Hey coffee lovers, are you curious about the different types of coffee beans and what that means for flavor? Then you’re in the right place.
While coffee origin and roasting profile are essential information about what you can expect, they don't tell the whole story. Long before green beans reach the roaster, their genetic identity sets the baseline for the plants' potential to produce different levels of sweetness, acidity, flavor notes, and aroma.
Grab a mug and join us as we explore the main coffee species and varieties and what that means to the flavors in your cup.
Coffee Species: The Big Two (and a Couple More)
There are actually approximately 130 different Coffea (coffee) species in the world, native to Africa and southeastern Asia. However, cultivars are only developed from a few key species.
Arabica
Arabica (Coffea arabica) is the most popular species, native to Ethiopia and neighboring South Sudan, but it’s widely grown around the world and is especially popular in Latin America. It accounts for roughly 60 to 70% of global coffee production, though that share is under pressure as Arabica’s susceptibility to climate change and disease makes it harder to grow than hardier species like Robusta.
Arabica grows best at higher altitudes and in bright but indirect sunlight (shade). The plants are fairly delicate and lower yielding than Robusta, which makes farming in large quantities challenging.
Still, Arabica is considered the gold standard, especially in North America, for its sweeter, more delicate flavors and bright, pleasant fruity acidity. It’s especially popular in certified organic, Fair Trade single-origin coffees for their unique flavors when grown in different locations.
Robusta
Robusta comes from Coffea canephora, and it’s native throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa but is also now grown in parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia.
It’s the second most popular coffee in terms of global production, accounting for about 30 to 40% of it, as growers increasingly turn to it for its resilience against disease, drought, and heat. It’s especially popular in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, even though it can have a strong, harsh, and bitter flavor.
Robusta is a hardier plant that is more resistant to disease and environmental stress. This trait makes it much easier to grow and yields higher, making it a cheaper option for large grocery brands and in places where strong coffee is the norm.
However, it’s still relatively uncommon in specialty coffee except in small specialty batches, cold brews, or when it’s added in small percentages for espresso blends to give them a crema boost.
Liberica and Excelsa
Both Liberica and Excelsa come from the same species, Coffea liberica, although Excelsa is a separate variety called Coffea liberica var. dewevrei. Despite being grown primarily in Southeast Asia, both are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
While they are hardy, disease resistant, and are considered an alternative to Arabica, both are rare in the coffee market, accounting for a very small percentage of coffee produced globally. Liberica tends to have fruity, floral, or woody notes, while Excelsa has a more tart and fruity flavor profile.
Common Arabica Varietals and What They Bring to the Cup
Around the world, coffee species, just like most cultivated plants, also have a wide number of cultivated varietals, thousands in fact. These have either been bred over the centuries or evolved naturally to adapt to specific microclimates, offer disease resistance, or create unique flavor profiles. Here are some of the most widely grown varieties.
Typica
Typica descends from Ethiopian Arabica, though growers moved the cultivated lineage into Yemen and Java. Then, in 1706, a single plant was sent to Amsterdam and is considered the parent plant of almost all coffees grown in the Americas today, with each country often having its own Typica varietal.
Typica are tall plants with low yields and are highly susceptible to disease and have been decimated by coffee leaf rust. However, when grown at high elevations, it produces exceptionally clean, sweet cups with elegant florals and balanced acidity.
Bourbon
French colonists introduced the Bourbon varietal to the Isle of Bourbon (now Réunion) off the coast of Madagascar in the 1700s, later bringing it to Latin America. It’s a tall plant that does well at high elevations and produces distinctive cups with a rich, buttery mouthfeel and notes of sweet caramel, chocolate, and subtle red fruit.
While it yields better than Typica, it’s notoriously susceptible to major diseases like leaf rust, causing the decimation of countless farms in Latin America in the 2010s. While it’s still grown today, it is gradually being replaced by more resistant varietals.
Caturra
Caturra is a natural dwarf mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil in the 1930s that revolutionized coffee farming because the compact size allows farmers to plant closer together for easier harvests. It thrives naturally in the higher altitudes across Central America and Colombia.
It is a delicate plant, however, that’s also highly susceptible to coffee diseases. But it's popular for its bright, lively cups with citrusy acidity and a crisp, clean finish, especially when highlighted with a light or medium roast and certain coffee brewing methods.
Catuai
Catuai is a high-yielding hybrid created in Brazil by crossing Caturra and the tall Mundo Novo. The result was a dwarf plant that withstands high winds and heavy rain without dropping its fruit. Unfortunately, however, it too is highly susceptible to coffee rust.
Still, it’s widely cultivated in Central America, especially in Honduras and Guatemala, and it produces a well-rounded flavor profile, a balanced body, and notes of chocolate and toasted nuts.
Why the Type of Bean Matters for Flavor
We hope you’ve seen how coffee species and their varietals are an important part of the flavor puzzle, with different species and varietals producing unique flavors, body, and acidity. However, genetic lineage sets the baseline for what flavors, sugars, and organic acids a plant can produce, but it’s only one part of a much larger picture.
Terroir, or taste of place, is how the altitude, climate, soils, rainfall, and shade dictate the flavor. For instance, a Bourbon grown at high elevations may produce sweet coffees with bright acidity, but if grown at lower altitudes, it might taste flat and mild.
Our partners at ASOBAGRI in Guatemala's Huehuetenango highlands grow Arabica at 1,400 meters and higher, and their organic, shade-grown environments allow the natural canopy to shield plants from harsh sun and extreme temperatures, letting the fruit ripen slowly and maximize sugar development.
Meanwhile, our partners at CoSurCa in Colombia’s Cauca region grow organic, Fair Trade coffee while building farmer knowledge in climate-adaptive growing techniques. It’s a reminder that terroir isn’t just geography, it’s also how each cooperative farms within it.
Then the processing of green unroasted coffee beans also plays an important role. The washed, honey, natural, and wet-hulled methods all produce beans with slightly different flavor profiles, even if you start with the same raw cherries.
Finally, roasting has a major influence on flavor, especially with dark roasts, which are dominated by roast-forward flavor notes. Light roasts, on the other hand, retain more of the origin’s flavor characteristics, which also makes them increasingly popular in single-origin coffee, so coffee lovers can experience the terroir firsthand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Difference Between Arabica and Robusta?
Arabica beans are considered higher quality, with more sweetness, pleasant acidity, and complex flavor profiles, but they yield less and are more susceptible to climate change and disease. Robusta is widely used in commercial brands because it's cheaper and easier to grow, but the flavors are often harsh and bitter.
Does the Type of Bean Affect How I Should Brew My Coffee?
Not particularly. Most coffee varietals will brew similarly; even though bean density (which varies with variety and origin) may influence grind and extraction, you can still use the same methods when brewing different varietals. Roast level has a much bigger impact on brewing choices.
From Varietal to Cup: Start Tasting the Difference
Ultimately the species and varietals lay the foundation for yield, disease resistance, growing conditions, quality, and possible flavor profiles. However, what actually ends up in your cup also depends on sustainable farming, meticulous processing, and thoughtful roasting to highlight the best qualities of every origin.
If you’re ready to explore quality coffees from around the world, our line of certified organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown coffees is sourced from farmer cooperatives, ensuring quality beans, sustainable farming, and sustainable communities, all while delivering rich, flavorful coffees to your morning cup.
