Nav: Home > Coffee >

Introduction to Coffee Bean Varieties and Flavors - Guide to Buying Coffee Beans by Origin, Variety, and Processing Method

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Common flavors and characteristics of coffee beans

At FrontStreet Coffee, curious visitors often come to the shop who have no initial knowledge of specialty coffee but wish to have the baristas at FrontStreet Coffee guide them into this world. Additionally, nobody wants to experience "bitterness," so when they face the coffee bean menu, they look bewildered and can only ask, "Do you have any coffee that isn't bitter?" Of course, we do! Basically, all coffee can be non-bitter - it just depends on how you choose.

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the flavors of various producing countries, allowing everyone to choose beans from their desired regions based on knowing what flavors they want.

Ethiopia

As is well known, Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. The coffee bean varieties here are numerous - just counting the native Ethiopian coffee bean varieties discovered in the forests of the Kaffa region in the south alone, there are as many as 5,000 types. It is precisely because of the large number of varieties, coupled with the government's protection of coffee varieties, that most coffee produced in Ethiopia is named "local heirloom" as its coffee variety. Ethiopia is located in East Africa, and the country is divided from southwest to north by the East African Rift Valley.

The most famous producing regions in Ethiopia known to the world are the Yirgacheffe and Sidamo regions. The Red Cherry and Flower Queen, which are popular on FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu, come from these two regions. Whether it's the citrus and lemon acidity of the Yirgacheffe region or the creamy strawberry flavor of the Sidamo region, they make many coffee enthusiasts applaud.

Yirgacheffe

The Yirgacheffe region has high altitudes, with an average elevation of 2,000 meters. Yirgacheffe was once a sub-region under the Sidamo region. Later, because the coffee beans produced in Yirgacheffe had obvious floral aromas, it became an independent coffee-producing region. It can be said that Yirgacheffe is not just the name of a coffee-producing region but also a noun describing specific coffee flavors.

Most coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region are washed-processed because washed Yirgacheffe has a cleaner taste, more pronounced floral aromas, and is overall fresher. This is true for FrontStreet Coffee's Gedeb, which has citrus, black tea, and floral notes upon entry, with cream, caramel, and almond aftertaste as the temperature changes, with obvious sweetness and a clean, sweet taste.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Gedeb

Region: Yirgacheffe Region, Ethiopia

Cooperative: Gedeb Cooperative

Altitude: 2000m-2100m

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Sidamo

The Sidamo region is located in southern Ethiopia, extending to the Arsi and Bale administrative regions in the east and to the Gamogofa administrative region in the west. Sidamo coffee is cultivated at altitudes between 1400m-2000m. Most areas in Sidamo use natural processing methods for coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the natural processing method gives Sidamo region coffee beans rich fruity aromas and a smooth mouthfeel.

The Sidamo Arsi that FrontStreet Coffee acquired uses the natural processing method. Frontsteet's Arsi has berry and honey aromas, with jam-like sweetness spreading throughout the mouth upon entry, full of sweetness, with nectarine flavors in the finish, and a juice-like mouthfeel. After cooling, it becomes even more like a juice with plum and nectarine flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo Arsi

Region: Sidamo Arsi, Ethiopia

Altitude: 1900m-2200m

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Kenya

Kenya is also located in eastern Africa, with the equator running through the middle of the country, and the East African Rift Valley stretching north to south. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Ethiopia and Sudan to the north, with the Indian Ocean to the southeast. The country is mostly plateau, with an average altitude of 1,500 meters.

Through multiple cuppings, FrontStreet Coffee has discovered that Kenyan coffee has bright fruit acidity and excellent, full-bodied flavor. After tasting, one can experience a berry juice sensation that envelops the entire mouth, making it a favorite among many coffee connoisseurs.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding of the basic situation of Kenyan coffee-producing countries, the reason Kenyan coffee is so outstanding mainly lies in its phosphate-rich soil, unique coffee bean varieties, and local特有的 post-processing methods for coffee beans.

Coffee Bean Varieties

In Kenya, the main varieties planted are SL28 and SL34. These two coffee varieties come from Scott Laboratories. Through FrontStreet Coffee's cupping, it was found that SL28 and SL34 have similar flavors, both with complex and changing berry-like acidity and caramel sweet aftertaste. Among them, SL34 has a heavier mouthfeel, with acidity leaning toward blackberry, overall sweet and sour balance, with caramel aftertaste; SL28, when the temperature drops, tends toward blueberry acidity with higher sweetness.

Kenyan K72 Washed Processing Method

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, this processing method is improved based on the traditional washed processing method. Kenya was the first to adopt a cyclic repeated processing method of washing after fermentation. The processing is done on the day of harvest, selecting the highest quality coffee berries for pulping and fermentation, with a fermentation time of 24 hours, after which clean river water is used for washing. Then, fermentation is done again with clean river water for 24 hours, followed by washing again. After repeating this cycle 3 times, reaching 72 hours, it is called the Kenyan-style 72-hour fermentation washed processing method, abbreviated as K72 processing method.

FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Asalia

Region: Thika Region, Kenya

Processing Plant: Asali Honey Processing Plant

Altitude: 1550m-1750m

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing Method: K72 Washed

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya has mature tomato and floral aromas in its wet fragrance, with cherry tomato and black plum flavors upon entry, bright acidity, clean and rich mouthfeel, prominent sweetness in the middle with a juice sensation, and berry aroma and brown sugar sweetness in the aftertaste, along with green tea fragrance.

Costa Rica

If you were to ask FrontStreet Coffee to choose a country whose coffee flavor represents sweetness, honey-processed coffee beans must be mentioned. The post-processing methods for Costa Rican coffee beans mostly use honey processing, and because of this "honey" word, many coffee beginners mistakenly think that honey has been added during processing. This is not actually the case - it's the coffee mucilage, and honey processing is a theoretical general term.

Costa Rica is located in Central America. This producing country has fertile volcanic soil with good drainage, especially in the Central Plateau, where the volcanic terrain's fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall become essential factors for growing good coffee.

Among these, the Tarrazú region is located south of Costa Rica's capital San José and is one of the country's most important coffee-growing areas, as well as a world-renowned region. The altitude of this region is 1,200-1,700 meters, and the beans produced have high acidity and smoothness, with hard and full beans, rich aromas, and the main feature is that the high-altitude region creates an unparalleled perfect mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee's Baha coffee beans come from the Tarrazú region, produced at the Canet Estate, using raisin honey processing. Frontsteet's Baha smells like rice wine fermentation aroma, and when drunk, it has the sweet and sour taste of mature tropical fruits and berries, nut and cream flavors, with caramel in the aftertaste and faint floral aromas in the finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Baha

Region: Tarrazú, Costa Rica

Estate: Canet Estate

Altitude: 1980m

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Processing Method: Raisin Honey Processing

Brazil

Brazilian coffee is famously smooth on entry, which is thanks to Brazil's local coffee cultivation using sun-grown methods, meaning coffee plants are exposed to sunlight for long periods, absorbing enough heat and maturing in a short time. precisely because the maturation time is shortened, coffee beans don't absorb enough substances, making the beans softer.

Through cupping multiple Brazilian coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee found that besides being smooth on entry, Brazilian coffee also has low acidity and obvious rich chocolate flavor and nutty sweetness, making it a typical nutty-flavored coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate is like this - after entry, Frontsteet's Brazil Queen has obvious sweetness in the taste, with faint lemon aroma, containing rich nutty flavors, with obvious dark chocolate flavor in the later part, overall feeling quite round, being a coffee bean that can represent the overall characteristics of Brazilian coffee while also reflecting its own unique liveliness.

FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Estate

Region: Mogiana, Brazil

Estate: Queen Estate

Altitude: 1400m-1950m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Indonesia

FrontStreet Coffee feels that the coffee that best represents Indonesia is none other than Mandheling. The flavor of Mandheling coffee is related to local processing methods. Due to the local variable weather and more rainfall, coupled with poor economy making water washing methods unaffordable, the wet hulling method was developed. Wet hulling is a traditional Indonesian coffee processing method, but from the name, wet hulling seems very similar to wet processing (washed processing method). However, the cupping flavors of these two processing methods are completely different - wet hulled coffee is usually mellow and intense, with a very distinct personality.

FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling has a specification of above 18 mesh, with fewer than 3 defective beans (300g raw bean sample), belonging to the highest G1 grade, with a color leaning toward dark green, and is a flat bean with a neat shape. After strict screening, FrontStreet Coffee found that the Golden Mandheling not only lacks the unique earthy impurity flavor of regular Mandheling but is cleaner and brighter when drunk, with stronger sweetness and aroma.