You take the Highland and I'll take the Lowland (Coffee Beans)

Atop my hill in the Green Mountains I am surrounded by cows roaming the local farmland, visitors to the winery across the way, and people driving by on their way to or from home or a destination. Here, it really doesn't matter if I offer you cup of coffee at the top of the hill (although I'm partial to the view) or at the base of the valley.

However, it does matter to the coffee bean that makes up your Cup 'o Joe. It matters a lot! Altitude is a determining factor of the quality of coffee beans. In fact, you can divide them into highland and lowland beans. In general, a higher altitude creates a better quality bean. Of course, this isn't always the case as other factors are involved, but it tends to be true.

That's why Arabica coffee beans are considered superior to Robusta coffee beans. Arabica beans are grown at a much higher altitude (600 to 1800 meters above sea level) than the Robusta beans (sea level to 600 meters). We only roast Arabica beans for this reason. But you and I could still share the steaming cup of coffee while sitting next to Lake Champlain or Lake Eden and it would taste just as good.

Coffee Bean Tutorial: African Coffee Beans

African coffee beans are known for a very distinctive flavor, medium body and medium acidity. Coffees from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Yemen have a sharpness that coffee lovers will recognize when they revisit their favorite brew.

Note: The novel sounding Tanzanian Peaberry is a great tasting coffee. However, that is not because of its name. Every coffee bean can be referred to as a peaberry.

Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen