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Varieties and Grading
Common Colombian Coffee Varieties and Grades
Start with eight common varieties and how they differ in flavor and cultivation, then learn how Colombian green coffee is graded by bean size, preparation standards, and cup quality.
Varieties
Heritage variety
An important traditional Arabica variety and a source of many later varieties. The trees are tall with relatively low yields and are susceptible to coffee leaf rust, but they have excellent cup quality potential.
When tasting, look for clear acidity and sweetness, delicate aroma, and a clean finish.
Classic Arabica
An important traditional Arabica variety with excellent quality potential at suitable high altitudes. Caramel, citrus, and floral notes are useful tasting clues; the key is the balance between sweetness and acidity.
Bourbon comes in red, yellow, and other types—not just one cherry color.
Compact Bourbon mutation
A natural mutation of Bourbon. The plants are compact, making harvesting and dense planting easier, but they are not resistant to leaf rust.
When tasting, look for bright acidity, clean sweetness, and a crisp finish. Its compact size is a farming advantage, but it doesn’t mean every plant yields more.
Rust-resistant cultivar
Developed by Cenicafé, Colombia’s National Coffee Research Center, it is known for leaf rust resistance, good productivity, and adaptability.
Disease-resistant varieties can also taste excellent; actual results still depend on the farm, ripeness, and processing.
Cenicafé cultivar
Here, “Colombia” is the name of a variety, not just a place of origin. Cenicafé developed it from Caturra × Timor Hybrid material, with a focus on disease resistance and productivity.
It shares a breeding background with Castillo, but it is not the same variety.
Elephant bean
A natural mutation of Typica with larger seeds, leaves, and cherries—hence its nickname “elephant bean”—but with relatively low yields.
Large beans aren’t necessarily lower in acidity, stronger, or better tasting; it depends on the actual lot.
Tall, rust-resistant
A tall variety bred by Cenicafé from Typica, Bourbon, and Timor Hybrid material, combining leaf rust resistance with good cup quality.
It shows how breeding can preserve the quality potential of traditional varieties while addressing their farming weaknesses.
Pink-cherry variety
Named for the pink color of its ripe cherries; specialty lots are often prized for floral, fruity, and sweet aromas.
Having “Bourbon” in the name doesn’t prove its lineage; it shouldn’t be identified as a cross of Red and Yellow Bourbon based only on its name or cherry color.
Grading
Colombian green coffee grading can be understood through three aspects: “bean size,” “preparation standards,” and “cup quality.” The image focuses on size grading—bigger beans don’t necessarily taste better.
Larger and more uniform
Typically Screen 17/18; in trade, always check the full screen tolerance.
Slightly smaller; also meets export standards
Beyond size, defects, moisture content, density, and cupping performance must also be checked.
Bigger beans don’t necessarily taste better. Quality must be judged by both green bean condition and performance in the cup.
What does “Screen” mean?
Screen refers to the hole size of the sieve used to sort green beans; the higher the number, the larger the holes. Each number equals 1/64 inch—for example, Screen 18 is about 7.14 mm, 17 about 6.75 mm, 16 about 6.35 mm, 15 about 5.95 mm, and 14 about 5.56 mm. These are sieve hole sizes, not the length of each bean.
| Grade | Main Size or Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Excelso Premium | Screen 18 | Large green beans; “Premium” doesn’t guarantee the highest cupping score. |
| Excelso Supremo | Screen 17; commonly 17/18 | A common large-bean grade that mainly describes size. |
| Excelso Extra | Screen 16 | Medium-large green beans; Extra and EP are different grades. |
| Excelso Europa/EP | Usually Screen 15 | EP means European Preparation, a European-style hand-sorted standard—not a place of origin. |
| Excelso UGQ | Screen 14 and above | UGQ means Usual Good Quality, a common standard export grade—not an inferior bean. |
| Caracol/Peaberry | Round beans, sorted separately by size | The key feature is its shape; it shouldn’t be placed at the bottom of a large-to-small bean flavor ranking. |
Grades usually allow a certain percentage of smaller beans, so not every bean in the bag is identical; in trade, check the full specifications.
Besides size, what other qualities should we consider?
- Moisture contentWhether it’s suitable for storage and shipping—neither too high nor too low.
- Defective beans and impuritiesBlack beans, sour beans, insect-damaged beans, broken beans, foreign matter, and more.
- Smell and appearanceAny musty smell, off-odors, or abnormal appearance?
- ColorWhether the lot looks as it should—don’t judge simply by “the greener, the better.”
- Cupping qualityAfter brewing: is it clean and defect-free, and how are the aroma, acidity, sweetness, and body?