Which Arabica Coffee Bean Varieties Are Most Common?

Arabica is a coffee variety name, not a brand from any country. Five widely sold Arabica coffee bean varieties are Ethiopian Heirloom, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and Geisha. Each has its own origin, plant traits, and flavor profile, and packages labeled 100% Arabica usually refer to this species rather than a single named variety.

Ethiopian Heirloom covers the country's own mixed local varieties, often grown wild or semi-wild and harvested together, which is why many Ethiopian lots are not separated by variety. Arabica coffee in general prefers higher altitudes and milder temperatures, and that growing condition shapes the acidity and aroma found across these five varieties.

We often see "100% Arabica" or "Selected Arabica Coffee Beans" printed on coffee packaging, but Arabica is not a coffee brand from any particular country—it is the name of a coffee variety. This article will focus on the five best-selling Arabica coffees on Taobao, introducing one by one the origins, characteristics, and flavor profiles of five major varieties: Ethiopian Heirloom, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and Geisha. All recommendations come from Front Street Coffee, which has both a strong reputation and quality. Front Street's offline stores offer more than 50 types of coffee beans, all freshly roasted within 5 days and shipped within 24 hours, with stable quality and high cost-effectiveness. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced professional enthusiast, it is worth your reference.

Is Arabica actually a coffee brand from some country? The answer is no. It is actually the name of a coffee variety, and a very common and widespread coffee variety name at that.

"Made with 100% Arabica coffee beans," "Selected Arabica coffee beans"... When purchasing various coffee products, we often see the words "Arabica" on the packaging. Today, let's review the five best-selling Arabica coffees on Taobao, all from a roasting brand with both reputation and quality: Front Street Coffee.

Front Street Coffee's offline stores supply more than 50 types of coffee beans, covering multiple major countries and origins. All Front Street coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days, with stable and excellent quality, highly cost-effective pricing, and shipped within 24 hours. Whether you are a beginner just starting out, a coffee enthusiast who has already reached an advanced professional level, or someone opening a coffee shop, Front Street Coffee is a choice recommended by many coffee lovers and platforms.

Ethiopian Heirloom

The word "Heirloom" in Ethiopia refers to "the country's own coffee varieties." Many local smallholder coffee farmers in Ethiopia grow multiple varieties in their own backyards at the same time, and of course some coffee farmers will select better-performing varieties to cultivate and sell separately. Because most local coffee exists in a wild or semi-wild state, with an enormous population, not every household carefully distinguishes varieties.

Therefore, most coffee varieties are mixed-planted and mixed-harvested, and many coffee beans from Ethiopian regions end up mixed together in this way. Specialty coffee requires listing the coffee variety, so Ethiopia named these natural mixed varieties Heirloom. Because it is a mixture of multiple varieties, Ethiopian Heirloom coffee beans appear uneven in size and simultaneously present bright citrus acidity and green-tea-like sweetness.

Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedingding Cooperative Coffee Beans

Region: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Cooperative: Gedingding Cooperative

Altitude: 2000m - 2100m

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor: Citrus, black tea, floral, cream, caramel, almond

Typica

Typica is one of the oldest Arabica coffee varieties in the world. The top leaves of the Typica coffee tree are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender-pointed in shape. The flavor is elegant and balanced, but the plant itself is weak, has poor disease resistance, and low fruit yield. Basically, wherever Arabica coffee can be grown, Typica has appeared. Many famous coffee beans, such as Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona, are all Typica.

Front Street 2013 Yunnan Typica Coffee Beans

Region: Lincang, Yunnan, China Altitude: 1300m Variety: Typica Processing Method: Natural Brewing Flavor: Nuts, brown sugar, dried apricot, melon sweetness, with a black tea note in the finish.

Bourbon

Bourbon was first discovered in Brazil in 1930 and currently mainly grows in Brazil. It is generally believed that it may have originated from a mutation after a cross between the red-fruited Bourbon variety and a yellow-fruited Typica variant called "Amerelo de Botocatu" (discovered in São Paulo state in 1871). Due to low yield and poor resistance to wind and rain, Bourbon has not been widely planted. However, when grown at high altitudes, it displays excellent flavor and obvious sweetness.

Front Street Brazil Queen Estate Coffee Beans

Region: Mogiana Region, Brazil

Estate: Queen Estate

Altitude: 1400m - 1950m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing Method: Natural Flavor: Nuts, creamy peanut, sucrose, fermented fruit

Caturra

Caturra is a single-gene mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its productivity and disease resistance are both better than Bourbon, and the tree is shorter, making harvesting easier. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it has a biennial productivity fluctuation cycle. However, Caturra's flavor is on par with Bourbon beans, and more importantly, its adaptability is extremely strong and it does not need shade trees, so it is also called Sun Coffee. It can adapt to high-density planting, but requires more fertilizer, which increases cultivation costs.

Front Street Colombia Huila Coffee Beans

Region: Huila Region, Colombia

Altitude: 1500m—1800m

Variety: Caturra

Processing Method: Washed

Brewing Flavor: Nuts, dark chocolate, caramel, soft fruit acidity

Geisha

Geisha is a genetic mutation of Typica, originating from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia. After decades of artificial cultivation, it spread to Panama in the 1960s, was discovered and independently planted by Hacienda La Esmeralda, and became famous overnight after winning the BOP in 2004, setting multiple auction price records. It has a jasmine-like fragrance, citrus sweetness, and rich floral-fruity aroma and tea-like body.

Front Street Boquete Geisha Coffee Beans

Region: Boquete, Panama

Altitude: 1600m Variety: Geisha Processing Method: Washed Brewing Flavor: The aroma is fresh jasmine and citrus; on the palate there is the sweetness of melon and tropical fruit, with a juice-like mouthfeel, and the overall sweetness is very high.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.