Robusta tree flowering in Republic of India. Courtesy Kenneth Davids
Espresso Overview readers are no doubt acutely aware of considered one of American forte espresso’s maximum power taboos: Thou shalt no longer roast or promote espresso from bushes of the Robusta species. For many years, the North American forte espresso international has have shyed away from having anything else to do with the Robusta (Coffea canephora) species, the hardier, inexpensive substitute to Coffea arabica that most often provides round 40% of the arena’s espresso. This prohibition is in large part tacit and unspoken, however is in line with a judgment of Robusta’s cup personality as inescapably dull and sour in comparison to Coffea arabica’s better sweetness, sunny and complexity. Within the U.S., virtually all Robustas finally end up in fast coffees or canned grocery store blends.
However now, on the extra adventurous edges of the forte espresso international, there’s a fresh hobby in Robusta. In all probability we haven’t given it a anticipation, the considering is going; possibly we haven’t tasted the in point of fact just right ones, those who have been meticulously processed or higher-grown. Perhaps our whole prepared of espresso expectancies is biased and rancid.
This hobby is, partially, pushed by way of the looming fact of worldwide warming, which threatens to radically let go lands appropriate for the manufacturing of Coffea arabica, a notoriously fussy plant with narrowly outlined wishes. Arabica calls for elevated rising elevations within the tropics, for instance, with a mixture of cool but frost-free nights. Robusta, at the alternative hand, can thrive at warmer temperatures than Arabica and is normally a lot hardier.
Or no less than we idea it was once hardier, an guess partially challenged by way of the hot unfortunate drought in Vietnam, the arena’s biggest manufacturer of Robusta. Remarkable sizzling, brittle climate lowered Robusta manufacturing in Vietnam by way of 20% in 2023-24, even though the 2024-25 abbreviation is now anticipated to rebound. Lately, the seek for a extra climate-resilient espresso plant has prolonged to alternative espresso species: to Liberica, a hardy, low-elevation species extensively grown and fed on in Southeast Asia and the Philippines; to Excelsa, quite a few Liberica in particular admired for its cup profile, and to Stenophylla, a unprecedented and just lately rediscovered species that analysis suggests tolerates elevated temperatures time exhibiting a space of sensory personality related to high-grown Arabica.
Dennis Ong of Excelsa Espresso with a tender Excelsa tree. Courtesy Excelsa Espresso
One more reason for the hot get up of hobby in Robusta could also be a push by way of the ones Robusta manufacturers who’re enthusiastic about feature to get in at the forte recreation, to have the similar alternative to draw popularity and better costs for higher, extra unique coffees as those that develop Arabica.
A much less high-minded explanation why for the hot consideration paid to Robusta and alternative substitute espresso species is obviously forte espresso’s yearning for novelty. Unused processing modes and wrinkles (anaerobic, carbonic maceration, fruit co-fermentation) appear to pop up each season, as do common bulletins of thrilling fresh sorts of Arabica (Sidra, Chiroso, Wush Wush), all of which recommend an business that, alternatively a lot it claims to price the standard and original, wishes greater than an occasional goose from the surprising and magazine. And what might be extra magazine than an underdog bean that demanding situations the possibly too common, hum-drum Coffea arabica?
After all, a fair much less high-minded explanation why for consideration to Robusta is the chance it offer to truncate prices for inexperienced espresso. Even supposing each Robusta and Arabica were expanding in worth as a result of reduced manufacturing, Robusta nonetheless prices roasters much less according to pound on reasonable than Arabica — recently round 16% much less consistent with figures revealed by way of Statista.com, an opening that has gotten smaller ceaselessly since 2022, when Robusta price round 60% lower than Arabica.
Pattern Sourcing Demanding situations
To survey what a shopper may be expecting from those non-Arabica species, we collected and examined as many examples of forte variations of Robusta and alternative non-Arabica espresso species as shall we to find on the market in roasted, retail structure by way of North American and Asian roasters. Our concept was once, because it all the time has been, to permit our consumer-enthusiast readers to style and percentage within the unedited traits and issues within the forte espresso international.
And once more, an hobby in Robusta and alternative substitute species seems to be a kind of traits. “Robusta is having a moment in specialty coffee,” UK espresso essayist Sarah Charles declared within the April 15, 2025 version of the business e-newsletter Espresso Insigt. “The underdog coffee bean that java snobs love to hate is finally getting some respect,” consistent with a Wall Boulevard Magazine quote featured at the Nguyen Espresso Provide web site. At the institutional and technical entrance, the fresh, Robusta-focused group Canephorum has just lately immune a meticulously vetted sensory tasting wheel in particular designed for the outline and analysis of Robusta. The announcement of the wheel’s debut on Instagram ended with a convincing rhetorical manipulate: Robusta tasting “is no longer in Arabica’s shadow. It stands grounded, described, and ready — for those who dare to taste beyond the expected.”
The Proof within the Cup
So, have been we blown away by way of the originality and brilliance of the cup profiles of those substitute species?
Latest? As in several from the common space of Arabica cup profiles? Sure, no doubt.
Grand, as in thrilling, refreshingly other, the place can I am getting extra? No longer so positive.
To begin with, we discovered only a few samples to cup. Given the insistent business chatter round substitute species, we idea we could be deluged by way of chances.
No longer so. We have been ready to search out best 20 or so alternative-species coffees on the market to shoppers, even upcoming supplementing our common roaster solicitations by way of a radical scouring of the web, bank card in hand. We surfaced many blends that mixed this type of species (most often Robusta) with Arabica, however discovered only a few choices composed solely of a unmarried non-Arabica species. The third-wave preoccupation with providing single-origin coffees seems to not have prolonged as but to those substitute species.
Nonetheless, we did flip up a provocative space of coffees that recommend each the problem and the guarantee of bringing an expanded array of climate-friendly species to the worldwide forte desk.
The Contender: Robusta
Robusta makes up about 40% of the arena’s espresso manufacturing. The most often smallish, round beans have 22 chromosomes to Arabica’s 44 and include about part as a lot flavor-producing sugar and fat as Arabica, time, on reasonable, two times the caffeine. The 5 Robusta samples we examined averaged a ranking of 86.6, with a elevated of 92 and a low of 85. This reasonable is round two to 3 issues not up to analogous effects from all-Arabica cuppings. As an example, it’s precisely 3 issues not up to the common ranking of 89.6 generated by way of 39 prominent all-Arabica coffees from Central American manufacturers we examined for a document in 2015.
Ting-Yeh Hsu of Zhuo Wu Mountain Farm in Alishan, Taipei along with his Robusta bushes. Courtesy of Dou Zhai Espresso
The top-rated Robusta, the 91-point Dou Zhai Coffee Taiwan Alishan Robusta Natural, displayed what we felt was once a tremendous and rather vintage Robusta profile: deep-toned, balanced, sleek in mouthfeel, complexly nut-toned and nougaty candy within the end. It supported my indecision that the extra disappointing Robustas on this time’s document basically lacked the type of consideration the forte business lavishes at the very magnificient Arabicas on the earth. The uniform beans of this Taiwan-grown, single-farm Robusta implied cautious, flawless preparation at farm and mill, time their immense dimension suggests this espresso was once constructed from bushes of some of the many just lately evolved sorts of Robusta instead than from conventional sorts, which normally build a lot smaller beans.
Two much less noteceable Robustas reviewed right here, each rather out there to U.S. Espresso Overview readers, have been roasted and offered by way of Nguyen Coffee Supply, a vertically arranged importer and roaster led by way of its charismatic founder, first-generation Vietnamese-American Sahra Nguyen. Nguyen Espresso additionally roasts Vietnamese Arabica, but it surely prominently options its constancy to Robusta, providing two natural Vietnamese Robustas: the medium-roasted, all-peaberry True Grit and the Hanoi Twilight Roast.
The uniform beans of those two Nguyen Robusta choices additionally recommend cautious preparation on the farms in Vietnam from which Nguyen Espresso assets its coffees, but each in large part lacked the pleasurable space of aromatics and balanced construction of the Dou Zhai Taiwan Robusta. The modestly darker roast of the Hanoi blend (86) rounded the nut and fragrant log notes towards parched cocoa, while within the lighter True Grit peaberry blend (85), a brittle, herby personality ruled, softened by way of a candy grainy be aware I known as caramel popcorn.
Robusta flowering in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam. Courtesy iStock/xuanhuongho
The purest tone of the Robusta species on this time’s critiques is the Z Street Coffee Kaapi Royale, reviewed right here at 86. Kaapi Royale is the very best grade of Indian Robusta, and most likely the very best grade of Robusta on the earth, with immense, uniform beans appearing 0 bodily imperfections. The Kaapi Royale grade may be wet-processed, this means that the cup displays minimal affect from processing diversifications. The result’s a Robusta cup at its purest. Then again, Z Boulevard introduced this flawless bean to an latter bright roast, netting a espresso delicately brisk and candy, with cocoa and fig notes that give technique to a disappointing bitterness within the end. This completely ready bean would have benefited from a extra evolved roast.
Robusta and “Strong Coffee” Blends
Recall that Robusta packs significantly extra caffeine than Arabica, about two times as a lot. Two coffees we overview this time profit from this property. Thanksgiving Espresso, a pioneering forte espresso roaster positioned at the northern California coast, first introduced its high-caffeine, Robusta-heavy Pony Express blend to passing truckers and native faculty scholars in 1977. It left-overs a gentle dealer. We overview its wave dark-roasted, chocolate-leaning incarnation right here at 87.
Extra just lately (2012), Dying Want Espresso introduced its Robusta-heavy logo, using its defiant drink-strong-coffee tone to luck as a mainstream fixture at the heart cabinets of supermarkets. We overview the medium-roast Dying Want espresso right here at 84. This medium-roast Death Wish pattern is the one espresso in our trying out that bore each USDA natural and Honest Industry USA seals. Within the cup, it’s intense however blunt and monotoned.
Some other Order-Exchange Candidate: Coffea Liberica
If Robusta beans include extra caffeine and no more sugar and fat than Arabica beans, upcoming Liberica, a heat-tolerant, hardy espresso species extensively grown and fed on within the Philippines and Malaysia, leans within the alternative path. On reasonable, Liberica, in addition to Excelsa, now categorised as quite a few Liberica, packs much less caffeine and significantly extra sugars and fat than both Robusta or Arabica.
Those tender, low-caffeine, high-sugar beans are rarely minute of their rising conduct, alternatively. The whole lot about Liberica (and Excelsa) is heavy — the bushes (Liberica bushes would possibly develop as lofty as 50 toes), the leaves (a unmarried Liberica leaf can develop as large as a bottom), and the fruit and beans (each about double the common dimension of Arabica or Robusta). Those proportions are most likely one explanation why Liberica and Excelsa have by no means taken off to problem Arabica’s domination out there the way in which Robusta has. The very lofty bushes, which generally tend to develop up instead than out, want to be picked and pruned with ladders, expanding manufacturing prices. And the beans start at the bushes encased in thicker layers of fruit than Arabica, which means slower drying occasions for the pure, dried-in-the-whole-fruit preparation conventional for those species. As a result, Liberica’s and Excelsa’s weather resilience comes with slightly elevated manufacturing prices, prices that it seems that way the ones of Arabica.
In its partiality, the Liberica cup profile has a name for fruit and wonder, possibly by way of affiliation with the thicker layers of fruit masking Liberica beans. The 2 examples of simple, natural-processed Liberica we examined, together with the 88-rated Ghost Bird Malaysia Sun-Dried Liberica reviewed right here, did display distinct ideas of low-toned fruit. Nonetheless, neither learn as in particular candy. Since contemporary analysis subsidized by way of the Distinctiveness Espresso Affiliation (SCA) has conclusively showed that sweetness in espresso can’t be related to sugars within the beverage (no longer just about plethora sugar in brewed espresso to be revealed) and should be indistinguishable to alternative, as but unidentified elements, apparently that we will’t think that the upper sugar content material in Liberica and Excelsa beans essentially interprets to extra sweetness within the cup.
The Liberica and Excelsa species each build immense fruit, immense leaves and immense bushes. Courtesy Excelsa Espresso
Incorrect Sweetness, Incorrect Sweat
However, regardless of. If sweetness doesn’t include the bean, as of late’s forte manufacturers can construct it occur — naturally. Two roasters despatched Liberica coffees that have been processed the usage of now common tactics that accentuate the belief of sweetness. The processing for the top-rated Ghost Bird Malaysia Liberica Anaerobic Natural (92) concerned sealing the fresh-picked fruit inside of sealed drums for 20 days, making a model of the now common, intensely candy, perfumy anaerobic profile. This anaerobic was once a in particular unruly espresso, with a wild, overlapping bouquet of herbs and spices and a dazzling, candy-store fruit. We additionally overview a extra standard dry-processed Liberica from Ghost Fowl, the Malaysia Liberica Solar-Juiceless Herbal, at 88. Low-toned banana, pineapple and carob force its deep, even though instead stolid profile.
Euphora Espresso, an leading edge Taiwan roaster, despatched 3 Liberica coffees that upped the anaerobic ante nonetheless additional. Those Liberica coffees have been grown and processed by way of the pure, sun-dried mode in Uganda, however upcoming supply in Taiwan they have been matter to alternative oxygen-free fermentation with pure components added. The Euphora XO Liberica added French XO Brandy to the sealed tank, the Euphora aPeach added peaches, and the Euphora Liberica Rose added Taiwan-grown natural rose petals. The rose-petal model struck us as probably the most fascinating and latest of the 3, so we revealed that 88-point overview right here. Needless to say we assign rankings to coffees aimless, with out realizing the tales in the back of those coffees. We blind-rated the Liberica Brandy XO at 90 and the aPeach at 83.
Excelsa: The Lengthy-Shot Contender
After all, there may be Excelsa, as soon as thought to be a distant species, however in 2006 formally deemed quite a few Liberica: Coffea liberica var. dewevrei. In contrast to Robusta or Liberica, Excelsa enters international espresso awareness with a good recognition. If Robusta involves the worldwide tasting desk with a evil rap (sour, easy), Excelsa, even supposing slightly few within the forte espresso international have sampled a lot of it, comes with sparkling proclaim. “Excelsa coffee offers a unique and complex flavor profile characterized by a blend of fruity, tart, and sometimes spicy notes, with a bright acidity and medium to full body,” gushes Google AI.
Darwin Castro of the Global Excelsa Espresso Group with an Excelsa sapling. Courtesy Excelsa Espresso
The one explanation why we now have any Excelsa in any respect to be had within the U.S. forte international could also be owing to a unmarried corporate: Excelsa Coffee. Like Nguyen Espresso Provide, the U.S.-based champion of Robusta, Excelsa is a vertically arranged corporate. However Excelsa situates itself wider and deeper within the provide chain than Nguyen: It sells Excelsa, each roasted and inexperienced, imports Excelsa, and it seems that now works intently with farms that develop Excelsa. It was once based by way of two trade public became espresso fans, Olin Patterson and Michael Mazzotta. Like Nguyen Espresso, Excelsa Espresso moves me as an superior struggle to extend the forte direct business paradigm to incorporate farmers and areas that, owing to arbitrary instances of weather and geography, to find themselves caught generating espresso species no longer liked by way of dominant tastes.
Then again, in line with our restricted tasting for this document, Excelsa Espresso, like Nguyen Espresso Provide, nonetheless has some paintings to do. We rated its smoky, briskly candy Excelsa Seasonal Mix at 86. In contrast to Nguyen, alternatively, which seems able to get up pat with the feature of the Robusta it recently imports, Excelsa is introduced on a trajectory of innovation and construction. The founders despatched us a pattern of an experimental honey-processed Excelsa produced on a Philippines farm they’re running with that isn’t but to be had retail, however which, in comparison to the corporate’s wave choices, confirmed an noteceable acquire in sweetness and fragrant complexity. And, to develop when it comes to pending Excelsa availability, an Excelsa produced in Puerto Rico by way of manufacturer Rancho Contento, once more, no longer extensively plethora allotted but for us to check, confirmed really extensive guarantee.
A Sensory Tendency Throughout Species
Nonetheless, it’s hanging how all of this time’s single-species samples percentage one very extensive sensory tendency.
On the center of the sensory pack of a high-grown, cleanly processed Arabica espresso is a fancy, sweet-tart tendency that within the habitual language of forte espresso is frequently summed up with the clumsy, deceptive time period “acidity.” I don’t suppose it’s correct to sum up this sort of richly mutable sensory tendency in one agreement, in particular a time period that comes loaded with each unfavourable connotations on the usual stage and, so far as I will inform, may be unclear and ambiguous at a technical or chemical stage. Espresso describers frequently usefulness the time period “brightness” for this sensory complicated, individually a greater agreement by way of a ways than “acidity.”
However no matter it’s, and alternatively we would possibly effort to explain or establish it, this sensory complicated seems to be in large part subdued or missing in all samples of all 3 of the non-Arabica espresso sorts we survey right here, no less than after they have been matter to orthodox processing just like the washed or pure modes. Right through, there was once a leaning towards an frequently inert bittersweetness and an inclination to fragrant simplicity. We discovered those extensive dispositions even in the most efficient we examined, just like the 91-rated Dou Zhai Taiwan Alishan Robusta.
There have been, in fact, compensating pleasures available within the extra a success of those species: juiceless or sweet-savory fruit, for instance, and beneficiant nut notes, frequently sweet-toned (suppose cashew), at alternative occasions pleasantly bitterish (walnut). Those nut notes frequently inclined towards a parched, brittle cocoa. Overlapping the nut tones have been frequently fragrant log notes, most often manifesting in lighter roasts as a fresh-cut lumberyard fir, or cedar in reasonably darker roasts. Brandnew leather-based, candy pipe tobacco, and herb and spice notes have been additionally usual.
An instance of subtle Robusta manufacturing in Republic of India. Buttercup Daring, Palthope Property’s logo of Robusta, is organically grown and vastly intercropped in shadow. Courtesy of Kenneth Davids
Refining the Backup Species Cup
However for the ones species-specific pleasures to constantly categorical themselves and succeed in help amongst Arabica-loving shoppers would possibly require greater than influencer talents and fancy web sites. It’ll require the similar obsessive pursuit of subtle excellence all through the availability chain as is now at play games on the earth of Arabica espresso.
As a result of the cause of the expanding numbers of 94-plus rankings on Espresso Overview isn’t rankings inflation, neither is it sensory prejudice in partiality of Arabica. In lieu, those elevated rankings are a manifestation of an international obsession amongst espresso manufacturers, exporters, importers and roasters to build the magnificient presentation of the Arabica species imaginable: to win inexperienced espresso competitions, to be the espresso that is helping win brewing competitions, to promote for surprising costs on web auctions, and to earn elevated rankings on Espresso Overview.
Till Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa draw in one thing alike to that very same level of consideration and refinement, I be expecting that the minute rankings luck accomplished by way of the coffees reviewed for this document will stay the norm for those species. In truth, the common rankings on this time’s critiques are one thing of an success. We had disagree samples are available in beneath 80, for instance. We merely tasted a bundle of valuable coffees that merely didn’t rather go away.
A Caveat: Backup Species, Coffee and Mixing
Espresso pros and fans who’ve come alongside this a ways will, in fact, acknowledge the boundaries of this time’s sourcing and trying out protocols and the conclusions we draw from them. We’ve got best checked out those non-Arabica choices as single-origin, standalone brewed coffees, while Robusta, specifically, is at its highest in conventional coffee preparation, in addition to a property in blends for all brewing modes.
The relative a lack of acidy sunny on this document’s samples could also be a utility in conventional coffee manufacturing, for the reason that the sensory intensification generated by way of coffee brewing has a tendency to show what could be pleasurable sunny in a brewed espresso into not-so-pleasing sharpness in an coffee shot. And in blends, normally, irrespective of brewing mode, Robusta comes in handy in an effort to knit in combination, deepen and around the affect of extra assertive coffees, a tradition at which continental Eu roasters are in particular professional.
But when the wave media consideration to Robusta and hobby in substitute species continues to develop, we would possibly see those 3 species crack out in their roles as fascinating sensory underdogs and decisively extend the elemental space of espresso excellence.
