At present, some coffee-producing countries basically only produce a few fixed coffee varieties, such as Brazil mainly produces Bourbon, and Jamaican Blue Mountain mainly produces Typica, etc. In fact, in many cases, it is due to the spread of coffee [more…]

Want to understand where the variety system of the coffee world comes from? Starting from biological classification, this article systematically sorts out the origin and spread of the Arabica species, and analyzes one by one the bean shape characteristics, flavor performance, disease resistance, and cultivation conditions of classic varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Mundo Novo, and Catuai, while also tracing the history of variety improvement in coffee-producing countries around goals such as high yield, dwarfing, resistance to leaf rust, and shortening the harvest cycle. The article particularly presents Front Street Coffee's continued attention to the flavor value of traditional varieties, helping coffee enthusiasts build a clearer framework in variety awareness and flavor selection. [more…]

Ethiopia is celebrated as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, and its local coffee varieties are as numerous as the stars. However, due to limitations imposed by history, research conditions, and naming systems, the vast majority of these varieties still cannot be individually identified and named. As a result, a broad and romantic term—heirloom—has become synonymous with these native coffee varieties. Heirloom is not a specific variety, but rather a collective term for the large number of coffees in Ethiopia that have not been clearly classified. This article will guide you through the meaning of heirloom, why it is named this way, how local coffees are named, and the brewing and flavor performance of the Yirgacheffe natural red cherry as an example. [more…]

When you look at the origin information on a bag of Ethiopian coffee beans, the variety field often says "Heirloom." What exactly does this mean? It is actually a collective term for Ethiopia's local heritage varieties, and it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of native coffees in the region that have not yet been formally identified. This article will systematically sort out the differences between Heirloom and Landrace, from the meaning of the terms, classification, and flavor expression to naming trends, and also introduce the meaning of the numbering of JARC-bred varieties. The article also combines several beans from Front Street Coffee to explain the reasons why Ethiopian beans vary in size and why their flavors change from year to year, helping you gain a more comprehensive understanding of the variety diversity of this birthplace of coffee. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, boasts an astonishing variety of cultivars, with nearly 2,000 varieties recorded to date, of which 1,927 are native varieties. Ethiopian coffee beans commonly found on the market are mostly labeled as Heirloom native varieties, but in recent years Landrace local varieties and numbered varieties have gradually gained popularity. In this article, Front Street Coffee will systematically sort out the definition, classification, and identification challenges of Heirloom native varieties, analyze the origins of Landrace and numbered varieties, and introduce in detail Ethiopia's coffee bean grading standards. Finally, it recommends a number of Front Street selected Ethiopian native varieties, covering well-known products such as Gedeb, Red Cherry, Woka, Aricha, and Huakui 5.0, with roasting and brewing data shared as well. [more…]

When buying Ethiopian single-origin coffee, the "Heirloom" commonly seen on packaging often leaves people puzzled. It is not a specific variety, but a collective term for the vast number of native Arabica varieties in the region. As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has thousands of natural variants, and many producing areas even grow dozens of varieties mixed together, making it impossible to classify them one by one. This article will take you through Front Street's perspective to understand the true meaning of Heirloom, its relationship with flavor, and the stories of specific varieties such as JARC numbered varieties, Geisha 1931, Gori Geisha, and Wush Wush. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned worldwide for its bright fruit acidity and thick, juicy body, and SL28 and SL34 are the core varieties that shape this classic flavor. These two varieties were developed by the Scott Laboratories over nearly three decades and released in the 1950s, profoundly influencing the landscape of Kenya's coffee industry. However, the threat of pests and diseases gave rise to new varieties such as Ruiru 11 and Batian. This article will trace the origins, flavor characteristics, and current cultivation status of these varieties, and introduce the variety information of Front Street Kenya Asalia coffee beans, taking you deep into the world of Kenyan coffee varieties. [more…]

When purchasing Ethiopian coffee, in addition to the common Heirloom native variety label, in recent years more and more varieties with numerical codes have entered the public eye, such as 74158, 74110, and others. What exactly do these numbers represent? They are closely related to a period of disease-resistant breeding history in the Ethiopian coffee industry. In the 1970s, coffee anthracnose ravaged Ethiopian producing regions, prompting the Jimma Agricultural Research Center to launch a systematic breeding program, selecting from hundreds of samples several varieties that combined disease resistance with excellent flavor. This article will outline the origins of these numerical varieties, their classification logic, the flavor characteristics of their main representatives, and their performance in COE competitions, and will also introduce related products brought in by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Friends who frequently buy Ethiopian coffee beans are certainly familiar with the variety label "Heirloom," usually translated into Chinese as "native species" or "heirloom." But in the past two or three years, another term has quietly appeared on the packaging of some Ethiopian beans—"Landrace." What exactly is the relationship between it and Heirloom? Are they different names for the same thing, or two completely different concepts? In this article, Front Street will take a careful look at the origins and evolution of Landrace local varieties, starting from Ethiopia's garden planting system, sorting out the mixed-harvest nature of Heirloom, then moving on to JARC's work in identifying local varieties, and why more and more international green bean merchants have begun to purchase these varieties with distinctive regional characteristics separately. At the end, we also include information on the Kaffa Forest lot currently sold by Front Street for everyone's reference and comparison. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, the Arabica species accounts for the vast majority of single-origin beans consumed daily, but many people may not realize that Arabica itself has diversified into numerous varieties with distinct forms. Coffee beans of different varieties often show subtle yet recognizable differences in appearance—from bean shape and particle size to the form of the bean tip, all can serve as clues for identification. Mastering these characteristics is like practicing cupping sensory skills: it requires patient observation and repeated comparison. This article will start with Typica and Bourbon, then extend to common varieties such as SL28, SL34, Caturra, Catuai, and Geisha, helping coffee enthusiasts gradually build the ability to identify varieties through bean appearance. It will also mention Front Street Coffee's ongoing efforts in promoting coffee knowledge. [more…]

Different coffee varieties have their own distinctive bean appearances. In this article, Front Street Coffee starts with bean shapes to help you identify common Arabica varieties and understand the unique flavor tendencies of each. Typica beans are slender and plump, Bourbon beans are round and thick, Geisha beans are pointed at both ends and bulging in the middle, Caturra beans have a curved tail end, Catuai beans are oval and flat, SL28 and SL34 come from the Bourbon and Typica genetic groups respectively, and Ethiopian heirloom varieties vary in size due to their complex genetic diversity. By observing bean shape, bean thickness, and tail-end form, and then combining that with cupping flavor performance, you can make a preliminary judgment about which variety the coffee beans in front of you belong to. [more…]

The coffee world is home to a vast number of varieties, yet different varieties often show differences visible to the naked eye in plant morphology. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically reviews the key identifying points of varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Pacamara, and Geisha (Gesha), focusing on phenotypic traits including plant height, leaf tip color, tree silhouette, leaf morphology, fruit shape and color, branch angle, and internode spacing, to help coffee enthusiasts quickly distinguish them through the physical characteristics of the plant itself even after setting aside flavor descriptions. [more…]

Different coffee varieties have their own distinctive characteristics in appearance, morphology, and flavor expression, and learning to observe bean appearance helps identify varieties. From the perspective of Front Street, this article introduces one by one the bean shape characteristics and flavor tendencies of common coffee varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Geisha, Caturra, Catuai, SL28 and SL34, as well as Ethiopian heirloom varieties, and includes corresponding Front Street recommended coffees to help coffee enthusiasts better understand varietal differences during tasting. [more…]

When you shop for coffee beans, have you ever noticed that certain origins always seem to grow just a few fixed varieties? Brazil, for instance, is dominated by Bourbon, while Jamaica Blue Mountain is inseparable from Typica. Behind this lies both the logic of variety dissemination and natural adaptation, as well as a chapter of coffee history rewritten by leaf rust. That devastating disease at the end of the 19th century forced many producing countries to turn to research on disease-resistant new varieties, leading to the establishment of national coffee research institutes. This article will walk you through the origins and development of common laboratory varieties such as Catuai, SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and H1, and how they became the mainstays of today's producing regions. It will also mention related beans selected by Front Street Coffee, offering you a practical buying reference. [more…]

Getting to know what a coffee tree looks like is an interesting way to understand the differences between varieties. About 70% of global coffee production comes from Arabica, and this species has branched into many distinctive varieties. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article explains how to distinguish varieties using appearance traits such as plant height, leaf tip color, branch angle, and fruit shape and color, and goes through the key identification points for common varieties including Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Pacamara, and Geisha. [more…]

Costa Rica is renowned worldwide for its high-quality Arabica coffee. Although its total production is limited, the country strictly guarantees coffee quality through legislation, making it the only country in the world that prohibits the cultivation of non-Arabica varieties. Initially, Caturra and Catuai were the main varieties, but the threat of leaf rust prompted Costa Rica to introduce and develop more new varieties. Today, in addition to Caturra and Catuai, varieties such as Villa Sarchi, H1, and Obata are gradually emerging. Front Street Coffee's entry-level selection series, Costa Rica Tarrazu coffee beans, uses Caturra and Catuai. After washed processing, they carry a slight fruity acidity, with flavors of sweet orange, nuts, and honey, and a smooth lingering sweetness. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the origins, characteristics, and cultivation performance of these varieties. [more…]

Ethiopian coffee beans are perpetually labeled with the variety name Heirloom, but what exactly lies behind this broad designation? Why are Ethiopian beans always so inconsistent in size and so varied in flavor? This article, from the perspective of Front Street Coffee, traces the origin of the term "heirloom" and the controversies surrounding its definition, analyzes Ethiopian coffee variety classification, cultivation models, and green bean grading systems, and, through a blind tasting comparison of Front Street Sidamo Natural Arsi, reveals the true flavor differences between large and small coffee beans, helping you genuinely understand the richness and complexity of Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

In the specialty coffee world, the variety labeling on Ethiopian coffee beans often includes the word "Heirloom," which leaves many enthusiasts confused. In fact, this term does not refer to any single specific variety, but is a collective name for the vast number of native coffee variety groups within Ethiopia. It is estimated that the country's forests may contain more than ten thousand naturally growing coffee varieties, and because genetic identification work has not kept pace, buyers find it difficult to distinguish them one by one and can only use "heirloom" as a general description. This article will sort out the dual meanings of the word Heirloom in the coffee world, explain why Ethiopian coffee varieties are so difficult to identify precisely, and help you understand the variety diversity and natural pollination mechanisms behind this term. Front Street Coffee will also draw on producing-region examples to help you more clearly understand the varietal attributes of Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

Every variety of coffee beans has different bean appearance (bean外貌) characteristics. In this article, Front Street will guide everyone through coffee bean appearance to identify coffee bean varieties, and what flavor characteristics do different coffee varieties have? ~| Typica (Typica) Typica originated in Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. [more…]

Caturra and Catuai are two coffee varieties that appear with extremely high frequency in the coffee world, and they are not hard to find whether on large estates or in small producing regions. Nearly one-third of the products on Front Street Coffee's bean list are made up of these two varieties, which shows just how important they are. Caturra originated from a genetic mutation of Bourbon, and because of its short stature, high yield, and sun tolerance, it became a mainstay variety in Central America; Catuai, meanwhile, was developed by crossing Caturra with Mundo Novo, inheriting the former's advantages while improving disease resistance. This article will sort out in detail the origins, agronomic characteristics, and flavor differences of the two, and combine them with Front Street Coffee's cupping experience to help you understand why these two varieties have won the favor of so many coffee farmers. [more…]