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Coffee varieties

Most coffee we drink is Arabica, which has many varieties, much like grapes have Cabernet and Pinot Noir. Each differs in tree size, yield, disease resistance and taste.

Arabica

About 60–70% of the world’s coffee. Complex aroma and acidity; needs higher altitude and cooler weather. It is itself a natural hybrid of Eugenioides and Robusta.

Robusta (Canephora)

Heat-tolerant, disease-resistant and high-yielding, with roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica. More bitter with a heavy body; used for instant coffee and espresso blends.

Liberica

Very tall trees and large beans with distinctive smoky, dried-fruit and woody notes. Grown mainly in the Philippines and Malaysia.

Eugenioides

One of Arabica’s parent species. Very low caffeine and unusually sweet; recently seen in competitions and specialty lots.

Ethiopian & Yemeni landraces

Coffee’s homeland. Thousands of wild and farm landraces grow in Ethiopia’s forests, with the greatest genetic diversity and the most floral, fruity cups.

Ethiopian landraces (Heirloom)Floral (jasmine, bergamot), citrus, berries and stone fruit with a tea-like feel.741101974 · JARCJasmine, citrus and peach; clean and bright.741121974 · JARCFloral, lemon and black tea with delicate acidity.741581974 · JARCFloral and tropical with high sweetness.KurumeFloral, citrus and delicate.WolishoFruity and sweet with a rounder body.DegaCitrus, floral and black tea.Gesha (Geisha)1930s · 衣索比亞 Gori GeshaJasmine, bergamot, peach and citrus; clear like a floral tea.Wush WushIntense berries, tropical fruit, winey and floral.SidraFloral, tropical fruit, honey and spice.Pink BourbonFloral, citrus and red fruit; sweet and bright.ChirosoFloral, citrus and stone fruit with fine acidity.JavaFloral, citrus and tea-like.Rume SudanBerries, winey and complex.YemeniaDried fruit, spice, chocolate and wine.

Typica lineage

The line that left Yemen via India and Indonesia to spread worldwide. Clean, elegant cups but low yield and disease-prone.

Typica1600s · 也門 → 印度 → 爪哇Clean and sweet with gentle acidity, often floral and citrus.Maragogype1870 · 巴西Soft and clean, with woody and tea-like notes.Kent1920s · 印度Mild, spicy and chocolatey.

Bourbon lineage

The line the French took from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now Réunion). Sweet, more productive than Typica, and the source of many dwarf mutations.

Bourbon1700s · 也門 → 波旁島Very sweet (caramel, brown sugar) with red apple and berries and a round body.Yellow BourbonHoney, citrus and nuts; sweet and gentle.Caturra1915–18 · 巴西Bright citrus acidity, red fruit and caramel with a medium body.Villa Sarchi1950s · 哥斯達黎加Bright acidity, fruity and sweet.Pacas1949 · 薩爾瓦多Sweet and clean with chocolate and citrus.Laurina (Bourbon Pointu)1800s · 留尼旺Sweet, soft, floral and tea-like with little bitterness.

Typica × Bourbon crosses

Natural or bred crosses of Typica and Bourbon, combining strengths of both. Widely planted in Brazil and Central America.

Mundo Novo1940s · 巴西Nutty, chocolatey and caramel with low acidity.Catuai1949–72 · 巴西 IACSweet and balanced with nuts and chocolate; fruitier acidity when grown high.Pacamara1958 · 薩爾瓦多Tropical fruit, blackcurrant, spice and chocolate; bold and layered.

Regional selections

Varieties selected from local trees by research stations, such as Kenya’s SL28 and SL34 or India’s Kent.

SL281930s · 肯亞Blackcurrant, grapefruit and a savoury, tomato-like acidity; intense and juicy.SL341930s · 肯亞Red berries and citrus with more body than SL28.K71936 · 肯亞Berries and citrus with softer acidity.

Timor Hybrid descendants (disease-resistant)

Carry a little Robusta DNA for leaf-rust resistance. Early ones tasted ordinary, but newer varieties such as Castillo and Parainema can be excellent.

Timor Hybrid1920s · 帝汶島Woody and herbal with heavy body and low acidity.Catimor1959 · 葡萄牙 CIFCChocolate, nuts and herbs; with good farming, fruit acidity and sweetness too.SarchimorCIFCSweet, cocoa and citrus.Colombia (Variedad Colombia)1982 · CenicaféMild with caramel and citrus.Castillo2005 · CenicaféCitrus, red fruit and caramel; clean and balanced.Cenicafé 12016 · CenicaféSweet, citrus and mild.Tabi2002 · CenicaféSweet, floral and citrus.Parainema2010 · 宏都拉斯 IHCAFETropical fruit, citrus and floral.Marsellesa2009 · CIRAD／ECOMBright acidity, citrus and sweetness.Obatã2000 · 巴西 IACSweet, chocolate and citrus.Arara2012 · 巴西 ProcaféTropical fruit, citrus and high sweetness.CatucaíSweet, caramel and fruity.S7951940s · 印度Mild with spice, chocolate and brown sugar.Ruiru 111985 · 肯亞Citrus and berries with a lighter body.Batian2010 · 肯亞Blackcurrant, citrus and juicy.

F1 hybrids

First-generation crosses of very different parents: productive, disease-resistant and still good in the cup. A key focus of recent breeding.

Centroamericano (H1)2010 · CIRAD／ECOMFloral, citrus and stone fruit; clean and sweet.Starmaya2016 · CIRAD／ECOMSweet, citrus and red fruit.

Other species

Coffee species other than Arabica.

RobustaBitter, woody and dark-chocolatey with a heavy body and thick crema.LibericaSmoky, dried fruit and woody, sometimes with jackfruit-like tropical notes.ExcelsaTart-sweet with dried and dark fruit and a little smoke.EugenioidesExceptionally sweet, like cane sugar, cereal and milk candy, with very low acidity.

Family tree

Each variety sits under its main parent; “×” shows the other parent.