Coffee Bean Varieties Ranking Coffee Bean Varieties and Their Main Origins Types and Characteristics of Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopian Coffee and an Introduction to Common Coffee Varieties

Kent is widely recognized as a natural mutation of Typica discovered in India—although some reports suggest it was deliberately cultivated in Kenya around 1911.

Beginning in the 1920s, Kent was widely planted in India and was introduced in 1934 to what is now commonly known as Meru, Kenya.

This variety yields well and carries some resistance to coffee leaf rust.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and home to countless heirloom varieties, which is why it remains a treasure trove for specialty coffee lovers. If you want a first taste of the country's classic profile, start with the FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe: a clear jasmine fragrance and bright citrus acidity, from a small southern town where spring-like weather, mist, and cool air nurture thousands of coffee trees. The cup is light and elegant with a tea-like finish, like a refreshing lemon tea.

For something more expressive, the FrontStreet Guadingding Cooperative—part of the Worka area and independent since 2012 with roughly 300 member farmers—offers citrus, lemon, and delicate white florals thanks to its traditional washed processing, while the natural-processed Red Cherry lot adds peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon over a clean, fruit-forward cup. If you prefer a wilder edge, the FrontStreet Hamasho 74158 from Sidama brings perfumed lemon, strawberry, and star fruit sweetness—a vivid tour of what Ethiopian varieties can do.