Varietals¶
This is a general list of commonly used varietals used in both filter coffee brewing and MCL. Included is also an abbreviated list of tasting notes for these varietals in former MCL entries
Some might have alternate names, hover the title to discover these.
Ají¶
Originally thought to be a Bourbon derived variety, but in fact an Ethiopian landrace discovered in Colombia. It is said to carry notes of spices, red fruits and florality.
Mystery Coffees
AMOC Dec '22 W4: rosehip (mapped to rose), nectarine (mapped to peach), cinnamon
Aramosa¶
A crossbreed/hybrid between Arabica and Racemosa, with the ideal of achieving low-caf benefits of Racemosa and great taste of Arabica, retaining the latter without the downsides of decaf processing. Said to be fruity and winey.
Mystery Coffees
Sumo Aug '22: peach, black tea and plum
Bourbon¶
A cultivar originating from Réunion (formerly Bourbon), from which many modern cultivars derive, most commonly found classified as Yellow or Red Bourbon
Mystery Coffees
Kawa Jul '23 (red): orange, hibiscus, raspberry
Castillo¶
Mystery Coffees
3M Feb '23: strawberry, mango, vanilla
Father's Oct '22: apple, blackberry, caramel (caramelised)
Catimor¶
Originally this varietal is a cross between Caturra and Timor, where in Kenya where it formed the basis of the development of the Ruiru 11 variety. Now often found in SEA producers, but because Timor Hybrid is a hybrid Robusta × Arabica, and often carries a Robusta-ness to it, it is often dismissed in specialty coffee circles. It will generally present dark berries, nuts, earthiness and dark chocolate, but because it has several sub-varietals, it can exhibit different characteristics.
Catuai¶
This widespread varietal is a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra, very common with Brazilian producers, but also seen commonly in Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. It will often be described with words like warm spices, nuts, chocolates and caramel or sugars.
Mystery Coffees
Rose May '24: (yellow) plum, hibiscus, cherry
Diamond's Jan '23: mandarin, nutmeg, caramel
Caturra¶
Mystery Coffees
Kafar Aug '23: mandarin, pineapple, elderflower
Colombia¶
Like Catimor, this is also a hybrid of Caturra and Timor, bred for the same purpose - getting the coffee leaf rust and CBD resistance of Robusta while trying to avoid it's flavour profile. Colombia formed the genetic base for several popular varietals like Castillo and Tabi.
F1 Hybrids¶
F1 is more of a classification than a single distinct varietal. The term denotes hybrids that are the first generation of a crossbreed. Plants made from the seeds of these F1 hybrids will be second generation (F2), and so on, but will have no guarantee of displaying any of the traits the parent hybrid has. This typically means that F1 hybrid plants will only be asexually propagated - that is clonally, typically with cuttings.
F1 Hybrids are gaining momentum, to combat both prevailing diseases and the challenges of climate change.
Because of their nature, it is not possible to ascribe them any flavour attributes.
Mystery Coffees
AMOC Feb '24: lemongrass, raspberry, black tea
AMOC Dec '22 W3: pineapple, apple juice, mulled wine & limoncello (mapped to winey)
Gesha¶
Mystery Coffees
Audun May '24: peach, floral, familiar 🤔
Kaffeelix Mar '24: plum, caramel, peach
Rozali Jan '24: green tea, jasmine, grapes
Sheep and Raven Dec '23 W2: raspberry, lychee, peach
Bani Dec '23 W4: apricot, grapefruit, hazelnut (creamy)
DAK May '23: peach, lavender, mandarine
Bani April '23: jasmine, orange, strawberry yogurt (mapped to strawberry)
Kafar '22: raspberry, black tea and jasmine
Bring back MGL!
Heirloom (Ethiopian Varietals)¶
Mystery Coffees
Bani Dec '23 W3 (konka): peach, honey, jasmine
Nero Scuro Oct '23 (alaka): blueberry (compote), jasmine, plum
Java¶
Mystery Coffees
AMOC Dec '22 W1: raspberry pie (mapped to raspberry), canned strawberry (mapped to strawberry), cardamom (brown spice, mapped to nutmeg)
Kenyan Cultivars (SL28, SL34, Ruiru, Batian)¶
Laurina¶
Mandela¶
Maragogype¶
Mundo Novo¶
Pacamara¶
Pink Bourbon¶
Mystery Coffees
TPC Dec '23: rosemary, black tea, bergamot
Morgon May '22: lemonade (mapped to lemon), juicy, sweet (mapped to overall sweet), mango, papaya (mapped to pineapple)
Moklair Mar '22: cherry, whiskey, dark chocolate
Sidra¶
Sudan Rume¶
Mystery Coffees
Special Guests Nov '23: blackberry, lime, jasmine
MOK Nov '22: starfruit (mapped to grape), Artemisia abrotanum var. maritima (cola herb mapped to herb-like), nutmeg
Typica¶
Mystery Coffees
Nomad Jun '22: peach, caramelised, prune
Typica Mejorado¶
Mystery Coffees
Kawa July '22: grape, peach, pineapple
Wush Wush¶
Mystery Coffees
Schön Jun '23: green apple, lime, mandarin
Yemenia¶
Other¶
There is a whole host of other varieties not described here. You can read about some of them on World Coffee Research's website. These include for example Centroamericano, Anacafe 14 and Pacas.
Mystery Coffees
Shokunin Sep '23 (field blend): almond, green apple, caramel
AMOC Dec '22 W2 (field blend): almond, orange, milk chocolate (mapped to chocolate)
Shokunin April '22 (JBM & Jackson): lemon, grapefruit, black tea