ORIGIN
|
OVERALL QUALITY
|
CHARACTERISTICS
|
LOOK FOR
|
BRAZIL
|
Average
|
Sweet (some describe it as "fruity"), neutral
|
Bourbon Santos
|
COLOMBIA
|
Good to excellent
|
Sweet, good flavor, full body, slight acidity.
|
Medellin, Armenia, Manizales. Regardless of origin, Supremo is highest grade.
|
COSTA RICA
|
Excellent
|
Hearty, rich
|
Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, Alajuela. "Strictly hard bean" is best grade.
|
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
|
Above average to excellent
|
Varies. Bani is more mellow, while Barahona is heavier and more acidic.
|
Bani, Ocoa, Barahona
|
ECUADOR
|
Average to above average
|
Sharp acidity. May be hard to find in stores.
|
N/A
|
ORIGIN
|
OVERALL QUALITY
|
CHARACTERISTICS
|
LOOK FOR
|
EL SALVADOR
|
Average
|
Medium acidity, neutral to mild flavor
|
High grown
|
ETHIOPIA
|
Inconsistent, in part because of internal political problems
|
Sweet flavor with floral aroma. Much of the coffee is harvested from wild trees.
|
Yergacheffe, Harrar, Djimma
|
GUATEMALA
|
Excellent
|
Rich, spicy or smoky flavor (growers burn pitch near the plantations in severe weather to protect their crops; this smoke lends the beans their beans distinctive flavor).
|
Antigua, Coban, Huehuetenango. "Strictly hard bean" best available grade.
|
HAITI
|
Above average
|
Sweet, mellow, fair-bodied with a soft, rich flavor. Continuing political problems in Haiti may make its coffees difficult to find.
|
Best grade is "strictly high-grown washed."
|
JAMAICAN HIGH MOUNTAIN
|
Excellent
|
Rich, full-bodied, and well balanced
|
Wallensford Blue Mountain, Silver Hill Estate Mountain. Watch out for "Blue Mountain style," a blend of beans intended to have the same flavor characteristics as Blue Mountain, but which may contain no beans from that plantation.
|
ORIGIN
|
OVERALL QUALITY
|
CHARACTERISTICS
|
LOOK FOR
|
JAMAICAN LOW MOUNTAIN
|
Average to below average, far inferior to Jamaican high mountain
|
Often used as filler in cheaper coffee blends
|
N/A
|
JAVA (Indonesia)
|
Good
|
Spicy or slightly smoky, full-bodied, with a strong flavor and little acidity
|
Rare Old Java
|
KENYA
|
Excellent
|
Full-bodied, rich, a bit winy, with a hint of black currant
|
AA is best grade
|
KONA (Hawaii)
|
Above average to excellent
|
Smooth and mild, rich flavor, medium acid
|
N/A. Watch out for "Kona style," which may have similar flavor but is not required to contain any Kona beans.
|
MEXICO
|
Above average
|
Fine acidity, light, delicate body, and pleasantly mellow flavor.
|
Chiapas (Tapachula), Coatepec, Oaxaca
|
ORIGIN
|
OVERALL QUALITY
|
CHARACTERISTICS
|
LOOK FOR
|
MOCHA JAVA
|
Usually above average
|
Mocha Java is actually a mixture of one part Yemen Mocha beans to two parts Java Arabica beans. The combination makes a more complete coffee than either alone.
|
N/A
|
NEW GUINEA
|
Above average
|
Similar to Java, but more understated
|
Arona
|
NEW ORLEANS COFFEE
|
Usually above average
|
Coffee isn't grown in New Orleans, but the area has become known for this blend, a dark-roasted coffee blended with the root chicory.
|
Cafe Du Monde is most well-known brand name
|
NICARAGUA
|
Inconsistent, can be above average
|
Fair acidity, mild flavor, medium to light body
|
Jinotega, Matagalpa
|
PERU
|
Inconsistent, can be above average
|
Good flavor, with medium body, mild acidity, aromatic
|
Chanchamayo
|
SUMATRA
|
Above average
|
Very rich, full-bodied, fairly acidic
|
Ankola, Mandheling
|
ORIGIN
|
OVERALL QUALITY
|
CHARACTERISTICS
|
LOOK FOR
|
TANZANIA
|
Average
|
Sharp, winy, acidic, rich, medium to full body
|
Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Arusha; high-grade AA
|
UGANDA
|
Above average
|
Similar to Kenya, but with lighter body
|
Arabica beans rather than robusto; best region is Bugishu
|
VENEZUELA
|
Average to above average
|
Low acidity, may be sweet, delicate.
|
Maracaibos: Merida, Trujillo, Tachira. Best grade is Lavado Fino.
|
YEMEN (Mocha)
|
Excellent
|
Small beans, with winy, smooth flavor, spicy aftertaste
|
N/A
|
ZIMBABWE
|
Above average to excellent
|
Winy, lighter-bodied with spicy aftertaste.
|
Washed coffee
|