Many organizations are proud that their coffee trees were cultivated at great heights. This suggests that the distance from the sea or mountains means much, and there is something magical in green mountain coffee.
Working in the coffee industry, experts claim that coffee cultivated at high altitudes has an acidic and complex taste. Instead, the coffee from the lowlands can boast its simplicity and balance of sweetness and bitterness. Each pack of coffee has information about the cultivation region and country of origin, its taste characteristics, as well as the name of the farm. Why do you need this information? Any barista will tell you that the quality of the drink depends on the terroir of coffee. And often higher it is, the better. Let’s try to understand what height means.
High Altitude Changes The Coffee Trees
Most fruits and vegetables you eat every day are harvested at medium altitude. Speaking about boosting beverages, it is necessary to count the altitudes the plants were harvested at, whether it be highlands or lowlands. The product, cultivated at the height of 1200 meters or higher, is considered a high-quality green mountain coffee. However, the countries differ by their surfaces. Therefore, plants cultivated in different countries can be easily differentiated by taste and aroma.
Why Is Height Good For Coffee?
At a height, coffee concentrates more sugars and acids, which makes the taste of coffee more complex. It happens because:
- Differences in temperature during the day and night and less oxygen slow down the maturation process. This time is needed for complex sugars and acids to fully develop in the berries.
- The soil at a height, as a rule, provides good drainage and reduces the amount of water that the tree can absorb. Along with slow ripening, this causes the grains to become denser.
Green Mountain Coffee Classification By Altitude
The data about the country and altitude is recommended for advanced consumers. Find information on the pack and that will help to define the difference between coffee varieties in taste. Learning the essential information about coffee grades is the first step to consuming only high-quality drinks every day.
- Coffee, cultivated at an altitude of fewer than 750 meters: Plants harvested below 750 meters are harsh in taste qualities.
- Trees, cultivated at a height of 1000 meters: At this height, the bean becomes pleasantly sweet.
- Trees, cultivated at an altitude of 1200 meters: At such a height, you open the door to the world of elite coffee, especially highland Arabica. Another important condition for harvesting high-quality green mountain coffee is nutrient-rich soil. In this case, you feel the slightly fruity scent, a bit of vanilla and chocolate.
- High-altitude harvest is planted at the height of 1500 meters and above: These highland plants are sold for the highest price and are known as the most expensive varieties. The aromas usually bring the scent of sweet wine, flowers and tropical fruits.
Other Factors That Affect Coffee Taste & Quality
- Veriety
- Local climate
- Processing conditions
- The soil components and quality
- Altitude
- Storage conditions
- Brewing method
- Roasting
Weather & Temperature
Precipitation is an important indicator of successful coffee growth. If less than 800 mm of precipitation falls per year, the soil dries. And if more than 3000 mm – useful elements are washed away, and the roots rot. The normal level for good growth is from 1500 to 2000 mm, falling evenly throughout the year. Slight drought before harvest also has a beneficial effect on the coffee trees, as the rains can injure the buds. Nevertheless, the amount of precipitation is effective only in combination with other growth factors.
The optimum temperature is high during the day and low at night. Temperature differences are an excellent help for the formation of a rich taste of berries. Ripening in such conditions is slower, which allows the berry to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients that form flavors.
However, there are nuances here as well: it is undesirable for the temperature to drop below zero at night and above 30 ° C during the day. Frosts kill the tree instantly, the heat – a few hours, but the result is the same.
Soil
The soil layer is used to feed trees with various elements, in particular magnesium, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, etc. Naturally, the more nutrients in the soil, the better it affects the saturation of the grain and, consequently, the flavors of the finished drink.
Also, the green mountain coffee tree takes moisture from the soil, and this is critical enough to grow quality grains: both the lack and excess of moisture in the soil are equally harmful to trees. Excess leads to the formation of mold and other fungal microorganisms on the roots, and lack of moisture negatively affects the composition of the grain. To control the level of moisture, maintain it during the dry season, and remove excess in the rainy, it is necessary to organize a quality drainage system.
Sun
As for the amount of sunlight, direct sunlight is not very useful for trees. Under the influence of the sun, the berries grow quickly and abundantly, but the taste suffers – the coffee is completely flat. And at temperatures above 30 ° C under the scorching sun, a tree can die in just a few hours. Therefore, the ideal conditions for growing a coffee tree – a shaded area or constant clouds. It is optimal if the clouds are combined with evening rains, which also has a good effect on the quality of the grain.
In addition, the location of the plantation relative to the sides of the world is important – if the plantation faces west, it is exposed to the active sun in the afternoon. So, if you have a choice, it is better to prefer coffee from the territories facing east.
Altitude
Higher mountain conditions have a better effect on taste – this is true. The fact is that in such conditions, as a rule, such necessary factors as cool temperature, shade, big temperature differences, rich clay-stony soil, natural drainage are formed. The ripening of trees is slow, and the fruits are saturated with complex sugars and useful trace elements. The ground is not too dry and not too swampy. Coffee trees are well-nourished, do not get sick, and coffee eventually gets a deep, multifaceted taste.
The average height of coffee growth in different countries differs:
≈ 600–700 meters – Hawaii, Cuba
≈ 800–1200 meters – Brazil
≈ 1200–1500 – Costa Rica, Java, Sumatra, Nicaragua, and Mexico
≈ from 1500 meters – Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala, Sulawesi, Papua – New Guinea.
High Mountain Arabica Varieties
Green mountain coffee is the best Arabica in the world in taste and quality. The highlands are an ideal place to grow high-quality coffee beans. Perfect in terms of results, but brings some difficulties to the manufacturer. The combination of these factors explains the higher cost. But isn’t it better to pay more and enjoy a great drink?
Blue Mountain Coffee
This sort of Arabia from Jamaica differs in bluish color of fruits, grains of various calibers, unique conditions of growth. The drink is rich in nutty flavor and light sourness. The price for 1 pound is $ 200. For such a rich taste bouquet, this variety is deservedly called royal. Grains of this type are delivered in wooden barrels. No other varieties are packed this way.
Yemen Matari
This is a rare variety of coffee, which is supplied mainly to the domestic market of Yemen. On the foreign market, coffee of this brand is brought only to order and in small quantities, as it is produced no more than one ton per year. It is grown on volcanic soil in the highlands of Yemen. This is its advantage because the prepared drink gives off light notes of smoke and ash, and the aftertaste will delight with a combination of chocolate and tart wine.
Yellow Bourbon
Meet one of the rarest varieties of Arabica. Its advantage is that the grains are dried in the open air under the scorching Brazilian sun. Thanks to these conditions, the taste of coffee has hints of rye bread. The main bouquet consists of their bright nut-chocolate shades with a slight bitterness. This variety is grown on a pair of tiny coffee plantations in Brazil at the height of 1300-1600 meters.
Why is altitude important to people? Due to the slower ripening of berries, green mountain coffee grows denser and firmer. For consumers, height information is important to assess the potential of coffee. Obviously, heights alone are not enough to do this accurately. But if you know the average height of coffee growth in different countries, the altitude will allow you to understand more and pick the drink exactly you like.