Types of Coffee Beans

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, with coffee beans being produced in over 70 countries around the world. If you are a coffee lover, you probably reach for your mug on several occasions throughout the day and you more than likely have your favourite coffee blend, but have you ever stopped to think why this is your blend of choice?

I’m guessing it's due to the flavour and that all comes down to the coffee bean. There are four main types of coffee bean: Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa and Liberica and they all have a drastically different taste.

Arabica coffee beans

Not only is Arabica one of the most popular coffee beans, it is also considered a higher quality coffee and accounts for around 60% of coffee production. Arabica is grown at a high altitude, requires rain and shade and takes seven years to fully mature. The end result is a variation in flavours – a sweet bean with tones of fruit, chocolate, nut and floral. Our Grand Cru Coffee beans are a 100% arabica blend. It is a blend made up of Kenyan AA grade beans for acidity, citrus notes and a chocolate aftertaste, Brazilian Fine Cup beans from the Minas Gerais Plateau to give a full-bodied nutty base and high-grade arabicas from Honduras to add fruitiness and a subtle sweetness.

Robusta coffee beans

Robusta is the second most-produced coffee in the world and as its name suggests, it’s a more robust bean. Easier to care for, less susceptible to disease and has almost double the amount of caffeine in comparison to arabica. This creates a harsher flavour, less sweet, with woody and slightly bitter tones. Our Premier Cru Espresso Beans are the perfect mix of Arabica and Robusta - Brazilian Fine Cup beans from the Minas Gerais Plateau, Ugandan robustas from the Lake Victoria region, arabicas from Honduras and Bourbon varietal Arabica beans from the Award-Winning RainForest Alliance certified - Café Monte Sion Estate in El Salvador, giving you a rich, syrupy sweetness with an earthy aftertaste punch.

Excelsa coffee beans

Only 7% of global coffee production is attributed to Excelsa and it has now been made a part of the Liberica family. Unlike Arabica, it isn’t used as a pure bean but largely added to a blend to give it a boost of flavour. Our Fairtrade premium espresso coffee beans are a blend of South American and African beans. Santos from the Coocafe Cooperative in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil and Robustas from Tanzania give a punchy, earthy and subtly sweet base to the blend. Colombian Excelsior beans from the renowned Cosurca Estate and Costa Rican beans from the Cafecoop Cooperative add sweetness and fruitiness. A full-flavoured espresso with a delightful aftertaste is the result.

Liberica coffee beans

Liberica beans are native to western and central Africa. They are rare with limited supply and have a high price tag. The beans have a unique floral and nutty aroma with a full body creating a woody and even smoky taste. To get a similar taste, try our Fair Trade Sumartran cafetiere coffee. This Fairtrade and Organic certified bean are a classic Indonesian “Bold” – full of rounded earthy flavours, full-bodied with a great rich texture and with spicy, smoky notes in the finish. This coffee bean also has a subtle ripe fruit acidity and an unusual liquorice twist.

At Cafe Du Monde we have a variety of coffee beans online with a range of blends to choose from in our online shop.