Origins and Flavor Profiles
When people talk about coffee, at some point you have probably heard someone mention a “Columbian” or a “Guatemala.” You might even wonder why they are naming the coffee after a country. Well, different countries have different ways of growing coffee; whether it is the altitude (read more here), the surrounding environment, or the types of varietal (read more here) native to the country and more. All of these different growing conditions affect the taste of coffee so you can get a general idea of what you are about to get into. None of these are strict guidelines and can still vary depending on the coffee, but it is a good starting point when finding out what kind of coffees you like.
Central America. Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama are a few of the popular coffee distributing countries found in Central America. Covering such a large range of altitudes and environments, this is probably the hardest region to generalize, however, you can expect a bright, clean, and balanced cup. There is usually some malic acidity (think apples) with some fruit undertones and a chocolatey aftertaste. These will tend to vary from country to country and even from coffee to coffee.
South America. Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela are the more popular coffee producing countries in South America. With Columbia and Brazil being two of the top three coffee producing countries in the world, this is the one Americans are most familiar with. There’s a heavy richness with a strong chocolate flavor. Varying from coffee to coffee, you can also find nuttiness or even caramel and honey notes.
Indonesia. Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, and the Bali islands are Indonesia’s top coffee producing countries. When talking about Indonesian coffees, you will usually hear things like bold and earthy. Typically roasted on the darker side compared to other regions, there are a lot more savory notes like wood, tobacco, and spice. (tobacco isn’t always a bad flavor profile, click here to read more.)
Africa. Africa is the birthplace of coffee, specifically Ethiopia. Ethiopia and Kenya tend to be more popular because there is a huge range of varietal growing (they are still discovering new species today) which leads to a large variety of flavors. But countries like Burundi and Rwanda are also starting to make a name for themselves as technology is improving in those countries. With the higher elevations and the extreme temperatures, these coffees are easier to process using the natural or dry processing method . Usually the higher the altitude, the higher the quality of coffee; however, Kenya is an exception to this. Kenyan coffees are usually grown and processed at lower elevations (source). Coffees from Africa tend to have a very unique and strong flavor, usually consisting of a tropical and fruity punch to them with a heavy, syrupy, or juicy body to it. Many coffee professionals seek these out because of the uniqueness to them, however, they are not for everyone. Most of the time, you either love or hate African coffees.
As a reminder, none of these are strict guidelines; they are all just a general idea of what to expect. The only real way to know what coffees you like are by trying different kinds. There are so many factors that affect what goes into your final cup, and the growing region is just one small aspect to it. There is not one region that is better than another because it is all up to you and what you like. Leave a comment below with your favorite country/region or which you are most excited to try!
Summary of flavor notes
Central America: clean and balanced, malic acidity (apples), fruit, chocolate
- South America: richness, chocolate, nutty, caramel, honey
- Indonesia: bold and earthy, wood, tobacco, spice
- Africa: bold, tropical/fruity, syrup, juicy
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