Coffees of the World Overview

WHERE COFFEE GROWS BEST

The coffee Arabica plant has some very specific likes and dislikes when it comes to growing conditions. Its preferences include abundant rainfall, ambient temperatures in the 60-75 F (15-24 C) range and nutrient-rich soil. Those conditions are most common within 10 degrees north and south of the equator, in an area that has become known as the Coffee Belt— including parts of Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America and the Asian Pacific—and in particular at altitude. That's why so many of the world's best coffees come from the higher elevations of tropical and sub-tropical countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Guatemala, Colombia, and Indonesia.

WHY REGION OF ORIGIN MATTERS

Each of these regions produces coffee with a distinct flavor profile that is instantly recognizable by even less experienced coffee lovers. Those flavors may be modified by many factors - and there are always outliers with very different flavor profiles - but most coffee aficionados can tell you, for example that Kenyan coffees are zesty and fruity, Central American coffees tend toward bright, citrus acidity and Sumatran coffees are rich and spicy in flavor. Knowing the flavor profiles you prefer can help you choose new coffees to try as you expand your coffee repertoire. In addition, knowing the country of origin can help you time your coffee purchases for optimal flavor and quality. Every coffee-growing region has an optimal harvest season, a time when the coffees harvested and processed will be at peak flavor. When you know that the optimal harvest months for Bolivian coffee are August through October, you can expect the highest quality, freshest Bolivian beans in the early autumn through the Christmas season.

MAJOR COFFEE-GROWING REGIONS

Africa

Central America

South America

Indonesia & the Pacific

Islands & Other

AFRICA

Africa is the birthplace of coffee, so it's no surprise that the coffees of the African continent are distinctive and varied. African coffees tend toward wine-like flavors with full, heavy bodies. Many African countries rely heavily on coffee for their economy. The best known of the African coffees are those that grow in Ethiopia and Kenya, where the government has aggressively pushed farmers to adopt more sustainable growing practices and focus on delivering high-quality coffee. In some other African countries, however, conflict and weather are continuing issues that affect the quality and availability of the coffee. As farmers and coops focus on growing high-quality coffee for export, these emerging coffee nations are producing some truly distinctive coffees.

KENYA

Kenya's coffee industry is among the most modern and powerful of those in all the African countries. Its grading system makes it easy to source high-quality coffee, and its coffees are rated high on the scale for both flavor and quality. Kenya AA grade coffee is regarded as the epitome of coffee complexity, with bright citrus and berry notes, subtle spice notes and full, smooth body. At the same time, Kenya suffers from the same political unrest that affects much of the region, and the coffee industry, particularly the government-run coffee auctions, often suffers because of it. While it doesn't affect the flavor or the quality of Kenyan coffees, it sometimes limits their availability.

Kenyan coffees are generally wet-processed. Kenya has two distinct coffee harvests, the main coffee harvest, which runs from November through March, and the fly crop, which occurs in June and July. As a general rule, the main crop is superior to the fly crop.

RWANDA

Rwandan coffee has a growing reputation as a more delicate, restrained version of the bold Kenyan coffees. Its bright citrus and berry notes are toned down slightly and have a sweeter, less wild edge and the body is generally fuller than other East African coffees. While most coffee sold from Rwanda is wet-processed, the occasional dry-processed version is complex and rich enough to rival the coffees of nearly any other origin.

All coffee in Rwanda is grown on small farms of about 1 hectare each -- nearly 500,000 of them throughout the country. The country is still recovering from the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s, and political turmoil in neighboring countries sometimes interferes with the ability of coffee farmers to get their beans to market. Since 2008, when Rwanda held its first Cup of Excellence competition, it has become easier for small roasters and importers to find and buy high-quality Rwandan coffees. As a result, coffee farmers are making improvements to their farming methods in order to take advantage of the higher prices paid for higher quality coffee.

CENTRAL AMERICA

Central American coffees have a reputation for balance. Until recently, coffees from countries like Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala were often regarded as "boring" and "bland," especially in comparison to coffees from eastern Africa and the Pacific Rim. Over the past few years, though, Central American coffees have really come into their own as coffee growers focus on quality and flavor. 

COSTA RICA

Costa Rican coffee used to be the very definition of safe: well-balanced, light, smooth and sweet with no dominant notes and nothing of particular note. What a difference a few years makes! As importers and roasters establish relationships with individual small farmers, a richer, much more varied coffee profile has emerged from the homogenous Costa Rican coffee landscape. Coffees from Costa Rica are characterized by bright citrus and berry fruit notes and an underlying nutty roast flavor. Rich, volcanic soil, high elevations and cool evenings combine to produce coffee beans that are bright, clean and light-bodied. Smaller coffee farms and plantations are increasingly experimenting with processing methods, lending even more variety to the flavors and characteristics of Costa Rican coffee. Wet processing in micro-lots is still the most common method used.

GUATEMALA

Guatemala may have some of the best coffee-growing conditions in Central America. Its altitude, climate and the rich, volcanic soil contribute to the rich flavors and robust body that make Guatemalan coffees so remarkable. Coffees grown in the different regions of Guatemala have distinctly different flavor profiles. Those profiles and the reputation for quality are carefully shepherded by ANACAFE, the Guatemalan coffee association, which tastes and certifies coffees with regional designations. If a coffee doesn't meet the strict standards for approval, those coffees can only be sold as SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) coffee without a regional designation. Thus, if you see a Guatemalan Antigua, you can be reasonably certain that it will meet high standards in the qualities that characterize coffees from Antigua. The coffees are generally complex and well-rounded with chocolate notes and hints of spice, fruit and earthy overtones in the flavor.

MEXICO

If there is any country whose coffee is undervalued, it would be Mexico. The southern part of the country, where it begins to narrow and become the Central American peninsula, produces many fine coffees that rival anything on the world market. The government and the Mexican coffee industry, however, have put little effort into marketing the brand. Thus, the best known coffees from Mexico are known more commonly by their regional names -- Chiapas, Oaxaca, Altura Coatepec.

Mexican coffees vary widely in flavor from region to region, but most embody the traditional flavors you'd expect from a South American coffee: clean, crisp and slightly nutty, with a sharp snap. They tend to be lighter-bodied than most of their counterparts, and slightly less acidic. Depending on the region, you may find chocolate overtones and notes of spice and fruit. These days, it's quite easy to find Fair Trade, certified organic and other specialty coffees from Mexico. The prime harvest season for Mexican coffee is November through March with the best coffees shipping January through August.

NICARAGUA

Ah, Nicaragua. While Nicaraguan coffee is just beginning to make a name for itself, there's a good chance that you've tasted it before. For many years, fine Nicaraguan coffees were slipping into the marketplace disguised as Guatemalan or Costa Rican coffee, thanks to political differences that affected trade. These days, Nicaraguan coffees are becoming recognized for the wide range of flavor and body they display in the cup.  Coffees from the Jinotega and Matagalpa regions tend toward the chocolate spiciness often found in high-grown Mexican coffees, while those from Segovia are snappy and bright, with strong citrus flavor but little of the sharp acidity that can sour a lot of Central American coffees. While wet processing is common, many smaller estates that process their own beans are experimenting with other processing methods that provide fuller body and a pronounced fruity flavor. Nicaraguan coffees from Matagalpa and Jinotega stand up very well to darker roasts without losing their distinctive characters. Coffee harvest in Nicaragua runs from December through March with the best shipping times running from January through June.

SOUTH AMERICA

Like Central America, South America has long had a reputation for growing "pleasant" coffees. The typical coffee from South America is balanced, smooth and light, on the mildly acidic side. Again, though, much of what we expect from most South American coffees was developed by large programs that were designed to homogenize the coffees of a specific region to make them palatable for sale to the big coffee companies. As the craft coffee movement has taken hold, many South American coffees are truly coming into their own, and the striking differences between the flavor profiles of each region are becoming more and more obvious. Even within the countries, you'll find striking contrasts between coffees grown in the different regions, and even between those grown on different farms in the same region. When you add in the influence that varietals exert, it quickly becomes obvious that the South

American coffee landscape is one of surprising richness and diversity.

In general, coffees from South America tend to be slightly fuller-bodied and less acidic than Central American coffees, but much lighter and brighter than most African and Pacific coffees. They're an ideal starter choice for people who are used to and like high quality coffeehouse coffee but aren't familiar with single-origin coffees.

BRAZIL

Brazil has been one of the world's top coffee producers for decades. Much of the coffee produced in Brazil is commercial/commodity-grade coffee sold for mass-marketed blends, but an increasing number of small estates are producing high-quality coffees worthy of notice. Brazilian coffees are often grown at lower altitudes than is typical of specialty coffee, but that needn’t relegate them to the back shelf. A good Brazilian coffee has the classic flavor profile of a South American cup -- clean, light, brightly acidic, but mild and relatively balanced. Many coffee houses and roasters use Brazilian coffee as the base for their espresso blends because it tends to produce a lot of crema without adding unpleasant flavors and sharp edges to the resulting shot.

The most common coffee processing methods in Brazil are dry or pulped natural, and the most common varietals include Catuai, Typica, Caturra and Novo Mundo. Brazilian coffees do best at lighter roasts, where maple, nut and berry notes lend a subtle background to bittersweet chocolate notes. Look for coffee from the Cerrado, Sul de Minas and Mata de Minas regions, and for single-farm origins for the most intense flavors. You’ll also find coffee labeled Brazil Santos, which is not a coffee-growing region but a port from which much of Brazil’s coffee crop ships, as well as coffee labeled with specific microregions within larger regions, such as Minas Gerais, which is a town in Cerrado. The flavors and cup characteristics of coffees from some of these microregions are distinct enough to make them worthy of mention.

COLOMBIA

When asked to name a famous coffee country, most people would probably come up with Colombia off the top of their heads. The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation was one of the first organizations to get together and create a brand for their origin, and it has stuck in the minds of the general public. Most Americans, at least, recognize Juan Valdez, the fictional quintessential coffee grower from Colombia, and many associate Colombia with good coffee

Like many other coffee growing countries that adopted standardization early on, though, Colombian coffee has suffered from homogeneity. The standard Colombian cup is balanced, even-bodied, lightly acidic and slightly sweet -- in a word, decent and inoffensive. In recent years, though, there has been a renaissance of small estate growers who sell micro-lots of single-origin coffees. Many of those coffees stand out with their notes of cinnamon, cocoa and light brown sugar. Look for coffees from Popayan, Huila and Nariño, especially those that name the farm or estate on which it was grown.

PERU

Peruvian coffee, particularly organic Peruvian coffee, is plentiful and quite easy to get. In most cases, it is among the least expensive organic coffees available, and that is more by design than accident. The largest share of coffee from Peru is grown at low elevations on large production farms rather than on smaller estates that focus on quality. Peruvian coffees tend to be mildly acidic, with light bodies and balanced flavors, making them ideal for blending and as a base for flavored coffees.

That said, the changes throughout the coffee industry are affecting Peru as well, and roaster/importers are establishing direct relationships with many small coffee holders, particularly in the Chanchamayo Valley and in the Urubamba Valley of the Cuzco region. The best Peruvian coffees have a sweet, almost vanilla and almond flavor that sets them apart from the typical coffees of the country.

VENEZUELA

Up until the 1980s, Venezuela was second only to Brazil in coffee imports. As oil became more prominent in the Venezuelan economy, though, coffee took a backseat. Today, Venezuela accounts for less than 1% of the world's coffee production, and what little they do produce tends to stay in the country. Over the past few years, however, a few impressive Venezuelan coffees are starting to appear on the specialty coffee market. The best of these are grown in the western part of the country that borders Colombia, in the Maracaibo region,  including Cucuta, Merida, Trujillo and Tachira, and tend toward medium body, medium acidity and a sweet, mild fruitiness. In contrast, the coffees grown further east, near Caracas, which are often called Caripe, have the softer, rounder body and lower acidity found in Caribbean coffees.

INDONESIA AND THE PACIFIC

Indonesian coffees are rich, full-bodied and encompass a wide range of flavors. They may be nutty, earthy, spicy, chocolate-y or all of the above. The best Indonesian coffees have very movable profiles -- the flavors change remarkably even as the coffee cools in your cup. Coffees from the Pacific Rim countries can be bold, charming, delightful and subtle, but they are never bland or boring.

INDIA

Indian coffees are mild, balanced, sweet and low in acid, often with a subtle hint of cinnamon, cardamom and pepper, along with a mild earthiness that gives them a bit of a rustic edge. India produces both wet-processed and dry-processed coffees. In addition, India produces some of the highest quality Robusta coffee available, with the dry-processed coffees called "cherry" and the wet-processed often referred to as "parchment." Good Indian Robusta is in demand as an addition to espresso blends, and many roasters claim that they’ll only feature Robustas that can stand alone in a cup.

India also produces one of the most uniquely processed coffees in the world: monsooned Malabar, which is stored in warehouses and exposed to the open sea air during the monsoon season. Monsooned Malabar features strong, pungent, musty flavors that are objectionable to some coffee drinkers and highly prized by others. The exposure to the salt air blunts the acidity -- which is already mild -- and contributes to a sweet, flat cup of coffee with spicy undertones that add dimension to the flavor.

SULAWESI

"Sulawesi is Sumatran coffee with all of its problems fixed," a noted coffee shop owner once said. As might be gathered from that statement, Sulawesi coffee, often sold as Sulawesi Celebes, Sulawesi Toraja, Celebes Kalossi or just Celebes, is similar in body and flavor to earthy, full-bodied Sumatran coffee. The quality seems to be more consistent, however, and many buyers say they're more confident buying Sulawesi coffee than Sumatran coffees.

Sulawesi coffee may be sold wet-processed or wet-hulled, a process that removes the mucilage and dries the coffee beans in several steps. The result of the drying process is a rich, nuanced flavor profile that includes sweet fruit notes, pungent spice, musty earth and chocolate roast notes, as well as the oily, thick body that characterizes the best Indonesian coffees. The harvest season is July through November, and the shipping season for Sulawesi coffee is September through January.

SUMATRA

Sumatran coffees embody the rich romance of coffee in their deep, complex flavor profiles and heavy bodies. The best-known Sumatran coffees are Mandheling and Lintong, grown in the regions around Lake Toba. Lintong refers specifically to coffee grown within a smaller district just southwest of the lake, while Mandheling refers to a larger region and includes the Lintong coffees. Mandheling is not actually the name of a region, but refers to the ethnic group that was originally involved in the coffee harvest.

Most coffees sold from the area are called wet-processed, but the processing is more complex than that. In most cases, the farmers remove the skins from the coffee cherries immediately, then allow the fruit to ferment overnight before removing the remaining mucilage. In other cases, the mucilage is allowed to dry completely on the coffee bean and removed at the wash station, or processing facility. These processing methods may contribute heavily to the rich, syrupy flavors and mouth feel that characterize Sumatran coffees.

The Sumatran coffee harvest is a long one, taking place from November through May, with shipping running from October through March. The grading standards are confusing and complex, though most of the coffee sold from Sumatra is Grade One. There are, however, higher grades that are occasionally sold throughout the year. Keep in mind that Sumatran coffees tend to roast deceptively light because of the way they are processed. If you order a dark roast Sumatra, it may look more like a cinnamon or city roast. Unroasted Sumatran coffee beans have a waxy, nearly translucent green color that distinguishes them from most other coffee origins.

ISLANDS & OTHER

HAWAII

Hawaiian Kona coffee is the best known of the coffees grown in Hawaii. Its sweet, well-balanced, low-acid cup has been held up as the pinnacle of what a "good coffee" tastes like. If you enjoy smooth, sweet, balanced coffees, you'll love Kona. If you prefer the wilder, earthier flavors in East African and some Indian or Indonesian coffees, Kona may seem a little bland or tame. Kona's reputation has also been damaged by its popularity, which drove a few farms and exporters to mix their high quality coffee with Panamanian and Costa Rican coffees and sell it as "Kona." The island government has stepped up its regulation and labeling requirements in the past two years, however, and many small coffee holders are investing significant energy to improve their crops and experiment with new methods of processing

In addition to Kona, coffee is also grown on Kauai and Molokai. These cannot be labeled Kona coffee, but they share many of the characteristics of the best Kona. Much of the coffee grown on Molokai is of the Red Catuai variety, which features a clean cup and bright, sweet acidity.

JAMAICA

Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the most recognized and highly regarded coffees in the world, and consequently among the most expensive. At its best, Jamaican Blue Mountain is smooth, balanced and rich, with a decidedly sweet flavor and understated acidity. The Blue Mountain brand is fiercely protected by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica (CIB), established by the British colonial government after World War II and maintained by the Jamaican government after it won independence from Britain.

The CIB certifies all coffees that are sold with the Jamaican Blue Mountain label. In order to be certified, the coffee must be grown in the Blue Mountain district, which is on the eastern part of the island. Only coffees grown at elevations between 3,000 and 7,000 feet can carry the Blue Mountain label. Coffee grown between 1,500 and 3,000 feet is called Jamaican High Mountain, and coffee grown below 1,500 feet is labeled either Jamaican Low Mountain or Jamaican Supreme.

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is often labeled with an “estate” name. Generally, these estate names refer to the coffee mills that buy coffee from surrounding small-holder farms. The most prominent of these include Wallenford, Mavis Bank, Moy Hall, Baronhall Estate and Old Tavern.