What Are Common Varieties of Arabica? What Are the Differences Between Bourbon and Typica as Subspecies?

Common Arabica Varieties: Bourbon vs. Typica

Biologically, coffee divides into Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica, but the varieties consumed worldwide are mainly Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is generally the choice for single-origin and specialty coffee, and from both a cultural and a genetic standpoint, Bourbon and Typica are the two most important branches of Arabica.

The Bourbon variety originated in Ethiopia and first appeared on Réunion Island, where it was recorded in 1947. Burundi, Rwanda, and South America are its main growing regions today. Although Bourbon resembles Typica, it is hardier than Typica, with higher yields and lower caffeine content. The plants are shorter, however, and have very low disease resistance, making them more susceptible to leaf rust.

Bourbon is a subspecies that mutated from Typica, and like Typica it is one of the oldest coffee varieties in existence. When its green fruit ripens, it turns a bright red.

Typica Coffee

Typica is a subvariety of Arabica that originally grew on Martinique Island. Central America, Jamaica, the Kona region of Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor are its main growing regions today. To raise yields from high-quality Typica, it is often crossbred with other varieties. Typica is renowned for its sweetness, and some of the world's finest coffees come from this family — including Blue Mountain, Sumatra, and Kona.

Knowledge Point: Mundo Novo

Mundo Novo is the natural hybrid of Bourbon and Sumatra Typica. First discovered in Brazil, it was hailed as the new hope of the Brazilian coffee industry — hence the name "New World."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Of the Typica family, Jamaica Blue Mountain remains the most legendary. Strictly speaking, only coffee grown in the designated Blue Mountain region and certified by Jamaica's official body may be called Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee; the range in eastern Jamaica — named for the blue mist that shrouds its peaks, the highest in the Caribbean at 2,256 meters — sees year-round cloud cover, rich volcanic soil, and abundant even rainfall, letting the cherries ripen slowly and accumulate sugars and flavor. FrontStreet's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1, from the historic Clifton estate (farming coffee since around 1750 at about 4,300 feet / 1,310 meters), is the top grade, with strict standards for bean size and defect rate and full origin certification plus the traditional wooden shipping barrels (15, 45, and 70 kg) that mark the genuine article. Medium-dark roasted, it shows nut, dark chocolate, cream caramel, and soft sweetness in a cup where acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aroma are perfectly in accord — the balance that made Blue Mountain the benchmark of the classic specialty era. For brewing, FrontStreet recommends a Kono dripper with 15g of coffee rested 4–7 days, a white-sugar-coarse grind, 87–88°C water, and a 1:15 ratio in three pours: 30g bloom for 30 seconds, then to 120g, then to 225g.