Curious why some coffees taste chocolatey and berry-like, while others are floral or citrusy?
Want to know how to experience more of the coffees mentioned in this post?
Enter a coffee of the month subscription. These boxes send coffee lovers delicious coffees from around the world so you can experience the diversity of flavor that’s out there. Rotate coffees every month and level up your coffee game.
Inside This Article:
- An Overview of Coffee Varietals
- Arabica vs Robusta
- Coffee Varietals Impact on Flavor
- Coffee Varietals To Try
An Overview of Coffee Varietals
Coffee varietals are often overlooked by most coffee drinkers.
There are many different subspecies of coffee plants, and each can affect the flavor that you get in your cup.
It’s like buying a bag of apples and expecting Granny Smiths to taste just like Gala. The varietal matters, and it can make a big difference.
But most coffee drinkers aren’t aware of that, so they just grab whatever’s on sale at the supermarket and wonder why their coffee tastes like, well… coffee.
When they learn about varietals, their whole perspective changes. And that’s exactly why coffee of the month clubs work. Rotate varietals and origins so coffee lovers can experience how different each coffee is from the next. Instead of drinking the same boring blend every day, they can explore what makes Bourbon different from Geisha or Ethiopian heirlooms different from Central American hybrids.
Pretty cool, huh?
Arabica vs Robusta
Before we get into specific varietals, it’s important to understand the difference between the two major species of coffee — Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica grows at higher altitudes and requires more rain and shade. The plants are also more sensitive to pests and disease, so they’re a little more challenging to grow. But all that effort is worth it in the cup.
Coffee cherries take longer to mature at higher elevations, which gives them more time to develop sugars and other flavor compounds. That leads to sweeter, more complex coffee with fruitier flavors and brighter acidity.
Arabica varietals tend to have the following flavor profiles:
- Fruity and floral flavors
- Chocolate and caramel notes
- Bright, wine-like acidity
- Nutty and sweet tones
Robusta is lower-yielding and has a more bitter flavor profile, making it less desirable for most specialty coffees. It also contains twice as much caffeine as Arabica. However, that extra caffeine makes it more resistant to pests and disease, which is why Robusta is still so prevalent around the world.
Coffee Varietals Impact on Flavor
This is where it gets fun…
The varietal sets the baseline for what’s possible flavor-wise. Processing, roasting, and brewing methods all have an impact, but they can’t create flavors that aren’t already present in the bean.
For example, Typica is one of the original varieties of coffee, and many other varietals descended from it. It tends to produce clean, sweet coffees with a nice balance. But it’s also more susceptible to disease and has lower yields than some other varietals.
Bourbon is a varietal named after an island off the coast of Madagascar. It’s one of the most important varietals in coffee history and is known for its brown sugar sweetness and fruity notes like cherry and peach.
Then there’s Caturra, a natural mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil. The plant is more compact, and more productive, making it more farmer-friendly. The cup tends to be similar to Bourbon but a little brighter with more citrus notes.
Don’t even get me started on Geisha…
This Ethiopian varietal became the stuff of legend after one coffee from Panama’s Geisha was awarded the highest score ever at the time in the 2004 Cup of Excellence. Light, bright, floral, with tea-like characteristics not found in any other coffee — Geisha (gesha) has taken the coffee world by storm. The flavor notes include jasmine, tropical fruit, and honeysuckle, among others.
Geisha can command insane prices. Panama’s second-highest-rated lot in history was Geisha, auctioned in 2025 for over $30,000 per kilogram! This is primarily because of the rarity, production costs, and flavor.
Coffee Varietals to Try
Want to start experimenting with different coffee varietals? Here are a few of the most popular and noteworthy.
SL28 and SL34
Kenya is known for its flavorful coffee, and these two varietals account for most of the country’s exports. Coffee experts like to refer to them as “blueberry bombs” because they’re so intensely fruity with wine-like flavors. The acidity is bright and crisp, the body is full, and the complexity is off the charts — just like some of the best coffees in the world.
Catuai
This varietal is a hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo, and it’s found primarily throughout Central America, especially Honduras. Catuai is known for its brown sugar sweetness and pastry-like flavors, sometimes with a hint of mild, cooked fruit. The nutty flavors are also common, like pecan and almond. These are small, compact plants that produce a lot of coffee per tree, making them more attractive to farmers than larger, less productive varietals.
Ethiopian Heirlooms
Ethiopia is home to more coffee diversity than any other country in the world. Heirloom varietals from regions like Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Harar produce some of the most diverse flavor profiles, from bright and floral to rich and chocolaty. Ethiopian heirlooms get this diversity from thousands of years of natural selection in the wild coffee forests where coffee is native. Basically, Ethiopia is where the varietal game begins.
Modern F1 Hybrids
Newer varietals like Centroamericano, Evaluna, and Starmaya are the result of more modern coffee breeding techniques. F1 hybrids can offer excellent flavor while still maintaining disease resistance and high yields. F1 hybrids are the future of coffee because they’re showing cupping scores above 89 while also being able to resist coffee leaf rust and other common coffee diseases.
Region is Important Too
Don’t forget about region…
Varietal is only part of the equation, and where a coffee is grown dramatically impacts its flavor.
Brazilian coffees are often sweet with nutty and chocolaty notes, sometimes with a hint of fruit or berry. Colombian coffees tend to be mild, clean with good acidity and a medium-to-full body. Ethiopian coffees are known for their light-to-medium body with high acidity and complex flavors. You can expect to see more fruit tones, floral notes, and wine-like flavors in Ethiopian beans.
The same varietal can taste different when grown in different countries because of climate, soil composition, processing methods, and altitude. That’s why it’s essential to experiment with different coffees from around the world — even if it’s just a few different bags at a time.
Finding Your Perfect Coffee Varietal
Here’s the thing…
The best way to figure out your coffee preferences is to try different varietals. Some people love bright, acidic coffees with floral notes. Other people prefer chocolaty, full-bodied coffees with lower acidity. There’s no right or wrong answer — it’s all about what you like.
Coffee of the month clubs make this super easy because they curate their selections from different origins and varietals. Coffee drinkers can then compare coffees and figure out what they like best.
Final Thoughts
Coffee varietals are often one of the most underrated aspects of coffee.
But once you know a little more about the different subspecies of coffee plants, you’ll be able to appreciate them more in your cup. From the sweet, balanced flavors of Bourbon to the fruit-bomb flavors of SL28 or the delicate floral notes of Geisha — the varietal is the foundation of flavor in coffee.
Learn about the varietals and understand where your coffee is from, and you’ll have an entirely new appreciation for coffee.
Key takeaways:
- Varietals are the subspecies of coffee plants with distinct flavors
- Arabica is the most popular and dominant varietal in the specialty coffee world because of its sweet and complex flavors
- Specific coffee varietals like Geisha, Bourbon, and SL28 have unique and distinct flavor profiles
- Where a coffee is grown, how it’s processed, and roasted can enhance varietal characteristics
- The best way to discover coffee preferences is to try a lot of different varietals
