Why Does Altitude Matter in Specialty Coffee? How Does Elevation Affect Coffee and Its Flavor?

Altitude and Coffee: Understanding the Relationship

Altitude is a magical word in the specialty coffee world. You often hear baristas introducing coffee by saying that the higher the altitude, the better the coffee—but why? Is this always true? What other effects does it have on coffee production? How does altitude affect coffee flavor? What is the significance of coffee grown at high altitudes?

How Altitude, Temperature, and Latitude Affect Coffee Taste

FrontStreet Coffee outlines how altitude, temperature, and latitude affect coffee taste. Temperature promotes the development of sugars in coffee plants. At higher temperatures (and lower altitudes), plants must work harder and therefore consume their sugar reserves.

The optimal temperature for Arabica coffee growth is typically between 18-23°C.

Why Altitude Matters

Altitude directly affects the size, shape, and taste of the coffee you drink. Next time you walk into a coffee shop, you don't need to request coffee from a specific altitude, but understanding a little can help you find the coffee you like.

The altitude and climate of a farm influence what types of coffee farmers might choose to grow. In general, Arabica coffee typically prefers higher altitudes of 1,800 to 6,300 feet with cooler climates, while Robusta varieties prefer lower altitudes of 600 to 2,400 feet with warmer climates. Within these ranges, altitude has a profound impact on coffee.

How to Identify Altitude Through Coffee Beans

Altitude affects the physical characteristics of coffee beans. Next time you get a bag of green coffee (unroasted coffee), observe the beans carefully. Are they small and dense? Is the fissure line closed, open, straight, or jagged? What color are they—jade, light green, or blue? All these characteristics are influenced by the altitude at which the coffee was grown.

The altitude where coffee grows directly affects the physical characteristics of the beans.

The most sought-after coffee beans are Strictly Hard Beans (4,500 feet altitude and above). They are very dense, partly due to slow growth in high-altitude environments. They should have a closed fissure line, possibly jagged or slightly sloping. On the other hand, lower altitude beans are typically less dense with semi-open cracks. There will be some variation in color as coffee variety and processing methods used affect color. The same coffee from the same farm might appear different in green color if processed differently: honey process versus fully washed process. That said, bean density is probably the best indicator for determining coffee altitude.

Why Higher Altitude Means Better Coffee

With a little practice, you can identify the altitude of coffee through its physical characteristics. The main reason high-altitude coffee is more sought after is the taste. When cared for properly, high-altitude coffee produces coffee with higher acidity, more intense aroma, and better flavor that we love, while low-altitude coffee often has lower acidity and fewer flavor characteristics in the cup. This is the real reason your barista tells you the altitude of the coffee you're about to drink. Generally speaking, higher altitude coffee tastes better, and if coffee is said to be grown at 5,200', it means the coffee should have good flavor.

Altitude is just one of many factors that affect the taste of the coffee you're about to drink, but it is one of the most important factors.

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