What are 4 types of coffee explained in detail
Coffee is the most popular drink in the world, with an estimated 400 billion cups consumed every year. Do you ever wonder what differentiates one type of coffee bean from another?
Let's explore this further.
Within the vast expanse of the coffee world, there are varieties that stand distinct. These include Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica – each with unique characteristics that contribute to the beverage's complexity.
Unveiling Arabica: The Coffee Connoisseur's Choice
Arabica beans are synonymous with quality and are highly prized within the coffee community. They boast a smooth, yet dynamic flavour profile that satisfies discerning palates.
Originating from Ethiopia, Arabica coffee constitutes approximately 60-70% of the world's coffee production. This statistics not only demonstrates its popularity but also underlines its widespread cultivation, ranging from Latin America to Africa and Asia.
The term “high-altitude” and “shade-grown” often accompany descriptions of Arabica, indicators of its preferred growing conditions which are integral to the beans' superior taste profile.
The Rich Origins of Arabica Beans
Arabica beans hail from Ethiopia—the cradle of coffee—where the plant has thrived since antiquity.
When savoured, Arabica coffee unveils subtle tastes, an aromatic complexity, and a soft sweetness that is highly cherished among aficionados.
Revered for their premium quality, Arabica beans represent the pinnacle of coffee culture, embodying nuanced flavours that stem from their lofty growth environments.
These beans have sculpted the global coffee landscape, providing a cornerstone for diverse brewing traditions and are pivotal in the evolution of contemporary coffee experiences.
Distinctive Flavours: What Sets Arabica Apart
Arabica beans are the epitome of coffee sophistication, renowned for their layers of complex flavour notes.
Sweetness: Arabica often exhibits a natural sweetness, with hints of sugar and fruit.
Acidity: A pleasant, wine-like acidity adds brightness to the coffee's taste.
Body: Arabica coffee typically has a lighter body, contributing to its delicate mouthfeel.
Aroma: Intense and aromatic, these beans produce a coffee that's rich in fragrant compounds.
The Arabica species is distinguished by its superior sensory experience, setting it above its counterparts.
Its flavour profile is a direct reflection of the meticulous cultivation and processing practices it undergoes, ensuring a refined cup every time.
Cultivation and Regions: The Arabica Journey
Arabica coffee demands precise climatic conditions, thriving at altitudes between 600 to 2000 metres.
Climatic Needs: Prefers mild temperatures of 15-24°C, avoiding extreme heat or frost.
Geographical Loci: Indigenous to the mountains of Ethiopia and now proliferated across the globe.
Soil Requirement: Fertile, well-drained volcanic soils rich in minerals enhance growth.
Shade-Grown Tradition: Gains benefits from being grown under the canopy of trees.
The preeminent regions producing Arabica encompass Latin America, East Africa, and parts of Asia.
Arabica's cultivation is regarded as an art, its careful husbandry yielding beans of exceptional calibre.
Robusta: The Bold Bean
Robusta, contrary to Arabica, exudes a robustness that endears it to a specific palate.
It is known for its high caffeine content and strong, often bitter flavour, which imbue it with a distinctive boldness favoured in various coffee blends. Its less refined taste profile is a testament to its hardy nature and less stringent growing requirements.
Robusta is commonly harnessed in espresso blends for its rich crema and full-bodied presence.
Robusta vs. Arabica: Key Differences
Robusta beans are generally cultivated at lower altitudes than Arabica, typically below 800 meters. Contrastingly, Arabica thrives best at higher elevations, often between 600 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
Arabica beans have a sweeter, more complex flavour. Robusta, a sharper, stronger taste.
Robusta plants exhibit considerable resilience to environmental stressors and are less susceptible to pests due to their higher caffeine content, which acts as a natural insecticide. The Arabica plant, while yielding superior flavour, is more delicate and vulnerable to adverse conditions.
In terms of physical distinctions, Robusta beans are generally more circular and smaller, whereas Arabica beans are larger and possess a more elongated shape. Robusta also typically has a straight crease, as opposed to the wavy crease of Arabica beans. These morphological differences are not merely aesthetic; they hint at the divergent growth conditions and flavour profiles that each coffee type offers – robust, sometimes earthy tones for Robusta, and nuanced, less pronounced acidity for Arabica.
Robusta's Unique Growing Conditions
Robusta coffee thrives in diverse climatic conditions, unlike its Arabica counterpart.
Preferring a hot, often harsh environment, Robusta flourishes where Arabica might falter. Tolerant to both excessive rainfall and periods of drought, this species adapts well to a range of moisture levels.
It prospers best at lower altitudes compared to Arabica, optimally between sea level and 800 meters. Robusta's resilience also extends to its ability to withstand higher temperatures, up to approximately 30°C, which would be detrimental to the more delicate Arabica variety.
The robust nature of Robusta allows it to endure poor soil conditions that would not support Arabica growth. It’s capable of thriving on terrain with less acidity, often in areas where nutrients are scarce and other crops might struggle.
In addition, robusta necessitates minimal maintenance, which can be quite advantageous for cultivators. This ease of cultivation, coupled with its hardy characteristics, makes it a practical choice for coffee farmers in challenging environments.
Tasting Profile: Robusta's Strong Characteristics
Robusta's flavour profile is as bold as its name suggests, offering a taste that is often described as strong and full-bodied.
Earthy Notes: Robusta beans usually reveal a distinctive earthy quality, akin to a forest floor or raw peanuts.
Rich Bitterness: Higher caffeine content contributes to Robusta’s pronounced bitterness, which can be twice that of Arabica.
Less Acidity: Typically presenting low acidity, the beans lean towards woody or grain-like flavours rather than fruity or floral.
Full Crema: The high concentration of certain soluble compounds allows Robusta to produce an excellent, creamy foam on espresso.
The sensory experience is significantly intensified with Robusta due to its deeper, more penetrating flavour profile.
Though less nuanced than Arabica, Robusta's powerful characteristics ensure it remains a staple in blends, especially for those who prefer a hearty espresso with a robust crema.
Excelsa's Exotic Allure
Excelsa is often noted for its distinctive tart and fruity notes, an attribute that furnishes a cup of coffee with a refreshing profile.
With its complex mixture of savory and sweet, Excelsa boasts a palate that is reminiscent of a tart red currant paired with light floral nuances, effortlessly elevating it beyond ordinary coffee experiences.
This varietal’s peculiarity lies in its winding taste journey—from a sharp, tantalizing introduction to a delicate, aromatic descent.
Discovering the Excelsa Variety
Excelsa coffee beans possess a rather unique and complex flavour profile, diverging from conventional coffee expectations. These beans are renowned for their fruity characteristics and a sharp, wine-like acidity that sets them apart from other varieties.
Considered part of the Liberica family, Excelsa underwent a reclassification in 2006, which redefined its standing within the coffee sector. Despite this, it maintains a distinct identity, thanks to its unusual flavour attributes, which include a compelling combination of both tart and sweet notes, giving it a distinct edge in the coffee panorama.
Grown predominantly in Southeast Asia, the Excelsa variety thrives in the specific environmental conditions there, marking a clear demarcation from the Arabica and Robusta beans primarily cultivated across Latin America and Africa. This geographical distinction endows Excelsa with subtle yet discernible taste variations, reflective of its unique terroir.
The bean's particular shape, larger and more almond-like than others, is a telltale sign of its distinctive pedigree. Not widely produced, accounting for less than 1% of the world's coffee market, Excelsa is what might be considered a niche treasure, a bean embraced by connoisseurs in search of a singular coffee experience.
In essence, Excelsa beans invite the palate on an exotic journey, offering a sensory encounter that diverges from traditional coffee profiles, and affirming its place as an enchanting outlier in the coffee world.
The Taste Spectrum of Excelsa
Excelsa coffee boasts a remarkably complex flavour profile, often characterized by a fruity and tart sharpness.
Fruity Tang: Its initial taste is reminiscent of a lush tropical orchard, often surprising the palate with bright and tangy citrus notes.
Mysterious Depths: Subsequent sips reveal layers of unusual woody and spicy undertones that give Excelsa its enigmatic appeal.
Roasted Aromatics: As the experience progresses, the beans deliver a light roasted, almost tart-like aroma, which provides a lively sensory experience.
Tart Sweetness: The finishing notes balance the sharpness with a compelling hint of sweetness, differing substantially from the more prevalent coffee types.
This wide-ranging taste spectrum makes Excelsa an ideal choice for those seeking an unconventional coffee experience.
Its idiosyncratic profile is also highly suitable for blends, lending its unique dimensions to enrich the overall cup quality.
Growing Excelsa: A Rarity in Coffee Cultivation
Excelsa's cultivation demands specialised expertise.
Thriving in specific climates, Excelsa coffee requires meticulous attention to detail throughout its growth cycle. This varietal is predominantly found in Southeast Asia, particularly in regions with a unique combination of altitude and climate. Environments conducive to its growth are scarce, with only a fraction of coffee plantations dedicated to its cultivation.
Limited acreage is devoted to Excelsa production.
Due to its scarcity and the precise conditions needed - starting from the soil pH balance to the microclimate - growers often hesitate to commit extensive resources to Excelsa. Instead, they typically favour more established and less market-sensitive species that promise stable returns.
Only a select few undertake its challenging journey.
As of the start of 2023, the less common Excelsa variety is being cautiously explored by a handful of pioneering farmers. These connoisseurs are not merely gambling; they are meticulously applying agronomic science to innovate and potentially reinvigorate this remarkable varietal within the coffee market.
Liberica: The Rare Gem
Liberica's allure lies in its exceptional rarity and individuality. It is a species where the trees themselves display unusual characteristics, with whimsical, irregular cherry shapes. The beans are larger than those of their Coffea cousins, offering an aromatic spectrum that is distinct and complex, with a profile that includes floral, fruity, and woody notes. They offer a taste experience markedly different from conventional beans, one that connoisseurs seek out for its uniqueness and breadth of flavour.
The cultivation of Liberica is a testament to the dedication of growers valuing diversity and heritage. Its beans possess a "wild" quality, with the flavour profile suggesting hints of fruits, often compared to a medley of a lightly fermented grape, with an intriguing smokey finish. This varietal's demanding requirements for specific climatic conditions mean that its presence is limited to select regions where the environment aligns perfectly with its needs. For those dedicated enough to its production, Liberica represents not just a rare type of bean but a heritage and complexity that stand as a proud counterpoint to more commercially prevalent beans.
Uncovering Liberica's Legacy
Liberica beans evoke a sense of the exotic, denoting a rare and less commonly known coffee experience, sometimes shadowed by its ubiquitous counterparts.
While not at the forefront of the coffee market, Liberica has a storied history and a significant cultural impact in the regions where it thrives. Original to West Africa, it has become a cornerstone in parts of Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines, where it arrived in the late 1800s, serving as a resilient crop after the Arabica supply was decimated by coffee rust disease. It stood as a symbol of perseverance and diversity in the world of coffee, with a taste that's as unique as its origins.
Despite its limited cultivation, Liberica has garnered a dedicated following of aficionados and curious coffee explorers alike. Its production, constrained by geographical and climatic specifics, results in limited availability, adding to the bean's allure. Those who seek out Liberica are often rewarded with flavours that challenge preconceived notions of what coffee can taste like, broadening the palates of those adventurers.
The future of Liberica coffee hinges on the preservation and appreciation of its unique qualities. It represents not only a novelty within the world of coffee but also the importance of agricultural diversity. With global tastes evolving towards more distinctive and niche profiles, Liberica could very well become integral to the tapestry of future coffee experiences, providing a bridge between the rich history of coffee cultivation and the progressive tastes of modern aficionados, ensuring its legacy lives on amid an ever-expanding global palimpsest of the beverage.
Liberica's Bold Flavour Profile
Liberica beans present a singular taste profile, markedly different from the familiar Arabica and Robusta strains. Its unconventional nature is apparent, offering a stunning divergence in flavour for connoisseurs to savour.
The palate is greeted with an array of woody and smoky notes, wrapped in a somewhat unusual fruity bouquet that spans the spectrum from tart to sweet, culminating in a rich and full-bodied cuppa. The inherent complexity of the bean is heightened by nuances of floral and spicy hints which can vary significantly from one Liberica crop to another, providing a unique degustation experience with each brew. This variegated flavour palette appeals most to those with a penchant for exploring the road less travelled in coffee tasting.
Furthermore, Liberica's taste is complemented by a distinctive aroma that often gravitates towards a slightly pungent, yet paradoxically enticing fragrance. This, coupled with the bold and sometimes unpredictable character of the bean, makes for an almost rebellious presence in the world of coffee. Adherents are drawn to its mystique, embracing the unpredictable twists in flavour that each unique Liberica batch has to offer.
In summary, the intricate flavour dynamics of Liberica coffee resonate with the enthusiast seeking an extraordinary journey through the senses. Far from the mainstream course, it represents an intense coffee experience for those willing to venture beyond the accustomed, providing a flavour that is as bold as it is rare. This elaborate taste profile ensures that Liberica secures a niche yet pivotal position within the world of connoisseurs, continually intriguing and challenging the palate of those determined to explore the full expanse of coffee's potential.
Where in the World is Liberica Grown?
Liberica coffee is an unusual species, with cultivation primarily concentrated in specific regions. Unlike its counterparts, Arabica and Robusta, which are grown extensively worldwide, Liberica's presence in the global coffee culture is somewhat esoteric and geographically limited.
To understand the scarcity of Liberica, one must appreciate the unique climatic and soil conditions it requires. Liberica thrives in hot, humid environments, often flourishing where other coffee species may struggle. It is predominantly found in West Africa and Southeast Asia, with a particular stronghold in the Philippines, where it is known as Barako.
Remarkably resilient, Liberica cherishes the rich, volcanic soil found in these areas. The resulting beans are not only distinctive in taste but carry the essence of their terroir, deeply entwined with the cultural and agricultural tapestry of their homelands. Malaysia and Indonesia also grow Liberica, although these crops are less abundant than in the Philippines.
The cultivation of Liberica is a testament to the commitment of its growers, who tend to be smallholders valuing tradition and uniqueness over mass production. In Liberia, where the species is indigenous, and parts of Sierra Leone, small communities harvest Liberica beans, often using methods passed down through generations. These growers uphold the sanctity of Liberica, ensuring its continuation as a coffee variety that connoisseurs across the globe cherish for its rare and authentic taste profile.
