The Finest Coffee Bean in The World

The finest coffee bean in the world is undoubtedly sourced from the Arabica species. Also since Colombian Arabica beans are traded in a class of their own and attract a higher price than any other coffee bean class on world markets, I guess Columbian Arabica beans are considered by the market as the finest. However, there are gems to be found throughout the world with some just confined to specific estates. The following are generally considered the finest coffees in their country and quite possibly, the world:

• Ankola: One of the world's best and most famous Arabica coffees grown around the northern port of Padang in west-central Sumatra. It is noted for its deep richness, full body and long finish together with just enough interesting acidity. Ankola coffee beans are often associated with the market name Mandheling. They are both grown at altitudes of 2,500 to 5,000 feet and are dry processed but the dried husk are removed with a hot water process which many believe contributes to its unique flavour characteristics.
• Antigua: Is the market name for one of the best and most distinctively flavored coffees of the world. It is grown in the valley surrounding Antigua, which is the old capital of Guatemala.
• Arona: One of Papua New Guinea’s most famous brand of Arabica coffee beans. It is grown in the Arona Valley in the Eastern Highlands Province. It is noted for its full body and its deep almost smoky like taste.
• Barahona: Is the market name for a high grown coffee in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. Named after the city and province that bears the same name. It is considered by many to be the best coffee of the Dominican Republic and is identified by its increased acidity yet heavier-bodied cup.
• Bogota: This as a brand of coffee beans grown in the eastern mountainous (cordillera) region of Colombia. Considered by some to be one of Colombia's finest coffees and it is definitely one of its most famous. It takes its name from the capital Bogota from which it is marketed.
• Bourbon Santos: Also marketed under the name of just ‘Santos’. It refers to a category of high-quality coffees from Brazil that are usually shipped through the port of Santos and that are grown in the state of São Paulo or the southern part of the State of Minas Gerais. The term properly describes the finest grade of Brazilian coffee produced from the Bourbon cultivar of Arabica. This cultivar tends to produce a softer, fruitier, smoother flavor with a medium body and more acidity than other varieties grown in Brazil.
• Bugishu: Is the market name for an Arabica coffee grown from the slopes of Mt. Elgon in Uganda near Kenya. It is considered by some to be the best coffee Uganda has to offer in contrast to the Robusta coffee which makes up most of Uganda’s coffee bean production.
• Celebes Toraja: Is a market name for one of the world’s finest coffees from Celebes (now known as Sulawesi) in Indonesia.
• Coban: Is a market name for a respected high-grown coffee from north-central Guatemala. Noted as one of world’s best and most distinctively flavored coffees.
• Grand Lares: Along with Yauco Selecto it is one of the world’s great coffee beans supplied by Puerto Rico. Grown in the south central part of the country it is noted for its balanced body, bright acidity and fruity aroma.
• Harar/Harrar: A Ethiopian Arabica bean that is grown at 4,800-7,500 feet in the northern part of state. The state produces two distinct varieties, the Longberry Harar which is considered to be the more desirable taste to the second shortberry variety. It is garden grown and cultivated from the species obtained from the south-west of the state. They are considered to be one of the world’s most prized coffees because they possess a complex medium to light acidity with full body and a unique winey/fruit wild-blueberry-like aroma. The beans are dry processed and have a slightly yellowish-green coloring.
• Jamaican Blue Mountain: Is a single-origin coffee grown above 3,000 feet in the Blue Mountain District of Jamaica. It is noted for its exceptionally rich, complex and bouillon-like flavour. This balanced, classic coffee contains a rich flavor, full body and a smooth yet vibrant acidity. This exceptional taste quality coupled with its short supply, has made it one of the world's most celebrated coffees.
• Kona: A single-origin coffee from the Kona coast of the Island of Hawaii. The best Kona coffee displays a classic balance between a medium body, a good acidity and culminating in a rich complex aroma and flavor.
• Lintong: Market name for the most admired coffee of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. This coffee grows in the Lake Toba area toward the northern end of the island. Whilst it is a term used to describe a broader group of coffee beans, it properly only describes coffees grown in a relatively small region just southwest of Lake Toba in the Kecamatan or the district of Lintongnihuta. Small plots of coffee producers are scattered over the high, undulating plateau of fern-covered clay and is grown without shade or chemicals of any kind.
• Mandheling: Is a more comprehensive designation that refers to both Lintong coffees and to any coffees grown under similar conditions in the region of Diari, north of Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia. It is recognised as one of the world’s most famous coffees. It is also the name of a Coffea canephora variety that was cultivated in the same area of Indonesia.
• Mattari: The Market name for one of the most admired coffees from Yemen. Grown in the Bani Mattar area west of the capital city of Sana'a, it is usually a winier, fruitier and sharper version of the Yemen chocolatey style. This coffee is dry processed.
• Mérida: Is the market name for one of the most respected and most characteristic Venezuela coffees. It is described as delicate and sweet in the cup yet full bodied with a mellow rich flavor.
• Ocoa: The market name for one of the better-respected, well balanced coffees from the Dominican Republic. It is a wet-processed coffee that is noted for its sweetness. Most of this coffee is exported to European markets.
• Tarrazu: Coffee named after the town of San Marcos de Tarrazu. It is the market name for one of the Costa Rica’s and in fact the world’s better coffees. It is grown in rich volcanic soil in the south of the state at elevations of between 3,900 – 5,000 feet.
• Yauco Selecto: This is an Arabica (var. Bourbon) coffee bean from a region of Puerto Rico and is grown high in the mountains above 3,000 feet. It is one of the finest coffees of the Caribbean but it can be subject to some commercial inconsistency. Often likened to the balanced perfection of the Jamaica Blue Mountain because of its deep, vibrant, yet restrained acidity and gently rich flavor. Two famous estates in the region include Hecienda San Pedro and Santa Ana.
• Yirgacheffe/Yirga Cheffe: The market name for one of the most famous Ethiopian washed Arabica coffee bean gardens grown at 5,000-7,500 feet in the south central Sidamo region near the boarder with Kenya and the village of Yirga Ch'efe. Regarded by many as the ‘cream of the crop’ of all coffees grown in the horn of Africa. It has unparalleled fruity aroma and is distinguished by its lemon/fruit-like and distinct tart bite floral acidity. The body is light and elegant whilst the flavour is complex leaving a rich floral finish and an almost menthol aftertaste. It is believed that these trees were cultivated from the varieties of the south-west of the state. Sometimes spelled "Yirgacheffe".