What Grade is Arabica Coffee? Introduction to Arabica Bean Origins and Brands

Introduction to Coffee Varieties

In botanical taxonomy, coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, with at least over one hundred coffee species beneath it. Approximately eighty coffee tree varieties have been confirmed, among which three are cultivated for beverage consumption: Arabica coffee species, Robusta coffee species, and Liberica coffee species.

Generally, Arabica is mainly used for single-origin or specialty coffee, while Robusta is used for instant coffee. Although Arabica can be defined as premium coffee and Robusta as secondary, this classification isn't necessarily absolute—distinguishing by personal taste preference is more appropriate. From a flavor preference perspective, America and Japan tend to drink lighter coffee brewed from Arabica, while Europe prefers espresso made from a blend of Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica Coffee: The Premium Choice

Arabica Advantages: Premium Coffee Beans with First-Class Flavor and Aroma

Arabica is a representative variety originating from Ethiopia and is also produced in South Africa, African countries, and Asian nations, accounting for 70%-75% of global coffee production. Arabica has relatively weak resistance to pests and diseases, making highland regions more suitable for cultivation, especially Arabica coffee beans produced at elevations above 1,500 meters, which offer the best quality.

Such carefully produced high-quality coffee, with balanced flavor, mouthfeel, and aroma, can be certified as premium coffee beans, mainly used for single-origin or specialty coffee. The three famous coffee beans—Hawaiian Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Yemen Mocha—all belong to the Arabica variety. Arabica green beans have a dark, narrow appearance and are renowned as the highest quality highland Arabica varieties, characterized by rich flavors including sweetness, acidity, and aroma.

In terms of flavor, Arabica coffee beans are considered the best-tasting coffee beans and have been used in the specialty coffee consumer market since the concept of specialty coffee emerged. For example, Typica, a subspecies of Arabica coffee, possesses excellent acidity with high cupping scores and has outstanding genetics as one of the most ancient coffee varieties. Meanwhile, the Geisha coffee variety, now well-known in the specialty coffee market, conquers coffee lovers' taste buds with its fresh floral aroma and pleasant acidity.

Arabica Disadvantages

Arabica accounts for 70% of total coffee production, but its weak resistance to pests and diseases has led to the cultivation of many disease-resistant varieties. Additionally, Arabica has many subspecies formed through mutation or hybridization, such as Typica, Bourbon, Geisha, and others. At FrontStreet Coffee stores, there's no shortage of Arabica subspecies coffee beans—for single-origin and specialty coffee, over 50 different regional coffee beans are available, satisfying different taste requirements. Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee stores offer even more bean varieties not on the regular menu for tasting.

Famous Arabica Growing Regions

The emergence of specialty coffee has not only brought attention to coffee's individual characteristics but also sparked greater interest in cultivation and processing conditions in various regions. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the current situation of these world-renowned growing regions.

Brazil

Brazil is the world's largest coffee-producing and coffee-yielding nation. In recent years, domestic coffee consumption in Brazil has gradually increased, making it the world's second-largest consumer after the United States. Brazil began coffee production in 1727. Due to its climate suitable for coffee tree cultivation and vast areas of fertile soil, the main producing regions are the southeastern states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Paraná. However, in recent years, southern regions have suffered from frost damage, and cultivation areas have gradually migrated northward. Currently, large estates in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais are actively introducing irrigation facilities and mechanized equipment, with diversified coffee tree cultivation. In addition to Arabica varieties like Bourbon, they also plant disease-resistant Catimor varieties.

Brazilian coffee typically has lower acidity, complementing the coffee's bitter-sweet taste with an extremely smooth mouthfeel and a light grassy aroma. It's fragrant with a slight bitterness, sweet and smooth, with a refreshing aftertaste. FrontStreet Coffee has selected a Queen Estate Bourbon coffee as Brazil's representative. This coffee features distinct nutty and chocolate flavors, moderate caramel sweetness, smooth mouthfeel, and overall balance.

Cultivation Varieties

Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Catuai, and other Arabica varieties, as well as Catimor varieties.

Processing Method

Mainly natural processing, with some coffee beans using honey processing.

Grading Method

Graded by screen size and defect count, from "No. 2" to "No. 6". Screen size ranges from S17 (6.75mm) to S18 (7mm). In a 300-gram sample, those with defect scores below 11 points are rated as the highest grade "No. 2" (also known as Type 2).

Colombia

The Andes Mountains, with an average elevation exceeding 4,000 meters, have small estates on their steep slopes at elevations of approximately 1,000 to 2,000 meters—these are Colombia's coffee-producing regions. Colombia is currently the world's third-largest coffee-producing country,仅次于 Brazil and Vietnam. Supporting Colombia's coffee industry is the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, which manages everything from production to distribution and actively promotes specialty coffee. They choose to plant shade trees, hand-pick coffee cherries, and "introduce the latest equipment suitable for small estates to reduce water consumption, adopting different approaches from neighboring Brazil" to produce distinctive high-quality coffee beans. Located on the equator, Colombia is characterized by having two harvest periods annually.

Premium-grade Colombian coffee (washed processing) often features citrus notes, nuts, and dark cocoa, with overall smoothness and richness. Dark cocoa is a major characteristic, complemented by refined acidity from high elevations, making it a rare high-quality coffee-producing country and perhaps the most characteristic coffee-producing country in the Americas.

Cultivation Varieties

Caturra, Castillo, Colombia Typica.

Processing Method

Two harvests annually: October-January and April-June. Primarily washed processing.

Grading Method

Graded by screen size. Coffee beans with screen size S17 (6.75mm) and above are "Supremo"; S14 (5.5mm) to S16 (6.5mm) beans are rated as "Excelso".

Panama

Panama can be said to be the most popular specialty coffee-producing country today, with numerous estates including the famous Hacienda La Esmeralda, Deborah Estate, and Ninety Plus estates, among others. Panama cultivates coffee varieties such as Geisha, Caturra, Catuai, but the most characteristic variety representing Panama is primarily Geisha. Among the many estates, FrontStreet Coffee believes that Geisha coffee produced by Hacienda La Esmeralda is most representative.

Cultivation Varieties

Mostly Caturra, Catuai, with increasing cultivation of Geisha. Additionally, traditional farming methods are used to grow rare, unimproved Typica varieties uncommon in Central America.

Processing Method

Harvest period from September to March. Primarily washed processing, with natural or machine drying.

Grading Method

Graded by growing region altitude. From highest to lowest altitude: "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), "Hard Bean" (HB).

Guatemala

Guatemala is a very typical volcanic country. Its famous Antigua region is surrounded by three volcanoes, and volcanic ash soil provides sufficient nutrients for coffee tree growth. Including Antigua, Guatemala has multiple coffee-producing regions, each with different growing environments and conditions, creating distinct regional flavors. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the most representative Guatemalan region might be the Antigua region.

Among the many coffee beans from the Antigua region, FrontStreet Coffee selected a Flor de café bean. Flor de café is a coffee bean under La Minita company, which is renowned for excellent cultivation, processing techniques, and extremely strict quality control. They commissioned Las Pastores, Antigua's largest wet mill, to process green beans according to these standards and named the coffee Flor de café. In addition to maintaining the original regional flavors, the dry aroma features rich floral and tea notes. After tasting, lime acidity and berry flavors transition to a honey aftertaste. Excellent cleanliness and rich layered complexity are the characteristics of this Flor de café.

Cultivation Varieties

Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and others.

Processing Method

Harvest period from September to April. Primarily washed processing, with natural or machine drying.

Grading Method

Although graded by growing region altitude, grade is often determined by flavor. Growing regions above 1,300 meters are rated "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB); 1,200-1,300 meters as "Hard Bean" (HB); 900-1,050 meters as "Especial Prime Washed" (EPW).

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has been cultivating coffee for over two hundred years, with a very mature coffee industry. It's also one of the few countries worldwide that prohibits cultivation of Robusta coffee beans (even Catimor varieties are not allowed), making it a country that highly values coffee quality. Costa Rican coffee beans' characteristics come from their unique honey processing—drying while retaining some fruit mucilage. This gives Costa Rican coffee both the cleanliness of washed processing and the sweetness of natural processing. Nutty as the main tone, mixed with refreshing acidity and thick, sugar-like sweetness.

Cultivation Varieties

Caturra, Catuai, and others. Costa Rican law prohibits cultivation of Robusta varieties.

Processing Method

Harvest period from November to March. Primarily honey processing, using methods where pulp and endocarp are removed together.

Grading Method

Graded by growing region altitude. From highest to lowest altitude: "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), "Good Hard Bean" (GHB), "Hard Bean" (HB).

Jamaica

Besides Brazil, Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee is also very balanced coffee. The Blue Mountains are located in eastern Jamaica. When the weather is clear, direct sunlight hits the azure Caribbean Sea, and the peaks reflect the brilliant blue glow of the seawater, hence the name.

For many years, Blue Mountain coffee has been subject to strict export controls, traditionally producing only washed Typica for export to countries like Japan. However, until last year, FrontStreet Coffee began to taste not only washed Typica but also natural Typica and even Geisha coffee produced in Blue Mountain. However, FrontStreet Coffee still believes that Blue Mountain coffee's flavor is best represented by washed Typica. Washed Blue Mountain coffee has citrus acidity but strong overall balance, with nuts and dark cocoa in the middle notes, persistent aftertaste, and rich mouthfeel.

Cultivation Varieties

Although Caturra production is gradually increasing on surrounding islands, Jamaica predominantly grows Typica.

Processing Method

Harvest begins in October, primarily washed processing.

Grading Method

Blue Mountain has its own grading standards, graded by screen size and defect count, divided by bean size into "No. 1," "No. 2," and "No. 3." Other coffee beans are graded by altitude or screen size.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia can be said to be one of the most popular coffee-producing countries. As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has an enormous number of coffee varieties—it can be called a treasure trove of coffee varieties. However, variety identification is time-consuming and laborious, and most are grown by small farmers. After harvest, mixed processing makes it difficult to distinguish varieties, so exported Ethiopian coffee beans are generally collectively called "Heirloom."

Ethiopia's most representative coffee beans are undoubtedly the washed coffee beans produced in Yirgacheffe. Ethiopia primarily uses natural processing, but common natural processing methods are often crude, carrying defect flavors. Therefore, in the last century, the Yirgacheffe region introduced washed processing from the Americas, making coffee produced in the Yirgacheffe region famous.

In FrontStreet Coffee's bean selection, there are indeed many Ethiopian coffees worth recommending, such as Red Cherry coffee, Buku coffee, Kochere, and others. These coffees feature Yirgacheffe's classic citrus-lemon acidity, gentle white floral notes, and fruit and tea-like aftertastes.

Cultivation Varieties

Mainly Typica, with many other unique Ethiopian varieties.

Processing Method

Although primarily traditional natural processing, the proportion of washed processing is gradually increasing.

Grading Method

Graded by defect count, from fewest to most: "Grade1" to "Grade8" levels. Only Grade1 to Grade5 can be exported.

Kenya

Kenya is another most representative coffee-producing country in Africa, with highly recognizable berry notes reminiscent of grapefruit, blackberries, plums, and other fruits. The extremely high acidity makes Kenyan coffee almost one of the most popular iced coffees in summer. Kenya's flavor profile mainly comes from its SL28 & SL34 varieties and mature washed processing techniques.

Cultivation Varieties

Mainly selected Bourbon varieties SL28 and SL34. SL is an abbreviation for Scott Laboratory, a coffee research institution located in Nairobi.

Processing Method

Two harvests annually: September-December and May-July. Primarily washed processing.

Grading Method

Graded by screen size. Coffee beans with screen S18 (7mm) and above are rated "AA"; S15 (6mm) to S17 (6.75mm) are rated "AB." Peaberries are rated "PB."

Indonesia

Composed of approximately 17,000 large and small islands, Java Island is the main coffee-producing region. Indonesia, with its long coffee cultivation history, suffered a coffee leaf rust outbreak in the 1980s that nearly destroyed Arabica varieties. Afterward, cultivation shifted to disease-resistant Catimor Robusta varieties, and Indonesia is now the world's fourth-largest coffee-producing country.

Mandheling can be said to be synonymous with Indonesian coffee, mainly grown in the Aceh Special Region of Sumatra. Generally, Arabica varieties from Sumatra Island are called Mandheling and are quite well-regarded in the specialty coffee world. Others like Toraja from Sulawesi Island are also loved by many. Additionally, Indonesia has a unique production processing method called Sumatran semi-washed, characterized by drying in the green bean state.

In FrontStreet Coffee's bean selection, a Golden Mandheling is recommended. Compared to regular Mandheling, Golden Mandheling undergoes multiple hand-sorting, reducing many defective and poorly shaped beans. Therefore, besides the classic herbal spice flavors, Golden Mandheling coffee tastes cleaner with very smooth mouthfeel.

Cultivation Varieties

Catimor, Typica, Robusta, and others.

Processing Method

Two harvest periods: April-September and November-March. Although primarily natural processing, some coffee beans use washed processing.

Grading Method

Graded by screen size and defect count. Divided by bean size into "Large" and "Small." Additionally, divided into five grades by defect count, from fewest to most: "Grade1" to "Grade5."

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