Caffeine Wisdom: The A to Z of Coffee Varieties
The A to Z of coffee varieties we have gathered together, always with an eye on emerging and newly discovered varieties to share with you
ABYSSINIA
Carrying the former name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia variety was introduced to Java in 1928, then arrived in Sumatra. It bears structural resemblance to Typica, though its origin story is similar to Geisha
ANDUNG SARI
Andung Sari is a cross of Caturra & HdT 1343, that brings sweetness, while Sigarar Utang brings more intensity & mouthfeel. Produces fruit seasonally rather than continuously
ARUSHA
A sub-variety of Bourbon with currently unknown origins, most commonly grown in Tanzania & Papua New Guinea
ATENG
A common name for Catimor varieties widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles. Ateng’s name derives from the area Aceh Tengah
BATIAN
A tall variety that combines high yields, tolerance to coffee leaf rust, resistance to coffee berry disease, and good cup quality.
BLUE MOUNTAIN
Blue Mountain is a Typica mutation originally found and cultivated in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. Over time people began naming it after its place of origin: Blue Mountain. It is resistant to coffee berry disease and, like Typica, capable of growing at great heights. Nevertheless, it is not capable of acclimatising to all climate conditions and tends to retain its taste qualities irrespective of location
BOURBON
The parent of most coffee varieties & cultivars, Bourbon tends to deliver great balance & complex acidity in the cup. A typically dense plant with moderate yield & fruits of red, orange, pink or yellow depending on recessive genes
CATUAI
Catuai is a hybrid of Caturra & Mundo Novo very popular in Latin America for its hardiness, good yields & excellent cup quality
CATURRA
Caturra is a high yielding mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil that tends to exhibit bright acidity & low-to-medium body in the cup
CASTILLO
The Castillo variety was developed in Colombia as a high yield, high quality selection that also was resistant to coffee leaf rust
CATIMOR
Catimor is a cross between Caturra & Hibrido de Timor, created in Portugal in 1959. It’s known for quick growth & high yields & provides resistance to leaf rust
COLOMBIA
Colombia is a hybrid of Caturra and Timor Hybrid developed in the late 1960’s by Cenicafe for high yields and rust resistance, it was introduced to Colombian coffee farmers in the early 1980’s and has continued to produce excellent cup quality at high altitudes
GESHA
Gesha originated in Ethiopia & was brought to Central America via Costa Rica where early attempts to grow it were a flop. Turns out it was planted too low. Gesha was famously rediscovered at high altitude in Panama where it gained international acclaim. In the coffee world, Gesha is considered to be the Queen of coffee varieties with an amazingly complex & intense flavour profile. Growing best in extremely high elevations, in the cup it displays intense florals, saturated sweetness & complex flavours. As good as it gets!
JAVA
‘Java’ has such a long, mysterious history, it has landed the slang term for 'coffee’. The elusive Java is not native to Indonesia’s Java island, or related to Typica, despite its slender cherry. Recent research pins it to one or more Ethiopian landraces
K7
K7 is a tall variety that combines high yields, tolerance to coffee leaf rust, resistance to coffee berry disease, and good cup quality
KENT
Kent is widely thought to be a natural mutation of Typica discovered in India & introduced to Kenya, where it is now common. The variety has high productivity and partial resistance to coffee leaf rust
KP423
KP423 was developed alongside N39 (Bourbon) by the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute primarily for high yield
LAURINA
Laurina is loved for its flavour profile, and increasingly, for fact that it’s hard to get. The reason? It’s naturally lower in caffeine, which also means it’s lower on resilience against pests and so on. A tasty treat
LONGBERRY
Named for its distinctive long and thin shape which suggests more than a passing resemblance to other Typica mutations from Ethiopia like Harrar and Geisha, this specific variety is grown in Indonesia, mostly in very small lots due to its long maturation time and very low yields
MARAGOGYPE
A mutation of Typica discovered in Brazil, it is a huge tree with large leaves & very large seeds, and is known for producing a very unique cup with citrus, florals & heavy body
MARACATURRA
Maracaturra aka ‘elephant beans’ is a very large bean type. It’s a hybrid of the Typica based Maragogype & the Bourbon based Caturra
N39
N39 (Bourbon) was developed alongside KP423 (Kent) by the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute primarily for high yield
PACAMARA
Created in El Salvador in 1958, Pacamara is a tasty cross that showcases the best of its lineage, and some! It combines the sweetness of Pacas and the sophistication of Maragogipe. Plus it shines on the flavour front, often delivering sugary sweetness and striking florals. Enjoy this big bean that’s big on attributes
PACAS
The Pacas variety was discovered by Fernando Alberto Pacas Figueroa in El Salvador in 1949. It is believed to be a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety
PACHE
Pache is a Bourbon mutation first noticed in 1949 in Guatemala. The parent of most coffee varieties & cultivars, Bourbon tends to deliver great balance & complex acidity in the cup. A typically dense plant with moderate yield & fruits of red, orange, pink or yellow depending on recessive genes
PINK BOURBON
This rare variety is named after its distinctive pink cherries. The fruit turns pink when ripe & poses quite a challenge to pickers, who often mistake their pale blush as unripe red cherry. Adding to this, the pink variation arises from a recessive gene, making it hard to maintain on a farm. All this means this rosy beauty is quite difficult to come by
PURPURACEA
In the mid 2000s on the El Socorro farm, a Maracaturra variation led to a natural, chance mutation then whoa!, Purpuracea was born. It cupped so well, El Socorro planted an entire section of the farm with this variety
P88
The rare P88 variety from Colombia was introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch and has since been determined by the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute to have superior adaptability to the climate and an excellent taste profile
RASUNA
A newer hybrid of Typica & Catimor being grown in the Takengong region of Sumatra
RUIRU 11
This cultivar was created at the Kenya Coffee Research Institute in 1985 for resistance to coffee leaf rust & Coffee Berry Disease
S795
S795, also known as ‘Jember,’ is widely grown in India & Indonesia. In the cup, it tends to exhibit flavours of maple syrup, caramel & brown sugar
SL-09
SL is an acronym for Scott Laboratories in Kenya, where many coffee varieties were selected from the mid-1930s to the mid- 60's and have been distributed worldwide
SL28 / SL34
SL28 & SL34 are known for their complex, bright & refined acidity, complex flavours & huge bodies. SL is an acronym for Scott Laboratories, where the varieties were selected in the 1930s in Kenya
SIDRA
The Sidra variety was developed in Ecuador by a private company, taking its name from the tree it was propagated under. World Coffee Research genetic testing categorizes it as an “Ethiopian Landrace”
SIGARAR UTANG
Sigarar Utang is a cross of Caturra & HdT 831, found throughout Sumatra & Java. A prolific producer with year-round fruit, evident in its name translation ‘quickly repay debt’
TABI
Tabi means “good” in Colombian native Guambiano dialect & is a cross between Typica, Bourbon & Timor
TYPICA
Along with Bourbon, Typica is an original Arabica variety - all the other varieties stemmed from either, or a combination thereof. Commonly grown in Mexico & Central America, it is a tall & leggy low yield plant producing excellent qualities, generally very sweet & clean
WILD HEIRLOOM
Coffee is native to Ethiopia; the birthplace of all Arabica coffees, the origin of all origins. Heirlooms are prized for their genetic diversity & intensity of flavour