Varietal Encyclopedia

Cup: Clean, sweet, complex. Excellent clarity with a balanced body. The benchmark for Arabica cup quality. Delicate florals, mild fruit, refined sweetness.

Cup: Smooth, low acidity, full body. The giant bean (screen 20+). Buttery mouthfeel, mild chocolate and nut notes. Limited production due to low yield.

Cup: Clean, well-balanced, mild. Medium body with gentle sweetness. A workhorse cultivar that produces consistent, drinkable coffee.

Cup: Full-bodied, syrupy, mild acidity. Chocolate, spice, and cedar notes. One of the most widely planted varietals in India and Southeast Asia.

Cup: Complex, herbal, heavy body. Earthy undertones, dark chocolate, tobacco. Distinct from most Typica selections.

Cup: Naturally low caffeine (0.6% vs 1.2% typical Arabica). Extraordinary sweetness, jasmine, stone fruit, tea-like. One of the most prized and rarest coffees in the world. Complex and delicate.

Cup: Intense chocolate, wine-like, complex. Rich body. The original Mocha coffee. Tiny peaberry-like beans with concentrated flavor. Wild, fruity, and deeply sweet.

Cup: Clean, mild, medium body. Less complex than SL28 or SL34 but reliable. Gentle fruit, mild acidity, approachable sweetness.

Cup: Sweet, complex, excellent balance. Caramel, chocolate, fruit, and nut notes. Slightly higher sweetness than Typica. One of the two foundational cultivars of all modern coffee.

Cup: Sweeter and softer than Red Bourbon. Pronounced caramel and stone fruit. Lower perceived acidity. Prized in Brazilian specialty.

Cup: Combines Red and Yellow characteristics. Pronounced sweetness, tropical fruit, floral complexity. Extremely rare and sought after in competition lots.

Cup: Bright, citric acidity, clean, lighter body than Bourbon. Lively, sparkling cup. Slightly less complex than Bourbon but excellent at altitude.

Cup: Balanced, nutty, mild acidity. Less complex than its parents individually, but reliable and productive. Chocolate, mild fruit, clean finish.

Cup: Full body, chocolate, low acidity. A workhorse Brazil cultivar. Sweet, nutty, clean. Excellent for espresso blends.

Cup: Floral, complex, heavy body, large beans. Citrus, jasmine, stone fruit, herbal. A competition darling. Polarizing: some find it overwhelming, others consider it transcendent.

Cup: Balanced, sweet, mild complexity. Honey, chocolate, citrus. Similar to Caturra but softer acidity. El Salvador national cultivar.

Cup: Bright, fruity, clean. Excellent at altitude. Apple, citrus, honey sweetness. Underrated cultivar that produces exceptional cups above 1600m.

Cup: Intense, complex, phosphoric acidity. Blackcurrant, tomato, grapefruit, wine. One of the greatest coffee cultivars ever developed. Produces the signature Kenya cup.

Cup: Heavy body, complex fruit, wine-like. Berry, plum, citrus. Slightly fuller body and lower acidity than SL28. Often blended with SL28 in Kenya lots.

Cup: Jasmine, bergamot, tropical fruit, stone fruit, tea-like body. Transcendent complexity. The most expensive and celebrated coffee varietal of the 21st century. Best of Panama 2004 changed the industry.

Cup: Mild, balanced, lower acidity. Less complex than SL28 but more disease tolerant. Chocolate, mild fruit, clean.

Cup: Clean, sweet, delicate. Traditional Costa Rica cup profile. Mild citrus, caramel, balanced acidity.

Cup: Floral, complex, jasmine, tropical fruit, silky body. Drawing comparisons to Gesha. Rising star in specialty auctions. Exceptional sweetness and clarity.

Cup: Sweet, fruity, complex for a hybrid. Mango, papaya, honey, chocolate. A breakthrough: disease-resistant AND specialty quality. Rising rapidly in Brazilian competitions.

Cup: Sweet, nutty, full body, clean. Chocolate, caramel, mild fruit. Improved cup quality over Catuai. Gaining ground in Brazilian specialty.

Cup: Extraordinary range. Floral, fruity, citrus, berry, wine, chocolate, spice. The genetic reservoir of all Arabica. Each micro-region produces distinct profiles. Yirgacheffe, Guji, Sidamo, Limu, Jimma all taste different.

Cup: Intense floral, jasmine, tropical fruit, bright acidity. Tea-like body. Complex and aromatic. Shares some Gesha-like qualities. Increasingly sought by specialty roasters.

Cup: Clean, sweet, balanced. Fruit and floral notes. Developed to combine Ethiopian cup quality with improved disease resistance. Part of Ethiopia national program.

Cup: Generally low quality. Harsh, flat, astringent. Not grown for cup quality. Grown as a parent for breeding programs. Its value is in its genes, not its cup.

Cup: Variable, often harsh, astringent, woody at low altitude. Can produce clean, balanced cups at high altitude (1500m+). The Robusta introgression contributes bitterness and roughness that diminishes with elevation and careful processing.

Cup: Better cup quality than most Catimors. Cleaner, more balanced, mild fruit. The Villa Sarchi parent contributes better acidity and sweetness than Caturra.

Cup: Controversial. Cenicafe claims equivalent to Caturra. Many specialty buyers disagree. At best: clean, balanced, mild fruit. At worst: flat, lacking complexity. Altitude and processing matter enormously.

Cup: Similar to Castillo but slightly less refined. Clean, mild, balanced. Being phased out in favor of Castillo and newer Cenicafe varieties.

Cup: Variable. Early releases were poor quality. Improved selections show better cup. Generally: mild, clean, lacks the intensity of SL28/SL34. Being improved with Batian.

Cup: Better than Ruiru 11. Approaching SL28 quality in some evaluations. Bright, fruity, complex when grown at altitude. Kenya breeders claim it bridges the gap between disease resistance and cup quality.

Cup: Clean, balanced, mild sweetness. Better cup than many Catimor/Sarchimor lines. Designed as a quality-focused rust-resistant option for Central American smallholders.

Cup: Sweet, clean, balanced. One of the better-cupping Sarchimor derivatives. Chocolate, mild fruit, smooth body. Increasingly respected in specialty.

Cup: Clean, mild, slightly astringent at lower altitudes. Average specialty quality. Being supplemented by Parainema which cups better.

Cup: Clean, balanced, nutty, mild. Solid commercial quality. Not complex but dependable. Important parent of Arara.

Cup: Strong, bitter, earthy, rubbery, grain-like. 2.2-2.7% caffeine (2x Arabica). Low acidity, heavy body. Dominates instant coffee and espresso blends for crema. Fine Robusta movement emerging in India, Vietnam, Uganda.

Cup: Unique: smoky, floral, woody, jackfruit, dark chocolate. Divisive. Loved in the Philippines (Kapeng Barako) and Malaysia. Asymmetric bean shape. Very different from Arabica or Robusta.

Cup: Tart, fruity, mysterious. Dark fruit, wine-like, complex aromatics. Smaller bean than Liberica. Often blended to add complexity. Growing specialty interest.