Monovarietal coffee: what is it and what are they like?

On the shelves of most stores we find a small selection of the same type of coffee blends from one or several manufacturers. However, coffee connoisseurs are able to distinguish the most subtle shades in the palette of tastes and aromas of their favorite drink. And you have to look for truly high-quality blends of delicate Arabica and thick Robusta. But there are also single-varietal coffee with a surprisingly subtle or rich composition. They can be used in blends, but single varieties with unique flavors are still best consumed separately to be fully appreciated.

How monovarieties appeared

Today, there are about 3 varieties of coffee grown in the world, which grow on about 10 species of coffee trees. But they are all heirlooms, hybrids, or mutants derived from several species:

• arabica;
• robusta;
• Liberica;
• excels;
• stenophiles.

Excelsior is considered a subspecies of Liberica, with its beautiful aroma but weak taste characteristics. These two subspecies are most often used for hybridization and in the creation of blends.

Robusta has a pronounced bitter taste and contains a lot of caffeine, so it is practically not consumed in its pure form. Various subspecies of Arabica, including hybrids with Robusta and regional varieties, form the entire gastronomic diversity of the world coffee market.

Coffee by country of origin

The same coffee variety can have different taste characteristics depending on the country of growth.

Central America

Coffee from this region is often distinguished by citrus notes and a mild nutty flavor. Colombia produces about 15% of the world's coffee. It grows the highest quality Arabica beans of all sizes.

• Supremo – the largest beans with a rich velvety taste.
• Extra – similar taste with slightly smaller grain sizes.
• Exelso is a mix of the first two varieties.
• The Pico variety is also known, which has unique notes of coniferous wood.

Guatemala is another producer of high-quality Arabica. High-altitude varieties have a tart taste, while plantations on the ocean coast produce beans with a light aftertaste and a slight acidity.

Costa Rica is famous for its coffee with a low caffeine content, a mild nutty flavor, and a distinct acidity.

Jamaica. Coffee from this country has a long marketing trail that covers not only expensive but also relatively cheap coffees. You should only take expensive ones, for example, the legendary Blue Mountain with an unusual combination of sweetness, bitterness and sourness, as well as the aroma that is given to it by storage in oak barrels.

Middle East

The most famous variety from the Arabian Peninsula comes from Yemen - Arabien Mokha. It is remembered for its noble shades of wine and chocolate, it is produced in small volumes, so it is practically not exported. More affordable varieties are Matari, Sharki, Sanani.

Africa

Most varieties from African countries have a rich palette of floral and fruity aromas and high acidity.

In the best varieties of Ethiopian coffee (Harrar), there is also a noticeable light presence of wine, complemented by spicy and floral tones and acidity, depending on the terroir.

In Tanzania, plantations are located high above sea level, and the beans there carry a mixture of fruity and floral notes, which after cooling form a noticeable jasmine flavor.

Zambia and Zimbabwe produce high-quality varieties, Zambia AA Lupili and Zimbabwe AA Salimba, but they are rarely found on the market due to limited supply.

More affordable is Kenyan coffee, with its spicy citrus-berry aromas and, in some cases, a pleasant halo of quality tobacco.

Asian coffee

It varies significantly depending on the region of growth - from India to Indonesia. Many varieties have pronounced woody, earthy and wine tones.

Indonesian Arabica is considered one of the best in the world. These varieties do not have any sourness, but depending on the specific island, the beans have a unique feature - the "smoky" of Java and the peppery of Bali.

Coffee from the Hawaiian Islands has a wonderful and persistent aroma, which perfectly complements the rich sweet taste with a slight sour tinge.

In India, the Arabica Mysore variety is of interest with a delicate but quite diverse taste.

The type of roasting also affects the organoleptic characteristics. When choosing a quality product from COFFEE AGENT, including rare coffee varieties, you can order roasting to your taste:

• light;
• average;
• darker than average;
• dark;
• very dark.

Typically, light roasts retain acidity and fruity-floral aromas, while dark roasts impart a more bitter and rich flavor with nutty, smoky, and caramel notes.