What Are the Common Varieties of Specialty Coffee Beans and Why Does Coffee Taste Sour - Is It Due to Brewing Methods?

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Specialty Coffee Varieties

"Carefully select the most suitable varieties, cultivated in the most conducive altitude, climate, and soil environment for coffee flavor development. Washed and natural processing, selecting flawless premium green beans, delivered to customers with zero defects during transportation. Through the masterful craftsmanship of roasters, bringing out the richest regional flavors. Then, using recognized standard extraction methods to obtain delicious coffee."

The regional flavors mentioned here simply refer to the differences in soil, varieties, climate, and water and soil conditions that create different coffee flavors around the world. This is also the soul of specialty coffee.

Typica

The most ancient native variety from Ethiopia, all Arabica varieties are derived from Typica. Typica has bronze-colored young leaves, with oval or slender pointed beans. It has elegant flavor but weak constitution, poor disease resistance, and low fruit yield. Excellent estate beans such as Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to the Typica family.

Bourbon

A variant of Typica after being transplanted to Yemen in early times (pre-coffee history), with bean shape changing from slender pointed to round. In 1715, France transplanted the round beans from Yemen's Mocha to Bourbon Island on the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), and it was named Bourbon. The round Bourbon beans were passed to Brazil and Central and South America in 1727, and in 1732, Britain transplanted Yemen's Mocha to St. Helena Island (later where Napoleon was exiled), which were also round Bourbon beans. Bourbon is the consistent winner in American specialty coffee cupping competitions.

Genetic Mutant - Bourbon Pointu

Discovered on Bourbon Island in 1810, with beans changing from round to pointed shape, and caffeine content only half of normal. However, it has low yield and weak constitution, making it extremely precious (mostly cultivated in laboratories).

Maragogype (Elephant Bean)

The most famous variant of Typica, first discovered in 1870 in the Maragogype coffee-producing region of Bahia state in northeastern Brazil. The beans are at least three times larger than regular Arabica beans, hence the name. Maragogype has poor flavor at low altitudes, but better flavor at high altitudes with mild acidity and pleasant sweet aroma.

Geisha

A derivative variety belonging to the Typica family, exported in 1931 from Mount Geisha in southern Ethiopia (Geisha has the same pronunciation as Japanese "geisha"). It remained unknown in many countries until being transplanted to Panama in the 1960s, and only began to frequently win cupping competitions starting in 2005.

Kenya "SL28" and "SL34"

Direct descendants of Bourbon selected and cultivated by French and British missionaries and researchers in Kenya in the early 20th century. Over a century, they have adapted to Kenya's high-phosphate soil, nurturing Kenya's characteristic acidic aroma spirits. Top-tier Kenyan coffees all come from these two varieties, but when transplanted elsewhere, they lose their characteristic flavor.

Bourbon Amarello (Yellow Bourbon)

A unique Bourbon variant from São Paulo state, Brazil. The coffee cherries don't turn red when ripe but remain orange-yellow. It was later discovered that other Bourbon derivative varieties in the region also have yellowing fruit skins.

Caturra

A single-gene variant of Bourbon discovered in Brazil in the 1950s. Its growth ability and disease resistance are better than Bourbon, and it doesn't require shade trees. The flavor is comparable to or slightly inferior to Bourbon.

Some friends ask FrontStreet Coffee why coffee is acidic. Because coffee is originally a fruit, coffee beans all have fruit acidity, and gentle acidity is the good acidity of specialty coffee.

Knowledge Extension

Arabica has many subspecies, all derived from Ethiopia's most ancient Typica and Yemen's Bourbon after being transplanted to Central and South America or Asia and then varying and deriving.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unrestrained sharing is only to let more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, there are three coffee discount events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's principle for six years!

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