica Series. It's an array of the finest arabicas from all over the world. Each of these exceptional single origin beans is meticulously cultivated by smallholder farmers and hand-sorted for the highest quality. Our team of experts roasts these beans to create the perfect cup of coffee.