Coffee varietals: a starter guide
What a coffee varietal is, why it matters for flavor, and a tour of common varieties from Geisha and Bourbon to SL28 and Pink Bourbon.
A varietal (or variety) is the specific type of Coffea arabica plant a coffee comes from — much like grape varieties in wine. Variety influences flavor, body, acidity, disease resistance and how the plant grows. It’s one of the core pieces of a coffee’s identity, alongside origin and process.
Why varietal matters
Two coffees from the same region, farmed and processed similarly, can taste markedly different because of variety. Some varieties are prized for cup quality; others for yield or resilience. Knowing the variety helps you anticipate a coffee’s character and spot the styles you gravitate toward.
Common varieties you’ll see
- Bourbon — a foundational variety; sweet, balanced, rounded. Comes in red, yellow and pink selections.
- Typica — another classic ancestor; clean, sweet, classic cup, lower yield.
- Caturra / Catuaí — Bourbon-derived, widely planted in Latin America; dependable and bright.
- Geisha (Gesha) — famous for intense floral, jasmine and bergamot aromatics. Often the most expensive coffees on a menu.
- SL28 / SL34 — Kenyan selections known for bold blackcurrant acidity and structure.
- Ethiopian Heirloom — a catch-all for the many indigenous Ethiopian varieties; floral, tea-like, citrusy.
- Pink Bourbon — increasingly popular, especially from Colombia; vivid, complex, floral.
- Pacamara — a large-bean hybrid; big body and bold, sometimes wild flavors.
- Castillo — a disease-resistant Colombian variety bred for resilience.
Variety is only part of the story
Flavor is the product of variety plus origin (soil, altitude, climate), plus processing (washed, natural, honey, anaerobic), plus roast and brew. A Geisha processed naturally tastes very different from a washed one. Variety sets the genetic potential; everything downstream shapes how it shows up in the cup.
Build your own map
The fastest way to learn varieties is to taste across them and keep notes. BeanBench lets you record variety on every coffee — alongside country, region, producer, process and elevation — so patterns emerge over time and you learn which varieties you actually love.