§ Origins
Coffee Variety GuideVarieties.
Even within arabica, flavor varies greatly by variety. Here we explain the major coffee varieties (varietals).
Typica
ティピカ
Discovered / bred
17th century
Ideal altitude
1,000–2,000m
Considered the archetype of arabica. Low-yielding but very high quality. Known for its elongated beans and a delicate, clean flavor. The main variety behind Blue Mountain (Jamaica).
Flavor profile
Main producers
Jamaica · Papua New Guinea · Peru · Mexico
The “mother” of coffee’s global spread. The Dutch took it out of Yemen, and it spread to Europe, India and the Americas.
Bourbon
ブルボン
Discovered / bred
Early 18th century
Ideal altitude
1,000–2,000m
A natural mutation of Typica. Higher-yielding than Typica while keeping specialty quality. Comes in red, yellow and pink color variants.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Colombia · El Salvador · Brazil · Rwanda
The island’s name (today’s Réunion) became the variety’s name. Known as a central variety in the revival of high-quality coffee in Rwanda and Burundi.
Geisha / Gesha
ゲイシャ / ゲシャ
Discovered / bred
1931 (discovered) / 2004 (spotlight)
Ideal altitude
1,500–2,200m
One of the highest-priced coffee varieties in the world. Native to the village of Gesha in Ethiopia. It became world-famous at the 2004 Best of Panama auction, sparking a revolution.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Panama · Colombia · Costa Rica · Ethiopia
A 2021 auction set a record of about $2,000 per pound. It has nothing to do with the Japanese “geisha.”
SL28
SL28
Discovered / bred
1930s (selected by Scott Laboratories)
Ideal altitude
1,500–2,100m
Selected by Kenya’s Scott Laboratories. Drought-tolerant and Kenya’s signature variety. Known for a vivid, blackcurrant-like acidity — the source of Kenyan coffee’s distinctive flavor.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Kenya · Uganda · Tanzania
“SL” stands for Scott Laboratories. Together with the likewise-selected SL34, it drove Kenyan coffee quality to the world’s highest level.
Caturra
カトゥーラ
Discovered / bred
1937
Ideal altitude
800–1,800m
A dwarf mutation of Bourbon. The small plants allow dense planting and high yields. Widely grown in Central and South America — one of the most cultivated varieties.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Colombia · Costa Rica · Honduras · Guatemala
“Caturra” means “small plant” in Brazilian Portuguese. About 40% of Colombia’s specialty coffee is made from Caturra.
Catuai
カトゥアイ
Discovered / bred
1949
Ideal altitude
700–1,700m
Developed by a Brazilian agricultural institute. Known for wind resistance and high yields. Comes as red and yellow Catuai. One of Brazil’s most cultivated varieties.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Brazil · Costa Rica · Guatemala · Honduras
“Catuai” means “very good” in Guaraní. It’s prized on large Brazilian farms as a variety suited to mechanical harvesting.
Pacamara
パカマラ
Discovered / bred
1958
Ideal altitude
1,200–1,900m
A hybrid born in El Salvador. Known for large beans inherited from Maragogipe. With floral character and chocolate complexity, it’s highly rated in the specialty market.
Flavor profile
Main producers
El Salvador · Honduras · Guatemala · Nicaragua
It carries the lineage of Maragogipe, whose very large beans are nicknamed “elephant beans.” Its cup quality makes it, some say, the most talked-about variety after Panama Geisha.
Maragogipe
マラゴジッペ
Discovered / bred
1870s
Ideal altitude
600–1,500m
The world’s largest coffee bean, nicknamed the “elephant bean.” Rare due to very low yields. Its mild, delicate flavor divides opinion, but the visual impact is huge.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Brazil · Guatemala · Mexico · Nicaragua
Discovered in the city of Maragogipe, Brazil. Its beans grow nearly three times normal size. Rarely seen commercially due to low yields, but traded at high prices for its rarity.
Castillo
カスティージョ
Discovered / bred
2005 (widespread)
Ideal altitude
1,200–2,000m
Developed by Colombia’s national coffee research center (Cenicafé). Its biggest feature is high resistance to coffee leaf rust (CLR). Widely adopted in Colombia.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Colombia
When coffee leaf rust devastated many Colombian farms, Castillo was the savior. It now accounts for about 30% of Colombia’s production.
Robusta / Canephora
ロブスタ（カネフォラ）
Discovered / bred
Late 19th century
Ideal altitude
0–800m
The second major species after arabica. About twice the caffeine of arabica. Pest-resistant and growable in lowlands. Essential for boosting crema in espresso blends.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Vietnam · Uganda · Brazil · Indonesia · India
It makes up about 40% of world coffee production and is the main material for instant coffee. Vietnam is the largest robusta exporter, with about a 40% global share.
Hybrid Timor (HdT)
ハイブリッドティモール
Discovered / bred
1920s
Ideal altitude
800–1,800m
A natural arabica×robusta hybrid. Important as breeding stock for conferring strong rust resistance on arabica varieties. Low flavor rating on its own, but indispensable for breeding.
Flavor profile
Main producers
Timor · Colombia (for breeding) · Costa Rica (for breeding)
It serves as the “parent” of many pest-resistant varieties like Castillo, Sarchimor and Colombia. Rarely drunk directly, but its influence is immeasurable.