Not all coffees are the same, so we put together this glossary of coffee varieties to show just how diverse it is.
If you’re looking for a coffee variety that isn’t here, let us know!
WILD HEIRLOOM
Coffee is native to Ethiopia; the birthplace of all Arabica coffees, the origin of all origins. Heirlooms are prized for their genetic diversity & intensity of flavour.
ABYSSINIA
The former name of Ethiopia, and the name for an Ethiopian variety that was first introduced to Java in 1928 before being introduced to Sumatra. Whilst it bears structural resemblance to Typica, its origin story is more similar to Geisha.
ARUSHA
A sub-variety of Bourbon with currently unknown origins, most commonly grown in Tanzania & Papua New Guinea.
ATENG
A common name for Catimor varieties widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles. Ateng’s name derives from the area Aceh Tenggah.
ABYSSINIA/ ATENG
Carrying the former name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia variety was introduced to Java in 1928, then arrived in Sumatra.Itbears structural resemblance to Typica, though its origin story is similar to Geisha. Atengisa common name for Catimor varieties widely planted in Sumatra & other Indonesia isles. Ateng’s name derives from the area Aceh Tengah.
BATIAN
A tall variety that combines high yields, tolerance to coffee leaf rust, resistance to coffee berry disease, and good cup quality.
BOURBON
The parent of most coffee varieties & cultivars, Bourbon tends to deliver great balance & complex acidity in the cup. A typically dense plant with moderate yield & fruits of red, orange, pink or yellow depending on recessive genes.
CATUAI
Catuai is a hybrid of Caturra & Mundo Novo very popular in Latin America for its hardiness, good yields & excellent cup quality.
BOURBON/CATURRA
The parent of most coffee varieties & cultivars, Bourbon tends to deliver great balance in the cup as well as complex acidity. The plant typically has dense stems, leaves & fruits and a moderate yield. Caturra is a high-yielding mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil that tends to exhibit bright acidity & low-to-medium body in the cup.
TYPICA
Along with Bourbon, Typica is an original Arabica variety – all the other varieties stemmed from either, or a combination thereof. Commonly grown in Mexico & Central America, it is a tall & leggy low yield plant producing excellent qualities, generally very sweet & clean.
TYPICA/BOURBON
Typica is an original Arabica variety, commonly grown in Mexico & Central America. It produces excellent qualities, generally very sweet & clean. Bourbon is the parent of most coffee varieties & cultivars. It tends to deliver great balance in the cup as well as complex acidity.
TYPICA/ARUSHA
Typica is an original Arabica variety, commonly grown in Mexico & Central America. It produces excellent qualities, generally very sweet & clean. The origins of Arusha are unknown, although this Bourbon subvariety is most commonly found in Papua New Guinea & Tanzania.
CATURRA
Caturra is a high yielding mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil that tends to exhibit bright acidity & low-to-medium body in the cup.
CATURRA/CATUAI
Caturra is a high yielding mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil that tends to exhibit bright acidity & low-to-medium body in the cup. Catuai is a hybrid of Caturra & Mundo Novo very popular in Latin America for its hardiness, good yields & excellent cup quality.
CATURRA/CASTILLO
The Castillo variety was developed in Colombia as a high yield, high quality selection that also was resistant to coffee leaf rust. Caturra is a Brazilian variety that tends to exhibit a sweetness, bright acidity & medium body in the cup.
CATURRA/TABI
Caturra is a high-yielding mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil that tends to exhibit bright acidity & low-to-medium body in the cup. Tabi means “good” in Colombian native Guambiano dialect & is a cross between Typica, Bourbon & Timor.
CASTILLO
The Castillo variety was developed in Colombia as a high yield, high quality selection that also was resistant to coffee leaf rust.
CATUAI
Catuai is a hybrid of Caturra & Mundo Novo, very popular in Latin America for its hardiness, good yields & excellent cup quality.
CATIMOR
Catimor is a cross between Caturra & Hibrido de Timor, created in Portugal in 1959. It’s known for quick growth & high yields & provides resistance to leaf rust.
COLOMBIA
Colombia is a hybrid of Caturra and Timor Hybrid developed in the late 1960’s by Cenicafe for high yields and rust resistance, it was introduced to Colombian coffee farmers in the early 1980’s and has continued to produce excellent cup quality at high altitudes.
GEISHA / GESHA
Geisha originated in Ethiopia & was brought to Central America via Costa Rica & Panama, the latter being where it gained international acclaim. In the coffee world, Geisha is considered to be the Queen of coffee varieties with an amazingly complex & intense flavour profile. Growing best in extremely high elevations, in the cup it displays intense florals, saturated sweetness & complex flavours. As good as it gets! See more info about Gesha coffee.
LONGBERRY
Named for its distinctive long and thin shape which suggests more than a passing resemblance to other Typica mutations from Ethiopia like Harrar and Geisha, this specific variety is grown in Indonesia, mostly in very small lots due to its long maturation time and very low yields.
MARAGOGYPE
A mutation of Typica discovered in Brazil, it is a huge tree with large leaves & very large seeds, and is known for producing a very unique cup with citrus, florals & heavy body.
MARACATURRA
Maracaturra is a very large bean type, a hybrid of the Typica based Maragogype & the Bourbon based Caturra.
N39/KP423
Both N39 (Bourbon) & KP423 (Kent) were developed by the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute primarily for high yield.
PACAMARA
This is another of the large bean varieties, this is a hybrid of Pacas & Maragogype. Grown at very high altitudes this variety can display striking sugary sweetness & florals.
PACAS
The Pacas variety was discovered by Fernando Alberto Pacas Figueroa in El Salvador in 1949. It is believed to be a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety.
PINK BOURBON
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P88
The rare P88 variety from Colombia was introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch and has since been determined by the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute to have superior adaptability to the climate and an excellent taste profile.
RASUNA
A newer hybrid of Typica & Catimor being grown in the Takengong region of Sumatra.
RUIRU 11
This cultivar was created at the Kenya Coffee Research Station in 1985 for resistance to coffee leaf rust & Coffee Berry Disease.
S795
S795, also known as ‘Jember,’ is widely grown in India & Indonesia. In the cup, it tends to exhibit flavours of maple syrup, caramel & brown sugar.
SL28/ SL34
SL28 & SL34 are known for their complex, bright & refined acidity, complex flavours & huge bodies. SL is an acronym for Scott Laboratories, where the varieties were selected in the 1930s in Kenya.
SIDRA
The Sidra variety was developed in Ecuador by a private company, taking its name from the tree it was propagated under. World Coffee Research genetic testing categorizes it as an “Ethiopian Landrace”.
SL28/ RUIRU 11
SL28 is known for its complex, bright & refined acidity, complex flavours & huge body. Ruirui 11 was created at the Kenya Coffee Research Station in 1985 for resistance to coffee leaf rust & Coffee Berry Disease.
SL28/ SL34/ RUIRU 11
SL28 & SL34 are known for their complex, bright & refined acidity, complex flavours & huge bodies. SL is an acronym for Scott Laboratories, where the varieties were selected in the 1930s in Kenya. Ruiru 11 was created at the Kenya Coffee Research Station in 1985 for resistance to coffee leaf rust & Coffee Berry Disease.
KENT
Kent is widely thought to be a natural mutation of Typica discovered in India & introduced to Kenya, where it is now common. The variety has high productivity and partial resistance to coffee leaf rust.
BLUE MOUNTAIN
Blue Mountain is a Typica mutation originally found and cultivated in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. Over time people began naming it after its place of origin: Blue Mountain. It is resistant to coffee berry disease and, like Typica, capable of growing at great heights. Nevertheless, it is not capable of acclimatising to all climate conditions and tends to retain its taste qualities irrespective of location.
PACHE
Pache is a Bourbon mutation first noticed in 1949 in Guatemala. The parent of most coffee varieties & cultivars, Bourbon tends to deliver great balance & complex acidity in the cup. A typically dense plant with moderate yield & fruits of red, orange, pink or yellow depending on recessive genes.
SIGARAR UTANG
Sigarar Utang is a cross of Caturra & HdT 831, found throughout Sumatra & Java. A prolific producer with year round fruit, evident in its name translation ‘quickly repay debt’.
ANDUNG SARI
Andung Sari is a cross of Caturra & HdT 1343, that brings sweetness, while Sigarar Utang brings more intensity & mouthfeel. Produces fruit seasonally rather than continuously.
SIGARAR UTANG/ ANDUNG SARI
Sigarar Utang is a cross of Caturra & HdT 831, found throughout Sumatra & Java. A prolific producer with year round fruit, evident in its name translation ‘quickly repay debt’. Andung Sari is a cross of Caturra & HdT 1343, that brings sweetness, while Sigarar Utang brings more intensity & mouthfeel. Produces fruit seasonally rather than continuously.
PROCESSES
WASHED
After harvest, the cherry flesh is removed from the bean using friction, fermentation & water. Washed coffees tend to have clean, bright clarity.
NATURAL
After harvest, the cherry dries, bean inside. The fruit’s sugars ferment, affecting flavour. Natural coffees tend to have a heavy mouthfeel, muted acidity & exotic profile.
ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION
After harvest, the cherry is de-pulped and separated from the mucilage. The bean is fermented in an environment without oxygen, producing mainly lactic acid & giving the coffee complex, fruity notes.
HONEY
After harvesting and removing the cherry skin, the coffee is dried with a small amount of the fruit’s sticky mucilage or “honey” left on. It can impart a mellow & slightly fruity taste to the coffee.
WET HULLED
Coffee cherries are picked, pulped, partially dried, then the outer parchment is removed and the coffee is patio dried, resulting in unique herbal flavours and full body.
CARBONIC MACERATION