Type of Arabica Coffee You Have to Know

Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) is widely regarded as one of the highest quality coffee species in the world, known for its smooth flavor profile, mild acidity, and aromatic complexity. It accounts for around 60% of global coffee production, and its popularity continues to grow among specialty coffee producers and consumers alike. 

Within this species, there are many different type of Arabica coffee, each with its own unique characteristics, growing conditions, and flavor notes.

The vast diversity among Arabica varieties can be traced to a combination of genetic inheritance, geographical adaptation, and breeding practices. Some varieties emerged through natural mutations, while others were developed through selective breeding and hybridization efforts aimed at improving yield, disease resistance, or cup quality. 

Understanding the distinctions between these varieties is essential not only for coffee growers but also for roasters, baristas, and enthusiasts who seek to appreciate the nuanced flavors found in a cup of Arabica coffee.

In this article, we will explore the major type of Arabica coffee, starting with the foundational Bourbon and Typica lines, moving through their offspring and hybrid varieties, and then examining more recent innovations such as F1 hybrids and introgressive varieties.

We will also look at the challenges these coffee plants face, especially in terms of disease resistance and sustainability. By the end, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of the complex and evolving world of Arabica coffee varieties.

Arabica varieties Bourbon and Typica

Bourbon and Typica are considered the two primary ancestral lines of the type of Arabica coffee. These two varieties form the genetic backbone of nearly all traditional Arabica cultivars grown around the world today. 

Though they share a common origin, they developed along different geographical routes and exhibit distinctive characteristics that have influenced the breeding of numerous other varieties.

Typica

Typica is one of the oldest cultivated Arabica coffee types, believed to have been taken from Ethiopia to Yemen, and later spread to India, Indonesia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Typica plants tend to produce high-quality coffee with excellent cup profiles, featuring bright acidity, clean flavors, and delicate sweetness. 

However, they have relatively low yields and are highly susceptible to diseases such as coffee leaf rust. Typica plants are tall with a conical shape, bronze-tipped new leaves, and elongated cherries. They thrive in high-altitude regions with moderate temperatures, where their flavor complexity is most pronounced. 

Despite their vulnerability to pests and diseases, Typica remains popular in specialty coffee for its outstanding flavor attributes.

Bourbon

Bourbon originated from the island of Réunion (formerly called Bourbon), where it evolved from Typica after being introduced from Yemen in the 18th century. It later spread to mainland Africa and Latin America, where it became a foundation for several high-performing cultivars.

Compared to Typica, Bourbon plants tend to yield more fruit and mature slightly faster. Their flavor profile is equally prized, often described as having greater body, balanced acidity, and notes of chocolate, fruit, and floral tones depending on the terroir. Bourbon plants are slightly shorter and more compact, with green or bronze-tipped leaves and rounder coffee cherries.

Like Typica, Bourbon is vulnerable to many coffee diseases and pests, which limits its viability in regions with harsh growing conditions. Nevertheless, its rich flavor and productivity make it a cornerstone in the breeding of newer type of Arabica coffee that aim to combine high quality with better resilience.

Diseases of coffee plants

Despite the high quality and consumer preference for type of Arabica coffee, one of the major challenges in cultivating Arabica varieties is their susceptibility to a range of diseases. 

These plant health issues can significantly reduce yields, compromise bean quality, and threaten the economic stability of coffee-producing regions. Below are some of the most critical diseases that affect Arabica coffee.

Coffee leaf rust

Coffee leaf rust, caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, is arguably the most notorious disease affecting Arabica coffee. It first gained global attention in the 19th century when it devastated coffee plantations in Asia and later spread to Africa and the Americas. 

The disease presents as orange-yellow powdery spots on the underside of coffee leaves, leading to premature defoliation, reduced photosynthesis, and ultimately, a drop in yield.

Arabica plants are particularly vulnerable to leaf rust, especially in warm, humid climates. Once established, the fungus can be difficult to control. Fungicidal sprays and resistant varieties are the most common countermeasures, but outbreaks still occur with seasonal regularity in many producing regions.

Coffee leaf rust remains a primary driver behind breeding efforts to create more resistant type of Arabica coffee, especially through the development of hybrids and introgressive varieties.

Coffee cherry disease

Coffee cherry disease (CCD), caused by the fungus Colletotrichum kahawae, affects the fruit of the coffee plant. It is mainly found in high-altitude areas of Africa, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. This disease appears as sunken black lesions on green cherries, which quickly rot and fall off the plant, leading to significant crop losses.

CCD can destroy entire harvests in severe outbreaks, making it one of the most economically damaging diseases for Arabica growers in East Africa. Since CCD primarily attacks the cherry, it not only reduces yield but also affects bean quality, which is critical in specialty coffee markets.

Currently, control methods include pruning, fungicide application, and the use of resistant cultivars. However, effective disease management remains a complex and costly endeavor for smallholder farmers.

Roundworms in coffee

Nematodes, or microscopic roundworms, also pose a threat to Arabica coffee cultivation. The most harmful species include Meloidogyne (root-knot nematodes) and Pratylenchus (lesion nematodes). These parasites attack the roots of coffee plants, impairing water and nutrient uptake, which stunts plant growth and reduces productivity.

Symptoms of nematode infestation often resemble drought stress or nutrient deficiencies—yellowing leaves, reduced leaf size, and weak overall plant development. If left unchecked, severe infestations can render plantations nonviable.

Although not as immediately devastating as fungal diseases, nematodes create long-term soil health issues. Management strategies include crop rotation, organic soil amendments, and resistant rootstock varieties. The breeding type of Arabica coffee that exhibit nematode resistance is an ongoing focus in sustainable coffee agriculture.

Varieties of Bourbon and Typica

Over the decades, numerous cultivars have been developed from the Bourbon and Typica lines through natural mutations and intentional breeding. These descendants represent a wide spectrum of agronomic traits and flavor profiles, and they continue to shape the landscape of type of Arabica coffee grown worldwide.

Variety Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, first discovered in Brazil during the early 20th century. It is a dwarf variety, with compact growth that allows for denser planting and easier harvesting. Caturra matures faster than Bourbon and typically produces higher yields under optimal conditions.

In terms of cup profile, Caturra offers a clean and bright flavor, although some experts argue that its quality is slightly lower than traditional Bourbon when grown under the same conditions. Due to its compact stature and relatively good performance, Caturra is widely cultivated in Latin America, particularly in Colombia and Central America.

Variety Catuai

Catuai is a hybrid developed from a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. It was created by the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in Brazil during the 1940s to combine the yield potential and resilience of Mundo Novo with the compact form of Caturra.

Catuai exists in two color variants—red and yellow—and is known for its high productivity and wind resistance. It requires careful maintenance and is susceptible to coffee leaf rust, but it continues to be a workhorse variety across Brazil and other Latin American countries. Its flavor is generally sweet, mild, and nutty, often favored for arabica medium roasts coffee.

Variety Mundo Novo

Mundo Novo is a natural hybrid between Typica and Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1940s. It combines the high yield of Bourbon with the tall, hardy structure of Typica, making it a reliable cultivar in diverse growing conditions.

Mundo Novo is taller than Caturra and Catuai, and while it has excellent productivity and cup potential, it requires more space and labor due to its height. Its beans are often noted for balanced acidity, good body, and chocolatey undertones. Mundo Novo is frequently used in breeding programs to develop new type of Arabica coffee with improved traits.

Variety Pache

Pache is a natural mutation of Typica, found in Guatemala in the mid-20th century. It is a short-statured plant like Caturra and is especially popular in regions with strong wind or limited space due to its compact form.

This variety is known for its balanced cup with soft acidity and a smooth mouthfeel. However, it lacks resistance to coffee leaf rust and other major diseases, which limits its expansion in regions where disease pressure is high. Nonetheless, its quality and structure make it useful in selective breeding.

Variety Villa Sarchi

Villa Sarchi, also called La Luisa, is a dwarf mutation of Bourbon, first discovered in Costa Rica. It shares similarities with Caturra but is slightly more resistant to wind and disease. Its small size makes it a good choice for high-density planting, especially in mountainous regions.

Flavor-wise, Villa Sarchi is admired for its vibrant acidity, fruity sweetness, and delicate complexity—characteristics that make it desirable in the specialty coffee market. Though it is not widely planted, it remains a parent variety in breeding projects aiming to combine cup quality with better agronomic performance.

Varieties of the SL family

The SL (Scott Agricultural Laboratories) varieties were developed in Kenya during the mid-20th century to suit the country’s unique growing conditions. Among them, SL28 and SL34 are the most famous. 

SL28 is known for its drought resistance and outstanding cup profile—often displaying notes of blackcurrant, citrus, and floral complexity. SL34, while less drought-tolerant, is better suited to wetter regions and also exhibits high cup quality.

These varieties are direct descendants of Bourbon and Typica lines and are prized for their performance in high altitudes. While susceptible to leaf rust and other diseases, the SL varieties remain iconic in specialty coffee due to their exceptional flavor.

Ethiopian Heirloom

Ethiopia is widely regarded as the birthplace of coffee, and its wild and cultivated Arabica populations are among the most genetically diverse in the world. The term “Ethiopian Heirloom” is used broadly to describe the wide range of traditional and indigenous type of Arabica coffee grown in Ethiopia, often on smallholder farms or in semi-forest systems. 

These varieties have not been extensively cataloged, making the genetic diversity in this category both vast and mysterious.

Ethiopian heirloom varieties are typically not the result of formal breeding but rather the product of natural selection and farmer selection over generations. As a result, they exhibit tremendous variation in flavor, disease resistance, and yield characteristics. 

Their unpredictable but often exceptional cup profiles—ranging from floral and citrusy to wine-like and spicy—make them highly valued in the specialty coffee industry.

Among the most well-known varieties associated with Ethiopian heirlooms are Geisha and Java, which have become significant not only in Ethiopia but also globally. These varieties are often found growing in regions such as Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Guji, where elevation, climate, and traditional practices contribute to their remarkable complexity.

Variety Geisha

Geisha (also spelled Gesha) is perhaps the most celebrated type of Arabica coffee in the world today. Originally discovered in the 1930s in the Gesha forest of Ethiopia, the variety gained fame after being planted in Panama, where it shocked the specialty coffee world with its unique flavor characteristics and high auction prices.

Geisha is known for its distinctive floral aroma, tea-like body, vibrant acidity, and flavors that often include jasmine, bergamot, and tropical fruits. It requires high elevation and careful cultivation to reach its full potential. Geisha plants are tall and elegant, with elongated leaves and cherries, and they are sensitive to environmental changes.

Though Geisha is low-yielding and susceptible to disease, its market value and prestige have encouraged farmers in Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia to adopt it for high-end production.

Java variety

The Java variety has an equally interesting lineage. It is often confused with Typica due to its historical connection to Indonesian coffee cultivation, but the Java variety referred to here is a distinct selection from Ethiopia, introduced to Cameroon and then later to Latin America.

Java is appreciated for its combination of good disease resistance—especially to coffee leaf rust—and excellent cup quality. It tends to be more tolerant to harsh conditions compared to Geisha, making it a practical choice for farmers seeking a premium type of Arabica coffee with less production risk.

In terms of flavor, Java can present a refined and clean cup with subtle fruitiness, mild acidity, and a silky body. While not as intensely floral as Geisha, it holds its own as a specialty-grade variety suitable for high-altitude production.

Introgressive varieties

Introgressive coffee varieties are hybrids created by crossing Arabica with other species or varieties to combine desirable traits from both parent plants. These hybrids are primarily developed to improve disease resistance, yield, and overall plant robustness while maintaining the high-quality attributes of Arabica coffee. 

Among the most important introgressive hybrids are Catimor and Sarchimor, which have played significant roles in addressing the challenges faced by traditional Arabica varieties.

Catimor and Sarchimor varieties

Catimor is a hybrid between the Typica variety and the Robusta species, created in Portugal in the 1950s. It was specifically developed to address coffee leaf rust and other diseases that were affecting traditional Arabica crops in Brazil and other regions. 

Catimor plants are highly resistant to coffee leaf rust, which has made them a valuable option for farmers looking for more resilient coffee varieties.

However, Catimor plants often produce lower-quality beans compared to pure Arabica varieties, especially in terms of flavor complexity. While Catimor does offer high productivity and robust disease resistance, it is often considered a compromise between quantity and quality. That being said, it is widely used in large-scale coffee production in regions like Brazil, India, and Africa.

Sarchimor is another hybrid developed by combining the Mundo Novo variety (a descendant of Bourbon) with the Timor hybrid (which itself is a cross between Arabica and Robusta). Developed in Brazil, Sarchimor was created to combine the best qualities of Mundo Novo’s productivity and resistance with the disease resilience of the Timor hybrid.

Sarchimor varieties are known for their resistance to coffee leaf rust and other common diseases. Although they tend to produce coffee with a lower cup score than Bourbon or Typica varieties, Sarchimor’s higher yield and disease resistance have made it a go-to choice for farmers in regions plagued by these issues. 

As such, it is an important component of type of Arabica coffee breeding programs focused on sustainability and resilience.

F1 hybrid coffee varieties

F1 hybrids represent a specific class of hybrid varieties where the first generation (F1) is a result of the controlled crossing of two distinct parent plants. These hybrids are carefully bred to combine the best traits of each parent, such as disease resistance, higher yield, and desirable flavor characteristics. 

F1 hybrids have become increasingly popular in modern coffee production due to their ability to address several challenges simultaneously.

These hybrids typically combine the resilience and productivity of Robusta with the cup quality and flavor complexity of Arabica. F1 hybrids are not self-pollinating, meaning they require careful breeding each generation to maintain their characteristics. However, they offer the potential for significant improvements in the coffee industry.

The most notable F1 hybrid varieties are the result of crossing Arabica with the Robusta species, creating a more robust and disease-resistant hybrid. These hybrids are gaining traction in regions that face high disease pressure and changing environmental conditions, including climate change.

The F1 hybrid varieties also offer increased uniformity in plant traits, which is beneficial for large-scale production. While the flavor quality of these hybrids may vary, they are often bred for resilience and adaptability rather than for complex flavor profiles. However, with continued breeding and refinement, some F1 hybrids are beginning to display high cup quality.

One prominent example of an F1 hybrid variety is the “Ruiru 11,” developed in Kenya by crossing traditional Arabica varieties with the robust and resistant Timor hybrid. The result is a coffee plant that boasts disease resistance, particularly to coffee leaf rust, and has demonstrated improved yield and quality in challenging growing conditions.

Are there genetically modified coffee plants?

Genetically modified (GM) coffee plants have been a topic of research for several decades, but they are not yet commercially available in large quantities. 

The main goal of genetic modification in coffee is to create plants that are more resilient to diseases, pests, and environmental stressors, while also improving productivity and quality. Despite the potential benefits, the introduction of GM coffee has been met with both enthusiasm and concern.

Genetic Modification in Coffee

The primary focus of GM coffee research has been on improving resistance to coffee leaf rust, one of the most destructive diseases in the coffee industry, as well as combating other pests like the coffee borer beetle. Researchers have also explored enhancing drought tolerance and increasing caffeine content to improve the plant’s survival in various growing conditions.

One of the most famous examples of genetically modified coffee research is the development of a coffee plant resistant to coffee leaf rust. Scientists have inserted specific genes from other plants into the coffee plant’s DNA to confer resistance to this fungal disease. 

While the research shows promising results, genetically modified coffee has not yet been approved for commercial planting in most countries. Another area of genetic modification in coffee includes the modification of the plant’s ability to produce certain compounds that affect its flavor. 

For example, there has been research into altering the levels of chlorogenic acids in coffee beans, which influence the taste, acidity, and bitterness of coffee. However, these genetic modifications are still in the experimental stages and have not yet been widely implemented.

Ethical and Regulatory Considerations

While the potential for GM coffee to address issues such as disease resistance and climate adaptability is evident, there are significant ethical and regulatory concerns surrounding its development. 

Many consumers and coffee industry stakeholders are wary of the potential environmental impact and the possible loss of genetic diversity in coffee plants. There is also concern about how GM coffee might affect the flavor profile that coffee enthusiasts cherish.

Regulations surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are strict in many countries, and GM coffee has yet to receive widespread approval for commercial use. In countries like the United States, Brazil, and Colombia, which are major coffee producers, GM coffee is still in the research and development phase.

Overall, while the possibility of genetically modified coffee plants offers exciting opportunities to combat diseases and increase yields, the introduction of GM coffee on a large scale will likely depend on further research, regulatory approvals, and public acceptance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of Arabica coffee is vast and diverse, with numerous type of Arabica coffee varieties contributing to the global coffee landscape. From the traditional Bourbon and Typica varieties to the modern innovations in hybrids and genetically modified plants, each type of Arabica coffee brings something unique to the table. 

The Bourbon and Typica lines remain foundational to many coffee-growing regions, while heirloom varieties from Ethiopia, such as Geisha, continue to capture the attention of coffee enthusiasts worldwide for their exceptional flavor profiles.

Additionally, introgressive varieties like Catimor and Sarchimor have played an important role in improving disease resistance and productivity, making them valuable in regions affected by coffee leaf rust and other challenges. 

The emergence of F1 hybrid varieties offers new possibilities for combining resilience with high-quality cup attributes, and while genetically modified coffee is still in its early stages, it holds promise for addressing some of the most pressing issues facing the coffee industry.

As coffee production faces ongoing challenges from climate change, pests, and diseases, the development of resilient coffee varieties will be crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the industry. Whether through traditional breeding methods or cutting-edge genetic research, the future of type of coffee bean will likely be shaped by both innovation and tradition. 

As coffee continues to evolve, the efforts to preserve genetic diversity, enhance quality, and adapt to environmental changes will play a key role in shaping the coffee of tomorrow.