Coffee produced in South America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii are generally described as being very well balanced in terms of flavour blends. They tend to be light to medium bodied, and many varieties are sweet and mild, often with hints of floral and pleasant, fragrant aromas that make them popular for blending. Coffees grown in the Americas usually have a cleaner and smoother profile than coffees from other areas. They also tend to have a bright acidity. Other common characteristics of American coffee include nutty and chocolatey tones. Here is a guide to coffees from various regions in the Americas.
Brazilian Coffee: Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. In the past, the emphasis was on quantity and price rather than on quality as producers struggled to meet the high demand, which meant that often the higher quality beans were being mixed with lower quality varieties, thus lowering the overall standard. This is not the case any more, and Brazil is noted for its high quality coffee crops, and is becoming heavily involved in the speciality coffee industry. In general, Brazilian coffee has a mild flavour and is fairly light-bodied, with a gentle, unimposing character that makes it an excellent foundation in blends. On their own, Brazilian coffees are smooth and fine.
Colombian Coffee: Coffee from Columbia is synonymous with full-bodied texture and mellow flavours which still manage to be rich. Columbian coffee has very low to moderate acidity, and can actually be quite sweet. It has a consistently “clean” taste, which contains subtle hints of chocolate and citrus undertones, often in a pleasant aftertaste. The two highest grades of coffees grown in Columbia are Excelso and Supremo.
Costa Rican Coffee: The primary characteristic of Costa Rican coffee is its bracing acidity, which has become its trademark. And yet despite the fact that it is so high in acidity, it is also sweet and pure, and has a surprisingly mild taste. Many blends also have a sweet, soft aftertaste. Because of this unique mixture of characteristics, coffee produced in Costa Rica is quite often referred to as the “perfectly balanced” coffee. The fragrant aroma and distinctive flavours make it a wonderful coffee by itself, but Costa Rican coffees also lend themselves very well to being blended with other beans.
The Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic produces coffee that is marked by a rich flavor and moderate acidity. There are two main kinds of Dominican Republic (or Santo Domingo) coffee. Firstly, high-grown coffee, which is full of classic Caribbean coffee attributes – quite rich, and fairly acidic. On the other hand, lower-grown Dominican Republic coffees tend to be less acidy, milder and softer in taste and flavour. These ones tend to contain more complex blends of flavours, often fruity and spicy.
El Salvador Coffee: Quality can vary amongst varieties of coffee in El Salvador. The best quality El Salvador coffee comes from up high – coffee beans grown at high altitudes are El Salvador’s best. They tend to be very well-balanced coffees, with a mild flavour and good body. Acidity is medium, and there are often fruity flavours like melon and apple apparent in the taste. There are hints of chocolate in the body, and a pleasant, sweet aftertaste.
Guatemala Coffee: Coffees produced in Guatemala are renowned for their unique, distinctive smoky taste, with the best beans coming from up in the mountains (e.g. Amatitlan, Antigua and Coban). They result in a heavier-bodied beverage, usually quite highly acidic, and with a pleasing balance. The flavours tend to be soft and mild, characterised by those hints of smoke and spice, and often with chocolatey tones. Guatemala coffees are traditionally very aromatic.
Haitian Coffee: Coffee from Haiti enjoys a reputation for being one of the most flavorsome coffees there is. This is largely due to its climate and environmental conditions – the combining factors of plentiful rainfall, steady temperatures and rich volcanic soil create an ideal environment for the growing of rare and distinctive coffee beans. Haitian coffee beans have a slightly sweet flavor, and make a beverage with a pleasantly soft,rich-tasting and heavy body, with low to moderate acidity. Extremely well-balanced in terms of flavour and aroma, it also tastes excellent in both dark and light roasts.
Hawaiian Coffee: Hawaii is particularly noted for its world-famous Kona coffee beans, which come from coffee arabica plants grown high up in the Hualalai and Mauna Loa Mountains. Hawaii possesses soil that is richly volcanic, and receives plenty of afternoon cloud cover, making it a truly unique coffee growing area. These growing conditions are responsible for the distinctive characteristics of Kona coffee: full-bodied flavour, a rich aroma, and subtle undertones of spice and sweetness.
Jamaican Coffee: The most famous and highly regarded Jamaican coffee is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. The Blue Mountains are some of the highest mountains in the Caribbean, and as well as the high altitude, they receive a lot of cool mists and heavy rainfall – which, together with the rich soil, makes ideal coffee growing conditions. Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the most expensive and prized coffees in the world. It is a full-bodied, mellow coffee, mild in flavour and low in acidity. As well as being a popular brewing coffee, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee beans are used in the making of the popular coffee liqueur, Tia Maria.
Mexican Coffee: Coffee grown in Mexico is known for its sweet and pleasant taste. Many varieties have an extremely fragrant aroma, making them a popular choice for blending. Coffee-growing areas in Mexico include Chipas, Vera Cruz and Oaxaca, and they have an excellent reputation for the beans that they produce. A full body and rich flavour combined with a low acidity and that distinctive aroma make Mexican coffee a popular choice worldwide.
Nicaragua Coffee: Coffee beans from Nicaragua are classified by altitude, and the characteristics and quality of the coffee can vary greatly amongst the regions in which it is grown. The best Nicaragua coffee is that which is produced at a higher altitude – quality, high-grown coffee is mild and has a moderate acidity. Often, there are winey undertones, and a distinctive complex aroma.
Panama Coffee: Panama coffee-growing areas are renowned for producing brightly acidic coffees that are much sought-after. As with most coffee-producing regions, the characteristics and quality of the coffee varies throughout Panama, but the typically high quality Panamanian coffee for which the region is famous is best illustrated by Boquete coffees coming from the district of Chirqui. These are distinct, unique coffees from small, family-owned farms, and their mild flavours and full-bodied textures are complemented to perfection by vivid aromatics and bright floral and fruity tastes.
Peruvian Cofee: This is a good coffee to try if you want a taste of a classic Central American coffee. The coffee grown in Peru is mainly coffea arabica, and many coffee producers use the shade growing technique to produce high quality crops. With mild flavours and low acidity, these are generally very smooth and elegant coffees, medium balanced and with a medium body. They can add some liveliness to blends, and are also popular as stand-alone coffees.
Venezuelan Coffee: There are a variety of characterisic Venezuelan coffees, but you’ll be unlikely to find a poor quality one. Venezuela produces some of South America’s finest coffee crops, with differing distinctive tastes and aromas. Some, such as those from Tachira and Cucuta, are quite similar to coffees from Columbia – these are mildly acidic, and very rich. More unique to Venezuela, however, is coffee from Merida, a light-bodied and rich coffee with hints of sweetness and delightfully delicate flavours.
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