What Are the Varieties of Coffee Beans - An Introduction to the Three Major Types

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FrontStreet Coffee Varieties and Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Variety Introduction

Arabica Varieties

From the perspective of bean varieties, Arabica varieties should be the first choice. The so-called Mandheling or Mocha coffee beans are actually named and distinguished by their origin. For example, Mandheling is produced in the Sumatra Islands of Indonesia, while Mocha is a product of Yemen. However, some of these are Arabica varieties, while others are Robusta varieties.

The most important are the Arabica varieties mostly produced on hillside slopes at altitudes over a thousand meters. The higher the altitude, the better the quality of the coffee beans. The beans are smaller and oval-shaped. Their fruit generally matures late, and the maturity of fruits on the same branch varies, so they are all harvested by hand. However, due to their unique aroma and abundant yield, they account for more than 70% of the market share. Most are processed using the washed method after harvest, resulting in few defects and excellent appearance, often used for single-origin coffee brewing.

Robusta Varieties

Robusta varieties are products of low-altitude slopes, with oval-shaped beans. The caffeine content is more than twice that of Arabica varieties. They have poor body, heavy bitterness, and are mostly used to make instant coffee powder or blended into affordable mixed coffees. Because of their strong survival ability and ease of cultivation, procurement costs are significantly reduced.

Typically, coffee trees that are 3-4 years old can flower and bear fruit. Each tree can grow about 2000 cherry-like fruits, weighing approximately 4 kilograms, but it takes about half a year to fully mature. After harvest, the skin and pulp are removed to obtain less than 1 kilogram of unroasted green coffee beans.

Liberica Varieties

The quality and yield of Liberica varieties are both poor.

FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain Coffee Variety Introduction

The Blue Mountain coffee variety is a derivative of Arabica - Typica. The top leaves of Typica are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender-pointed. The tree is tall and graceful, with branches slightly inclined at angles of 50-70 degrees. It has elegant flavor but weak constitution and poor disease resistance. The coffee yield per tree is very low with few fruits.

The Typica variety has a characteristic feature: the leaf tips are reddish-brown, earning it the name "red-topped coffee." The opposite leaves of the coffee tree are long-oval, with smooth leaf surfaces. The terminal branches are long with few branches. The flowers are white, blooming at the base where the petiole connects to the branch. Mature coffee cherries look like cherries and are bright red.

Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor

The taste is very clean, and it is one of the sweetest coffees in the world. This flavor has been described by Jim Reynolds in Peet's Coffee and Tea: "The best example of Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee is its aromatic, smooth richness. It gives me the feeling of gem-like quality. It is as precious as a gemstone. It is complex, but very gentle. It is sweet, and it has very strong body. You must taste it to know what I'm talking about."

Unique growing conditions and meticulous care throughout all production processes have made Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee very famous. It has a rich, mellow taste, with a perfect balance of coffee's sweet, sour, and bitter notes. It has no bitterness at all, only moderate and perfect acidity with a persistent fruity aftertaste.

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