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What are Ethiopian Coffee Varieties 74158 and 74110?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Coffee enthusiasts who frequently purchase coffee beans typically pay close attention to coffee varieties, as they are an important factor in flavor composition alongside growing region and processing methods. Among Ethiopian coffee beans, "Heirloom" has been the most common designation, though recently Ethiopia has begun seeing more varieties identified by numerical codes

Understanding Ethiopian Coffee Varieties

Friends who frequently purchase coffee beans certainly pay attention to coffee varieties, as they are crucial factors in flavor composition alongside origin and processing methods. Among Ethiopian coffee beans, the most common designation is "Heirloom," but recently, Ethiopia has begun introducing numerical varieties composed of digits, such as "74158" and "74110." So what exactly are these varieties?

As we know, Ethiopia is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee and possesses thousands of natural coffee varieties. However, due to the difficulty in identifying and classifying this vast diversity, many exported Ethiopian coffee beans are collectively labeled as "Heirloom," which is referred to as "native varieties" in China.

The Coffee Berry Disease Crisis

In 1970, Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) spread across major coffee-producing regions in Ethiopia. Coffee fruits infected with this disease gradually turn from green to gray-black before eventually dying on the branches. Generally, coffee trees infected with this disease experience a direct yield reduction of 20%, and in more severe cases, production decreases by 70%-80%. Consequently, this disease caused devastating damage and economic losses to Ethiopia's coffee industry, particularly affecting the important Harrar and Yirgacheffe regions.

The JARC Research Initiative

Initially, coffee growers attempted to use chemical fungicides to prevent these diseases. While effective, long-term pesticide application was merely treating symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. Therefore, the Ethiopian Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) hoped to solve the problem at its source by identifying varieties with high disease resistance genes.

In 1973, JARC identified 19 locations in southwestern Ethiopia for sample collection. Over two years, researchers collected 639 seed samples and began scientific identification and cultivation trials. Ultimately, they selected 13 coffee varieties that demonstrated resistance to CBD, along with drought tolerance, high yield, and excellent flavor profiles.

Understanding the Numbered Varieties

Subsequently, JARC included these improved, CBD-resistant coffee varieties in the "1974/1975 CBD-Resistant Selections" catalog. The commonly seen numerical varieties today such as 74110 and 74158 are among the 13 CBD-resistant varieties included in this catalog. The first two digits "74" and "75" represent the years of discovery, while the following three digits represent the experimental sample numbers from those years. For example, "74158" is variety number 158 discovered in 1974.

Currently, the most well-known and common varieties are 74110, 74158, and 74112. Among them, 74110 and 74112 are primarily cultivated in the Sidamo and Guji regions, displaying citrus acidity and delicate floral notes. Both are dwarf varieties with small beans that can be mass-produced, thus gaining widespread cultivation. Meanwhile, 74158 is mainly grown in Ethiopia's southwestern regions such as Jimma and Illubabor. The coffee beans are uniformly small, round, and regular in size, with flavor profiles showing soft berry notes and distinct spicy aftertastes.

Rise to Prominence Through Coffee Competitions

The fame of these coffee varieties is largely attributed to major coffee competitions, particularly the Ethiopia Cup of Excellence (COE) competitions in 2020 and 2021. The award-winning varieties quickly gained international recognition in the coffee market and commanded high auction prices. With the development of the specialty coffee industry, the market shows increasing interest in rare or exclusive coffee varieties. Consequently, more detailed sub-varieties from Ethiopia have emerged, and many coffee farmers have begun cultivating these numbered Ethiopian varieties.

Recent Competition Success

In this year's 2024 Ethiopia COE competition, out of 500 participating coffees, 27 were ultimately selected with scores exceeding 87. All of these 27 coffees were numbered varieties, with the first-place 74158 variety fetching a high price of $445 per pound, demonstrating the immense popularity of numbered varieties in Ethiopia today.

FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced Santa Venezi 74158 coffee beans from Ethiopia's Sidamo region, processed using 96-hour anaerobic natural method. When brewed, it reveals fermented wine aromas, with soft acidity upon entry, featuring pineapple, citrus, and other tropical fruit flavors. The mouthfeel is rich and full-bodied, with a sweet aftertaste carrying red wine notes.