Coffee Varieties

There are three primary varieties of coffee from which all varieties originate: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Each variety has its own sub-varieties that include hybrids of different varieties. Each one requires different environmental requirements in order for it to thrive and different resulting flavors shaped by the growing environment. The overall flavor and quality is influenced well before the roasting process by the quality of the soil its grown in, the altitude of the farm it was grown on, the amount of rainfall that area receives, the variety of the coffee tree, and the process involved to process the beans. 

Arabica

Arabica coffee varieties are the most prevalently sold in the industry, so it should come as no surprise that 60-70% of coffee produced globally is of the Arabica variety. 100% Arabica trees demand more of their environment, meaning they cannot be grown just anywhere. They must be farmed at high elevations above sea level (600-2000 meters) in areas where rain is plentiful. Due to their high demands, Arabica beans are difficult to farm in large quantities. They require a lot of pruning and constant attention, and are more delicate and susceptible to diseases. 

There are around 40 varieties of Arabica coffee beans. The main varieties are Bourbon and Typica. There are Bourbon/Typica and Robusta/Arabica hybrids. The varieties do not end here, there are sub-varieties under each one! 

Bourbon

The Bourbon variety was created after a small group of C.arabica was exported from Yemen to the island of Bourbon (now the island of Reunion) in the 18th Century. Bourbon coffee plants are cone shaped and produce 20-30% more fruit than Typica plants. They also have more prominent cherries and broader leaves. Their fruit is red, yellow, and orange when mutations occur in sub-varieties.

These plants are known for the quality of the beans they produce. They have rich, buttery, chocolaty flavors that are accented by a slight, fruity overtone. Their slight acidity produces a nice balance to these flavors. Each variety boasts a slightly different flavor profile, but these notes can be found to some degree throughout them all. 

Typica

The Typica variety was created after a group of C.arabica were exported from Yemen to the island of Java. These beans were then introduced to the Netherlands, and eventually were farmed all the way in the Dominican Republic and and Jamaica. Because the Typica variety is easily susceptible to diseases, many areas have replaced it with other varieties that are more hardy. 

Typica coffee plants are taller, but have a lower yield than the Bourbon variety. They can produce large high quality beans if they are grown on a high altitude farm. Typica beans are known for their clean acidity accompanied by lemon and floral notes that leave behind a sweet aftertaste and silky mouthfeel. These delightful flavors are the reason why Typica beans are so popular. However, most farms do not produce 100% Typica varieties. Instead, they choose to farm other Typica varieties and hybrids. 

Robusta

Robusta plants have a bad reputation for producing poor tasting, low-quality coffee. However, If these plants are grown in the right conditions, certain varieties can produce high-quality coffee. Robusta coffee only makes up about 20-30% of the coffee produced globally. 100% These plants yield a more bitter tasting bean, making them less desirable for consumers. Robusta beans have almost twice the amount of caffeine as Arabica plants, which allows them to thrive in a variety environments. Robusta plants are primarily grown in Central, East, and West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. 

Robusta is associated with its burned, woody, sometimes rubbery flavors that aren’t pleasant to the taste buds. It produces a thick crema when extracted, which is why it’s commonly used as the base for espresso blends. It’s the more affordable of the three coffee plants, which is why most instant coffee and cheap roasts often have that bitter, rubbery flavor. There are higher quality Robusta roasts, but you would be surprised how many of your favorite roasts you buy at the grocery store are Robusta blends. Unless it specifies that the coffee you’re purchasing is 100% Arabica, there’s a chance it’s a Robusta/Arabica blend, probably a Bourbon-Typica variety. Robusta is often added to a blend to give body and flavor. 

Liberica

The Liberica variety was first discovered in 1872 in LIberia. It was transported to Malaysia in the 1890s, where it is the primary coffee plant farmed. Many regions began farming Liberica after 90% of the Arabica crop was wiped out by leaf rust, and now it is the primary crop in Malaysia and the Philippines. It comprises a meager 1% of coffee grown globally.

Liberica is characterized by its metallic, woody taste accompanied by a slight bitterness. Depending on which variety you’re tasting, there can be fruity and floral notes beneath those smokey and woody flavors. These beans have the highest sugar content and the lowest caffeine content among the three varieties. It requires a little more than double the amount of coffee cherries that Arabica to produce just 2.2 pounds of coffee. Liberica plants yield the lowest amount of beans, despite being the largest of the three varieties and having the largest beans.