Coffee Varietals: From Ancient Forests to the Modern Cup

Coffee Varietals: From Ancient Forests to the Modern Cup

Long before coffee was traded, roasted, and brewed, it was simply a wild plant growing undisturbed in the highland forests of East Africa for hundreds of millennia. Today, the genus Coffea includes more than 120 species, but only two shape the vast majority of what the world drinks: Arabica and Robusta.  Three more species are commercially cultivated though in an almost insignificant volume: Eugeniodes, Liberica and Excelsa

Arabica thrives at high altitude and makes up almost 100% of the specialty coffee available on the market—valued for its layered aroma, complexity, and elegance in the cup. Robusta is the workhorse—resilient, higher in caffeine, and capable of thriving where Arabica cannot, though the cup characteristics are not what most specialty coffee roasters or consumers are looking for. But within these broad categories lies a deeper story, one told through varietals—the countless branches of coffee’s family tree, each carrying its own history, strengths, and flavor identity.

The Birth of Arabica

Arabica’s origins stretch back roughly a million years to Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley, where two different species—Coffea eugenioides and Coffea canephora (Robusta)—met in the wild and formed something entirely new, Coffea arabica. For hundreds of thousands of years, this hybrid grew untended, adapting to shifting climates and soils, mutating into countless forms.

Human involvement came much later. In the 1400s, Arabica plants were carried from Ethiopia to Yemen, where they were cultivated for the first time. From this early domestication emerged Typica, the first recognized Arabica varietal.

A few centuries later, Typica made another journey—to the island of Bourbon (now Réunion). There, it adapted again, eventually stabilizing into Bourbon, a second foundational varietal. Together, Typica and Bourbon are the genetic origin of nearly every Arabica varietal grown today.

How Varietals Take Shape

Varietals emerge through the push and pull of nature and human selection. Robusta, being cross-pollinating, produces constant genetic variation—an advantage for pest resistance but a challenge for maintaining consistency. Arabica, self-pollinating by nature, changes more slowly. New varietals appear through:

  • Natural selection – Favoring plants that thrive in their environment.

  • Natural hybridization – Unplanned crossings in the field.

  • Mutation – Spontaneous genetic shifts.

  • Selective breeding and hybridization – Intentional pairing for specific traits.

Breeding can be pragmatic, as in Kenya’s SL-28 (Bourbon-type) and SL-34 (Typica-type), developed for drought resistance while keeping exceptional flavor. Or it can be aspirational, as in Gesha, an Ethiopian-origin varietal that—when grown in the right conditions—delivers unmatched floral and fruit character, despite its finicky nature and low yields.

Why Varietals Matter

Varietals shape how coffee grows, how it responds to its environment, and how it ultimately tastes. Some varietals—like Gesha or Sidra—maintain their distinct character no matter where they’re grown. Others—like Bourbon—are deeply influenced by terroir, producing vastly different profiles in different regions.

This is why, generally, a Bourbon from Rwanda can show vibrant citrus and red fruit, while a Bourbon from El Salvador leans toward chocolate and caramel. Same genetic foundation—different environmental imprint.

At Bold Bean, we design roast profiles to showcase both the varietal’s inherent traits and the cup character imparted by its origin, processing and even the natural microbiome of an individual farm or wet-mill.

Arabica Varietals in Our Offerings

While flavor is always shaped by terroir, processing, and producer's and roaster's skill, here are the general traits we look for in some of our most frequent Arabica varietals:

  • Typica – Clean, sweet, floral; citrus notes.

  • Bourbon – Balanced acidity; chocolate, caramel, red fruit.

  • Caturra – Sweet; chocolate and citrus.

  • Pacamara – Fruity, floral, spicy; high acidity.

  • Gesha – Jasmine, stone fruit, melon, citrus; silky body.

  • Sidra – Tropical fruit, citrus, floral; bright acidity.

  • Ethiopian Heirloom – Floral, stone fruit, citrus; light body.

  • SL-28 / SL-34 – Currants, berries, citrus, tropical fruit; full body.

  • Catuai – Chocolate, honey, red fruit, citrus.

Arabica–Robusta Hybrids

In regions where disease pressure, pests, or harsh climate threaten crops, farmers may turn to Arabica–Robusta hybrids, often called Timor hybrids. These crosses aim to merge Robusta’s resilience with Arabica’s flavor quality.

Hybridization happens in the field, not in a laboratory—it often begins with grafting an Arabica top onto a Robusta root system, followed by generations of selective breeding to stabilize desired traits.  This is not a quick process and can typically take a decade or more.

While some hybrids compromise cup quality, careful cultivation and processing can yield outstanding results. Colombia Rosado (often called Pink Bourbon) and Parainema are both hybrids capable of producing highly distinctive coffees and, when treated properly, many other hybrids can reach their full potential as well.

Hybrid Varietals in Our Offerings

  • Colombia Rosado (Pink Bourbon) – Tropical fruit, citrus; bright, sweet, smooth.

  • Parainema – Citrus, honey, stone fruit; floral, creamy.

  • Castillo – Citrus, berries, chocolate, caramel, nuts; lively acidity.

  • Variedad Colombia – Dried fruit, caramel, chocolate; bright acidity.

  • Other Catimores & Sarchimores – From vibrant and sweet to earthy, depending on care and processing.

A Living History in the Cup

Every varietal is a record of adaptation—shaped by ancient natural events, centuries of farmer selection, and modern agricultural challenges. In tasting a Gesha from Panama, an SL-28 from Kenya, or a Bourbon from El Salvador, you’re tasting a combination of genetic heritage, environmental influence and processing know-how.

This is what makes coffee endlessly compelling: the same plant can tell a completely different story depending on where, how, and by whom it’s grown.

For those who want to explore varietal histories and traits in greater detail, the World Coffee Research Varieties Catalog is an invaluable resource.

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