What Types of Arabica Coffee Are There? Typica Coffee Characteristics: Pleasantly Aromatic, the Pride of Its Family

Introduction to Coffee Varieties

Coffee varieties can be broadly divided into three original species: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica.

These are the three original species, and coffee grown anywhere in the world falls into one of these categories. The famous Blue Mountain, Colombian, and Mandheling coffees we hear about so often all belong to the Arabica species. In coffee shops, espresso is mostly a blend of Arabica and Robusta, and the instant coffee most of us first encountered belongs to Robusta. Liberica coffee beans, for their part, have no commercial value and are produced in small quantities, kept today only in part for research purposes.

All of the specialty coffees currently on the market belong to the Arabica species. Because Arabica is of such high quality, many variants have appeared, which in turn has given rise to numerous smaller varieties.

Typica Coffee Introduction

Typica, meaning "typical," is the representative variety of the Arabica species. It was also the first variety to be transplanted from Yemen to India, Indonesia, and Central and South America, where it flourished widely. Ancient Typica is characterized by larger beans with a more pointed, elongated shape. After being transplanted to the New World, though, many different forms appeared, including Typica with more oval, smaller beans.

Typica coffee beans have a very balanced flavor, and mildness and smoothness are their greatest characteristic. The acidic aroma of Typica is neither sharp nor variable, which makes it a good choice for those wary of acidity. If Typica is grown below 1,000 meters or at too high a temperature, however, it can easily develop a woody taste. Poor disease resistance and low yield are its biggest weaknesses.

Typica is also known as the old small-grained coffee variety. Because of its low yield and the difficulty of cultivating it, its price runs well above ordinary small-grained coffee. Typica green beans are smaller than Catimor's, which is an important way to tell Typica apart.

Typica originated in Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. It is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plant is relatively robust but does not tolerate strong light, and it yields well in Hawaii. Typica's top leaves are reddish-bronze, which earned it the name "red-top coffee."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

As this article notes, Mandheling is one of the Arabica coffees people hear about most, and Sumatra's wet-hulled style makes it unlike any other Arabica. FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling is the top expression of that style. It comes from Indonesia's PWN, which applies exceptionally strict standards: beans must be 18 mesh or larger, with fewer than 3 defective beans per 300g green sample, meeting the highest G1 grade, and the beans then pass through three rounds of hand sorting that remove defects entirely. Those standards lift both the cup's cleanliness and the intensity of its sweetness, and they also explain why the coffee is limited in supply - most of it goes to the Japanese and American markets, so only a small amount of genuine Golden Mandheling reaches the domestic market each year.

For a more accessible introduction to the same wet-hulled character, FrontStreet Coffee's Lindong Mandheling is a fine place to start. Grown in Sumatra's Lindong region, it is medium-dark roasted to soften the acidity and bring forward the full, rich profile, while still keeping the wild herbal note that comes from Sumatra's growing conditions and processing. In the cup you find dark chocolate and caramel, a bittersweet edge, clove and woody aromas, and a spicy, faintly minty impression, all riding on a strong, lasting, full-bodied sweetness.

Mandheling shows best as pour-over. FrontStreet Coffee suggests water at 87-88°C, 15g of coffee, a 1:15 ratio, and a grind the texture of coarse sugar, poured in three stages. A 30ml bloom fully wets the grounds and lets them degas; a second pour of 100ml pushes out the golden foam and lifts the bed; a final gentle 95ml poured down the center raises the sweetness. The three pours together bring out the thick, full body and the caramel sweetness, alongside chocolate and nut flavors.