{"id":5706,"date":"2019-03-07T10:00:24","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T16:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=5706"},"modified":"2019-03-06T01:53:35","modified_gmt":"2019-03-06T07:53:35","slug":"the-top-10-most-prestigious-coffees-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=5706","title":{"rendered":"The Top 10 Most Prestigious Coffees in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note from Margaret: This is a guest post from Zach Parkes, the brains behind the site Try New Coffee<\/a>. All opinions expressed are his own and are not necessarily endorsed by me (though in reading this post, I noted that we do share a lot of the same opinions!). Thanks\u00a0for\u00a0writing\u00a0this\u00a0guest\u00a0post,\u00a0Zach!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 10 Most\nPrestigious Coffees in the World<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have made an attempt <\/em>to rank\nthese beans by reputation, in an unbiased manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is of course, no official scale\nby which to measure the prestige of coffee\u2026 so feel free to\ndisagree and express your outrage. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also included my personal\nthoughts on each coffee, as I feel that some of the most renowned\nbeans are a tad overrated, and that some of the lower ranks deserve\nmore credit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alright now that my makeshift disclaimer is out of the way, let\u2019s dig into the 10 most prestigious coffees in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

10. Costa Rican Tarrazu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reputation of Costa Rican coffee\nhas been trending upwards in recent years. Single origin beans from\nTarrazu are the most highly reputed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These beans give of an intensely sweet\naroma that is reminiscent of brown sugar. The coffee is packed with\nnotes of tropical and citrus fruits. A lively, bright acidity,\ncharacteristic of many Central American coffees adds to the\ncomplexity. Each Tarrazu coffee that I\u2019ve had the pleasure of\ntrying has had a sweet, sustained finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a coffee that I\u2019ve found myself coming back to a lot recently. Although I do believe that Tarrazu coffee is starting to get the recognition that it deserves, it still has a ways to go before it is unanimously included in everyone\u2019s lists!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. Guatemala Antigua<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have had the distinct pleasure of\nsampling this coffee while in Antigua, Guatemala several years ago.\nThere\u2019s something special about drinking coffee in its origin.\nMaybe it\u2019s the freshness factor, the beautiful surrounding scenery,\nor perhaps it\u2019s just the novelty factor. One way or another, it\u2019s\na special experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can expect Guatemalan coffee to be\nrich and complex. Citrus, nutty and chocolate notes are typical, and\na bright, tangy acidity really stands out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another Central American bean that is consistently in my rotation. I find that Guatemalan Antigua coffee gets its due credit for the most part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8. Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indonesia consists of a series of\nislands that offer variable coffee growing conditions. The islands of\nSumatra, Sulawesi, Java and Bali all produce great coffee. The best?\nVery tough call, but I have to go with Sumatra Mandheling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sumatra\nMandheling beans have a wonderfully exotic aroma, and produce a cup\nof coffee that is rich and earthy. Notes of chocolate and spice are\nalso prominent. Sumatra coffee is naturally\nlow in acid<\/a>,\nmaking it easier on the stomach than most other highly prestigious\nbeans. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve grown to really love this coffee, but I definitely didn\u2019t the first time that I tried it. It may take a well-developed palate to truly appreciate this one, so more experienced coffee drinkers tend to enjoy it more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Yemeni Mocha<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yemen has a long and complicated coffee\nhistory. Recent years have seen a drastic decrease in coffee\nproduction due to an ongoing civil war. The depleted supply of Yemeni\ncoffee leads to higher prices for consumers. That being said, the\ndemand is still there. Why? It\u2019s simple really, Yemeni coffee is\nreally good. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, Mocha doesn\u2019t refer to\nthat commercial beverage loaded with chocolate. Mocha is instead a\nreference to the major port in Yemen that coffee has historically\nbeen shipped from. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can expect Yemeni coffee to have an\nexotic aroma and rich, complex taste. A wine-toned acidity and some\nearthy character are typical. Notes of fruit, chocolate and hints of\nspice are also common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yemeni coffee can be somewhat hard to come by, and because of this, it\u2019s rather pricey. I do enjoy Mocha coffee quite a lot, but it\u2019s a little too expensive to buy consistently. It\u2019s definitely worth splurging on every now and then to support the Yemeni coffee industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ethiopia\nis considered by most to be the birthplace of coffee, and most would\nagree that it produces some of the best beans in the world. Although\nthere are several great options to choose from, I\u2019d put Ethiopian\nYirgacheffe above all else. Don\u2019t worry about trying to pronounce\nYirgacheffe<\/em>,\npeople will know what you mean. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\ncoffee is complex, frequently offering notes of fruit and wine, and a\npleasantly bright bite. I like to compare this coffee to a fine wine;\nit\u2019s luxurious, delicious\u2026 and you know… it has notes of wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. I think the vast majority of coffee drinkers would have to agree that Yirgacheffe deserves a mention in the best coffee in the world<\/em> argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Tanzanian Peaberry <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s\nanother highly regarded African bean, this time from Tanzania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tanzanian\nPeaberry beans make for a rich, full-bodied cup of coffee with a\nwine-toned acidity. Notes of fruit and wine are on display in a\nhighly concentrated fashion. This coffee single handedly made\nme a believer in the highly debated peaberry dogma. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To me, this is as good as it gets. If I were forced to pick one single favorite coffee, I think it would be Tanzanian peaberry. But hey, that\u2019s just my personal preference, nothing against your favorite!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Kenya AA <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is certainly no shortage of high\nquality African\ncoffees<\/a>! Here\u2019s another one, this time from Kenya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These beans are rich and sweet, with a\nstrong floral aroma. A citric acidity and fruity sweetness are among\nthe many notable aspects of this coffee. There is a lot going on in a\ncup of Kenya AA coffee, you\u2019ll probably want a few (or 10) cups to\nmake a proper assessment! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another one of my all-time favorite coffees. I\u2019d put Kenyan coffee up there with the likes of Hawaiian Kona, and you can enjoy it without breaking the bank!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Kopi Luwak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another coffee that is native\nto Indonesia, and easily the most controversial coffee on the planet.\nIf you didn\u2019t know, Kopi Luwak coffee is made using beans that have\nbeen digested and excreted by a wild palm civet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had been aware of this bizarre coffee\noption for a long time before I actually tried it. I had been\navoiding it due to animal cruelty allegations related to civet\nfarming. While in Indonesia, after being convinced that only wild\nwild civet droppings were used in the creation of this particular\ncup, I obliged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve got to say, it was pretty good. Not good enough to warrant the cost, but the price is more about the novelty I think. Overall, I can\u2019t say that I would have it again, or that I would recommend it. It\u2019s just too difficult to overlook ethical considerations and assess the legitimacy of a product like this. Also, Indonesia has so many other great options to choose from, I\u2019d rather avoid the controversy and the stress to my wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Jamaican Blue Mountain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of people consider these beans to\nbe the best in the world, and unfortunately, their price reflects\nthis! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\ncan expect this coffee to be silky smooth & creamy with rich\nnotes of chocolate. This is definitely not an everyday coffee, but\nevery coffee drinker should experience it at least once. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the risk of upsetting a lot of people, I\u2019ll say it. I think Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is overrated. It\u2019s definitely worth trying, but in my opinion, you can get a lot more for your money. If you\u2019re determined to splurge big time, I think Kona coffee is the better option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Hawaiian Kona <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly to Jamaican Blue Mountain,\nHawaiian Kona is quite expensive due to its pristine reputation. This\nis another one that every coffee connoisseur needs to try at some\npoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kona\ncoffee is known to be smooth and mild. It can contain a variety of\nnotes, including fruit, wine, chocolate, nuts and spices. A typically\nmild acidity compliments a fruity or sugary sweetness, leading to a\nvery well balanced cup. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But is Kona\ncoffee worth the high price<\/a>? It\u2019s debatable. I do\nreally enjoy Kona beans, but due to the price, this one is reserved\nfor special occasions only. As my coffee passion is no secret, Kona\ncoffee has become a go-to gift that friends and family get for me. No\ncomplaints about that, whatsoever! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue\nMountain coffee are undoubtedly the most prestigious coffees in the\nworld, although Kopi Luwak may have them beaten in the buzz\ndepartment. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All things considered, I\u2019d put a high\nquality African coffee ahead of both Kona and Jamaican coffee, (sue\nme). That is to say, I think that Tanzanian Peaberry, Ethiopian\nYirgacheffe and Kenya AA coffee are among the best coffees in the\nworld, and they\u2019re also affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was much more difficult than I had\nanticipated… I feel terrible about some of the great coffees that I\nhad to leave out. I\u2019ll get to work on a formal apology to\nNicaragua, Colombia and Peru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, there\u2019s no need to limit\nyourself to just 10 types of beans! There will always be new coffees\nto try, and I\u2019m more than happy to welcome any newcomer to the\nlist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these picks? Do\nyou feel that I\u2019ve snubbed your favorite coffee? Change my mind! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the author: <\/em>Zach Parkes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zach is passionate about travel, music, and coffee! He spends his time exploring the planet, attempting to write music, and trying new coffees from around the world. He likes to blather on about everything related to coffee at Try New Coffee<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note from Margaret: This is a guest post from Zach Parkes, the brains behind the site Try New Coffee. All opinions expressed are his own and are not necessarily endorsed by me (though in reading this post, I noted that we do share a lot of the same opinions!). Thanks\u00a0for\u00a0writing\u00a0this\u00a0guest\u00a0post,\u00a0Zach! The 10 Most Prestigious Coffees […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"Guest post from Zach Parkes of the site Try New Coffee: The Top 10 Most Prestigious Coffees in the World","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4.-Kenya-AA.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1662,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=1662","url_meta":{"origin":5706,"position":0},"title":"Review: Octane Coffee Costa Rica El Higueron (Atlanta, Georgia)","date":"November 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent interview I heard on the Sound Opinions\u00a0podcast was discussing the music listening habits of Spotify users, and the featured guest\u00a0stated that their internal research indicated that most people who use the Spotify streaming service stopped listening\u00a0to\u00a0popular\/current music at an average age of 33, and that people maintain a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Central America"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/tn_FullSizeRender-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":752,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=752","url_meta":{"origin":5706,"position":1},"title":"How to host a coffee cupping at home","date":"July 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"What is a coffee cupping? It's like a wine tasting, but with coffee. Roasters will have cuppings regularly with their staff to analyze their product for consistency, defects, etc. Cafes will sometimes hold cuppings open to the public for people interested in learning more about coffee and about the differences\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advice"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/tn_IMG_1118.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":818,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=818","url_meta":{"origin":5706,"position":2},"title":"Review: thirty-thirty Coffee Co. Kenya Kirinyaga (Peoria, Illinois)","date":"July 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the last selection in my most recent shipment from Craft Coffee. 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From the Native Coffee Company's website: NATIVE is the exclusive roastery + showroom of Diego Bermudez\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chemex"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_9879-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3457,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=3457","url_meta":{"origin":5706,"position":4},"title":"Review: Javaya – Fresh Roasted Craft Coffee Delivery","date":"August 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I love visiting local roasters and cafes to buy coffee beans, but with our busy lives, there is an undeniable appeal to the idea of ordering coffee online and having it shipped directly to your door. You generally will have one of two options for doing this: ordering directly from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/IMG-4224-1-e1534133064107.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3044,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=3044","url_meta":{"origin":5706,"position":5},"title":"Review: Heart Coffee Roasters Panama Geisha Hacienda la Esmeralda (Portland, Oregon)","date":"April 9, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a coffee I was absolutely salivating to try as soon as I saw an email alert that it was available! The first Geisha coffee I ever reviewed for this blog was from Square One Coffee Roasters, and it was their Panama La Esmeralda Boquete. It was my top-ranked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Central America"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/tn_IMG-1689-e1522429168592.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5QIia-1u2","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5706"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5706"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5722,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5706\/revisions\/5722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}