Origins
Coffee tastes like where it comes from. A tour of the major growing countries and what to expect in the cup.
Ethiopia
East Africa
Florals (jasmine, bergamot), citrus and stone fruit when washed; blueberry and ripe berries when natural.
Brazil
South America
Nutty and chocolatey, low in acidity, with a heavy, smooth body and notes of peanut, milk chocolate and toasted nut.
Burundi
East Africa
Sweet and clean, with red fruit and citrus, floral and tea-like notes, and a soft, syrupy sweetness over crisp acidity.
Colombia
South America
Sweet and balanced, with caramel and brown sugar, gentle red fruit and a smooth, rounded acidity.
Costa Rica
Central America
Clean and bright with crisp citrus acidity, honey and brown-sugar sweetness, a clear cup and a light to medium body.
El Salvador
Central America
Soft and sweet, with brown sugar and caramel, mild stone fruit or red apple, a rounded body and a gentle, easygoing acidity.
Guatemala
Central America
Rich chocolate and brown sugar, warm baking spice, a smooth body and gentle citrus or stone-fruit acidity.
Honduras
Central America
Sweet and mild: milk chocolate and caramel, soft stone fruit, gentle citrus and a smooth, easy body.
India
South Asia
Low acidity and heavy body, with spice, dark chocolate, nuts and cedar; Monsooned Malabar adds an earthy, musty, woody mellowness.
Indonesia
Southeast Asia
Heavy-bodied and low-acid, with earthy, cedar, herbal and dark-chocolate notes, often a savory or spicy edge.
Kenya
East Africa
Blackcurrant and dark berry, ripe tomato and savory edges, with sparkling, almost grapefruit-like acidity.
Mexico
North America
Light and mild, with soft nutty-chocolate sweetness, a clean body and a delicate brightness rather than bold fruit.
Panama
Central America
Floral and tea-like at its best: jasmine and bergamot, sweet tropical and stone fruit, a delicate body and a clean, juicy acidity.
Rwanda
East Africa
Red fruit (red apple, cherry, red currant), floral and tea-like notes, often with a sweet, clean finish.
Vietnam
Southeast Asia
Bold, heavy and bittersweet: dark chocolate, roasted nut and woody depth, with low acidity and a thick body that stands up to ice and condensed milk.
Yemen
Arabian Peninsula
Deep and wild: dried fruit (raisin, date, fig), winey fermentation, baking spice, cocoa and a heavy, syrupy body.