Coffee Varietals
Every coffee varietal has its own flavour signature. Understanding the genetics behind your cup unlocks better sourcing decisions.
Every coffee varietal has a journey – from wild Ethiopian forests to missionary plantings, from chance mutations discovered on remote farms to intentional breeding programmes in research labs. These guides explore not just how each varietal tastes, but why it exists, where it thrives, and what challenges (and triumphs) shaped its story. Because the more you understand what's in the cup, the more you can share that knowledge with your customers – and the more everyone gets to appreciate just how fascinating this plant really is.
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Genetics Shape Flavour
Different varietals produce distinctly different cups. Understanding what's planted helps you predict acidity, body, and those unique flavour notes that define speciality coffee.
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Stories Behind Every Plant
From wild Ethiopian forests to research station selections, every varietal has a history. These origins explain why certain coffees taste the way they do and where they grow best.
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The Terroir Puzzle
Same varietal, different countries – wildly different results. Understanding varietals helps decode why Ethiopian Geisha tastes nothing like its Panamanian cousin, even when processing is identical.
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Beyond the Bag Label
When you know your varietals, coffee becomes more than just "single origin Ethiopian" or "washed Colombian." You're tasting specific genetics with traceable histories and predictable characteristics.
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Developed in the 1950s and 60s to meet the demands of modern coffee farming, Catuai blends...
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Few coffee varietals divide opinion quite like Catimor. Created in Portugal in 1959 by crossing the...
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Pacamara is a hybrid of two quite different varietals: Pacas and Maragogype. Created in a Salvadoran...
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Ethiosar: A Hybrid of Heritage and Resilience Varietal: Ethiosar (also known as Ricardo) Related to: Rume...
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From overlooked Ethiopian landrace to $13,000/kg auction record: Geisha rewrote specialty coffee's rulebook with jasmine florals,...
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A compact little overachiever from Costa Rica's highlands, Villa Sarchi proves that good things come in...