The World’s Main Single Origin Coffees

Learn about the coffee regions, and the key single-origin coffees in each one.

South America

Brazil: the dominant force in the market, Brazil produces mainly mild, soft and smooth coffees that can be used for blending – although recently, a huge range of specialist coffees have become available which are perfectly suited to drinking on their own.
Colombia: full-bodied and mellow, with a gentle acidity and slightly nutty flavor, this high-quality coffee comes from beans grown at high altitude.

Central America

Costa Rica: mild, fragrant coffee with delicate acidity, grown mostly at high altitude.
Guatemala: the country’s mountains and volcanic soil produce versatile coffee, which, when it is light roasted, is mild and full; when it is dark roasted, it becomes smoky and powerful.

Caribbean

Jamaica: Blue Mountain, the most famed of the island’s coffees, is produced in tiny quantities at 5,000 feet (1,525 m) above sea level. Very expensive, but at their best, very subtle coffees of great finesse.

East Africa

Kenya: the king of East African coffees, noted for its aroma and pleasant sharpness; this is good drunk black or with milk, when it retains its lively character.
Tanzania: closer in flavour to the rich, delicate coffees of Central America; less acid than Kenyan coffee.
Ethiopia: the homeland of arabica, with many choices—Mocha has a strong, gamey flavour, while Yirgacheffe has a pronounced, wild taste with a unique tang.

Asia

India: an origin that offers a range of flavours—like the soft, rich Mysore, with low acidity and a light, winy taste, or Monsooned Malabar, which has a flavour which is used widely to make espresso.
Indonesia: from its many islands, the origin presents a range of tastes from the heavy, mellow flavour of Java, to Sumatra, with its rich body and delicate acidity.
Papua New Guinea: a coffee with a very fruity flavour and an unusual acidity.