Coffee Beans Explained
Types of coffee beans and what determines their taste
If you are looking for information about the types of coffee beans and what taste to expect from them, you are in the right place.
Here we will describe flavor characteristics of the most popular coffee beans and which coffee brewing method they suit best. However, here we won’t be talking about specific coffee brands. Instead, we will focus on the countries of origin, the processing methods and flavor profiles of each type of beans.
Everything you need to know about coffee beans
What to look at when buying coffee beans
When buying coffee beans for your machine at home, the most important thing is that you buy freshly roasted, good quality beans. Even the best machine or the most fancy coffee maker won’t deliver a good cup of coffee if you use poor quality or old beans. Having said that, let’s continue with the elements influencing the flavors of the coffee beans.
5 factors which determine coffee beans taste
What influences the taste of coffee?
Here are the 5 factors which influence the taste of your coffee:
- Type of coffee beans (arabica, robusta, excelsa or liberica)
- Roast grade
- Processing method
- Single origin or blend
- County of origin ( if you prefer single origin coffee)
Read on to find out more about each of them.
Coffee beans types
What are the main types of coffee beans?
4 main coffee bean types
There are four main coffee species:
- Arabica
- Robusta (canephora)
- Liberica
- Excelsa
The above are the main types, but there are over 60 known species of coffee plants growing around the world. Each type has its distinct characteristics which influence the taste of coffee.
Arabica beans
Arabica beans are considered the highest quality coffee variety. They’re valued for their smooth, complex flavor and the lack of bitterness. Arabica beans are also sweeter, more delicate and less acidic than other types. Depending on the country of origin, they have different flavor notes, e.g. Indonesian beans can be earthy, while those from Ethiopia will have floral notes.
Arabica beans characteristics:
- Longer than robusta
- Oval shape
- 8% sugar
- 1.5 % caffeine
- Smoother flavor
- More expensive than robusta
What coffee are arabica beans good for?
Arabica beans are perfect for pour over coffee and espresso. However, their quality diminishes when served cold or with milk.
Robusta beans
Robusta beans are larger and more rounded than other coffee bean types. These plants typically grow much larger than the Arabica species, measuring between 15 and 20 feet.
Robusta beans may give a cup tasting burnt or rubbery and for this reason robusta is generally less popular. You will enjoy robusta if you like some bitterness and strong, smoky aroma in your coffee. Robusta also has significantly more caffeine content than Arabica coffee, so that’s a great choice if you need a potent cup to wake you up. Apart from that, robusta, unlike arabica which is harvested seasonally, can be harvested all year round and is less prone to insects, which makes it cheaper to produce.
Robusta beans characteristics:
- Smaller than arabica
- Round shape
- 5% sugar
- 3% caffeine
- More bitter taste than arabica
- Less expensive
What coffee are robusta beans good for?
Robusta beans are best for lattes and iced coffee as they won’t lose flavor with added milk or when served cold.
Liberica beans
Liberica beans have a unique flavor profile: they are smoky fruity and floral at the same time. The Liberica bean is larger than the other beans and separates it from other types is that it’s the only one with an irregular shape.
Excelsa beans
Excelsa is a member of the liberica family. These beans have a unique combination of fruity and tart notes with flavors that are more characteristic of a dark roast. They have a milder aroma and less caffeine.
Liberica and excelsa beans characteristics:
- Strong flavor
- Aromatic
- Give good crema on espresso
- High bitterness
Cheries from this coffee family can be harvested for only a month a year, which makes it more expensive than other types.
Roast grade
Generally speaking, the lighter the roast, the more acidity in coffee. On the other hand, darker roasts deliver a less acidic cup with more roasty notes, but they lose the original bean flavors such as fruitiness.
If you want to know more about how the roast affects the flavors in coffee, check out this article:
Processing methods
Different types of processing methods and the flavors in coffee beans
The coffee processing method plays a vital role in what flavors are brought out from the beans. So what can you expect from coffee beans depending on the processing method? Here is more on that:
Natural method
Coffee beans processed using the natural method have the following flavor characteristics:
- tropical sweetness
- wine-like sweetness
- boozy notes
- elongated flavors
Washed method
Beans processed with the washed method have:
- more acidity
- shorter finish
Pulp natural
This processing method generally brings out more subtle flavors in the beans including:
- fruity
- chocolate
- nuts
Coffee blend vs single origin
What is better: single origin coffee or a coffee blend?
A blend usually will be appealing to more people as it can be more balanced. On the contrary, single origin coffee may not be up to everyone’s liking, but its unique qualities may appeal more to the individual tastes.
Coffee blends
What makes a good coffee blend?
If you want to find a good blend, look for blends which include different regions or countries combining opposite flavor notes, e.g. South America with Ethiopia. This is because Central and South American coffees have what we consider a standard taste of coffee, whereas Ethiopian beans have floral and fruity notes giving the blend a punch. A good blend will have opposite flavor characteristics which will balance each other.
Single origin coffees
The environment where coffee grows has a huge impact on the flavors in the beans. For instance, just like with wine, factors such as the soil in which the coffee plants grow, the altitude, the amount of rain, temperatures and others can change the taste of the coffee cherry. Here are some general indications on what you can expect from coffee beans growing in different parts of the world:
Coffee regions and flavors
- Central and South America: full-bodied, chocolatey coffees
- Africa: bright, fruity notes, not full-bodied
- Indonesia: full-bodied, rich, smokey, tobacco, wood leather notes, mild acidity
- Mexico: chocolatey and nutty flavors
Now let’s look more specifically into the countries where coffee comes from.
Countries of origin and flavors
Below are the general characteristics of coffee beans coming from specific countries. However, we need to mention that the exact flavors will vary depending on the weather, the processing method, region, soil, altitude, coffee plant species and other factors. Generally speaking, this is what you can expect from single origin coffee beans by country.
Coffee beans by country
Colombia
Colombian coffee is well-balanced, full-bodied, sweet with low acidity. Its flavor profile includes:
- chocolate
- stone fruit flavors
- nuts
- caramel
- herbs
- low, citrucy acidity
Brazil
Beans from Brazil give a smooth cup with low acidity, slight sweetness, and low bitterness. The flavor notes include:
- chocolate
- caramel
- nuts
- slight spiciness
Kenya
Beans from Kenya make coffee which is bold, bright, floral and fruity. They offer a complex flavor profile, which includes notes such as:
- fruity
- citrusy
- floral
- berries (blackberry and blackcurrant)
- hint of wine
- citrus-like acidity
- chocolate
Cuba
Beans from Cuba offer strong, bold, dark and sweet flavors with slight tanginess, they include:
- chocolate
- caramel
- tanginess
- smokiness
- spices
- high bitterness
Vietnam
Coffee beans grown in Vietnam give a full-bodied, rich and smooth cup. As Vietnamese beans are usually Robusta, they make a very strong coffee. Their other characteristics include the following flavors:
- low acidity
- higher bitterness
- chocolatey
- earthy
- woody
- vanilla (in the case of arabica)
Peru
Coffee from Peru is smooth, gentle, bright with vibrant aromas and it has a mellow, medium body. The flavors you can expect from Peruvian beans include:
- low acidity
- vanilla
- nuts
- flowers
- rich sweetness
- orange and other citrus fruits
- caramel
- chocolate
Honduras
Honduras produces some of the best coffees in the world. We can describe the bean flavors from this country as:
- tropical fruit
- chocolate
- acidic
- bright
- sugar cane sweetness
So we’ve covered the five main contributors to the taste in coffee beans. Now, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about coffee bean flavors.
FAQs and short answers
Which coffee is best for the morning?
Best coffee for your morning cup will have low acidity, higher caffeine content and will be roasted light or medium.
Which coffee is best for the afternoon?
The best beans for the afternoon will be more aromatic (you will be able to taste more while your senses are fully awake), chocolatey and with lower caffeine content.
Which coffee is the least bitter?
Coffee made from Arabica beans is less bitter than from Robusta. Arabica beans from the Kona region, Brazil and Costa Rica are especially valued by the coffee connoisseurs who don’t like the bitterness in their coffee.
Which coffee is least acidic?
The lowest acidity coffees are processed with natural methods and grow at lower altitudes. If you like low acidity in your coffee, look at coffees from countries such as Peru, Colombia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, India and Vietnam.
Which coffee is more acidic?
Coffee which grows at higher altitudes and processed with a washed method will be more acidic. If you like acidity in your coffee, look at beans from Kenya.
Which coffee is the smoothest?
High quality arabica beans will deliver the smoothest tasting coffee.
Which coffee is best for black coffee?
Arabica beans are best for black coffee.
Which beans are the best for espresso?
The best types of beans for espresso are dark roast beans. They are rich in oils bringing out more flavors and produce a darker crema.
Does the altitude influence the coffee taste?
Yes, the altitudes at which coffee grows do influence its flavor. How? Coffee grows between 3.000 feet and 5.000 feet altitudes. Coffee growing at lower altitudes (3.000 and above) will be more chocolatey and nutty. The higher the altitude going towards 5.000 feet, the higher acidity in coffee as well as more fruity and floral notes.
If you want to learn more about coffee varieties and their flavor characteristics, check out this article:
Summary
As you can see, there are many factors contributing to what flavors we find in the coffee beans. Exploring the tastes of coffee from different countries or produced in different ways can be an exciting journey. We hope you’ve found some useful information here to help you get started and give you some direction to which coffees you want to try out.
What are your favorite coffee beans? Do you normally go for a blend or single origin coffee? Which countries are your favorite coffee beans from? Share in the comments!
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