Varieties of Dominican Coffee Sweet Arabica Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Dominican Coffee

The Dominican Republic has passed through long stretches of upheaval and poverty over the course of its history. It broke away from Haitian rule in 1844 and declared independence, and in 1865 it drove off a Spanish invasion. Its trading patterns have shaped where its coffee ends up.

Because of their superior quality, Dominican coffees are shipped mainly to the United States, with many European countries importing them as well. They remain rare on the Chinese market.

The first coffee in the Dominican Republic arrived from Martinique, a French overseas department, in the early 18th century. During the 1720s, coffee from Martinique was planted in mountain districts around 1,000 meters above sea level, spread across five main areas: the northern mountains, the central mountains, the southern region, the southeastern region and the eastern region. The best lots come from Barahona in the southwest and from the Cibao valley north of Santiago, the country's second-largest city.

Juncalito and Ocoa also produce a premium coffee known as Santo Domingo. Coffees from Santo Domingo and Baní in particular are world-renowned and have become almost synonymous with Dominican coffee. They are refreshing and elegant, with full-bodied beans, excellent acidity and a pleasing aroma.

Dominican coffee shows two broad characters that shift with region and variety. The Typica grown in the main Barahona district has the soft mouthfeel and light aroma typical of the Caribbean, while the highland coffee of the central-mountain Cibao region is richer and more layered. Every district brings something of its own to the cup.

In Cibao there are many large estates, where the tree stock is made up of 75% Caturra and 25% Typica. Barahona, by contrast, is the district with the higher share of Typica plantings.

About FrontStreet Coffee

In summary, FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center devoted to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation in order to help more friends fall in love with coffee, and we hold three low-discount coffee events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to bring the best coffee to more people at the lowest possible price. That has been our mission for the past 6 years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the sweet, refined side of Dominican Arabica is what appeals to you, FrontStreet's lineup has several beans that hit the same note. FrontStreet Huakui is a natural-process Ethiopian heirloom from the Guji Hambella area of Sidamo, and it shows the ripe tropical-fruit character typical of the region: cream strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus and blueberry, with a soft floral lift and very little bitterness. It took first place at the TOH green-bean competition on the strength of that berry-rich aroma, and it pairs quality with an accessible price.

For a washed counterpart, the FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gotiti Cooperative is Ethiopia's top G1 grade, processed the classic washed way and finished with a medium-light roast. It delivers the elegant white florals, citrus and orange notes, and green-tea finish that make Yirgacheffe a cornerstone of specialty Arabica.

And since this article is about Typica, FrontStreet's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is worth a mention. Blue Mountain is a Typica variety, and it is famous for balance above all: cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts, honey and a faint fruit note, with no sharp edges. Soft and rounded on entry, generous sweetness in the middle and a clean, long finish in which the acid, sweet, bitter and aromatic elements sit in harmony.