Coffee Varieties Guide

Read our Coffee Varieties article

While it may sound like a nice place to vacation, Villa Sarchi is actually a delicious variety of Arabica coffee, known for its chocolatey sweetness and nutty accents. 

Named after the town of Sarchí, Costa Rica, where it was discovered around the 1950s, Villa Sarchi is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. 

The drink we know as coffee begins its life as seeds of the cherries of the Coffea Arabica plant. After they’re harvested, these seeds are extracted from the cherries, processed, and exported as green coffee “beans”. 

Like any other plant, we get new varieties through natural mutations and engineered hybrids. Villa Sarchi is an example of a natural mutation of the Coffea Arabica plant!

History and Flavor Profile of Villa Sarchi 

In the mid-19th century, the Bourbon variety made its way to Costa Rica. At some point, a single gene in this plant’s DNA mutated, causing the plant to grow smaller, and–just like that–Villa Sarchi was created! 

Over the years, Villa Sarchi gained popularity for its compact growth (which equaled higher yields!) and exceptional flavor. 

Although it’s a great variety, Villa Sarchi is found mostly in Costa Rica. It is well-suited to thrive in the country’s high-altitude regions, as it’s able to hold its own against strong winds. 

It’s little wonder Costa Rica keeps this variety close to home as Villa Sarchi boasts production yields nearly 40% higher than that of the standard Bourbon variety! 

That’s great for coffee farmers. But this variety is also great for coffee drinkers.

While its name might mean coffee “from the village of Sarchí”, Villa Sarchi makes itself at home anywhere. With slight variations depending on processing, it consistently delivers delectable cups brimming with notes of dark chocolate, red fruits, and nuttiness–all balanced with refined acidity. 

Deep Dive Into Specific Coffee Varieties

Bourbon

Bourbon stands as specialty coffee's legendary parent variety. This natural Typica mutation from Réunion Island produces 30% higher yields with exceptional quality. From its chocolate-caramel sweetness to spawning Caturra and Mundo Novo, here's the Bourbon story.

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Catuai

Catuai represents coffee breeding at its best. This Caturra x Mundo Novo hybrid combines compact growth with exceptional yields and quality. Dominating Costa Rican production, it delivers chocolate-caramel sweetness with honey notes. Here's why Catuai is 'just right.

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Caturra

Caturra proves small plants make big impacts. This compact Bourbon mutation delivers higher yields through dwarf growth while maintaining exceptional quality. From powering Colombia's coffee production to parenting new varieties, here's the complete Caturra story.

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Gesha

Gesha revolutionized specialty coffee at the 2004 Panama auction. This Ethiopian landrace discovered in 1931 commands record prices up to $4,100/lb for its extraordinary floral-citrus profile. From its difficult cultivation to unmatched quality, here's the Gesha story.

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Three raw coffee beans on a white background

Heirloom

Heirloom represents Ethiopia's thousands of unclassified coffee varieties. These landrace coffees, passed down through generations, deliver unique fruity-floral profiles with bright acidity. Every cup offers a taste of coffee's living legacy from its birthplace.

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Milenio

Milenio represents coffee's future through science. This F1 hybrid combines T5296's rust resistance with Rume Sudan's exceptional flavor. Developed in the early 2000s by CIRAD and CATIE, it delivers citrusy brightness and dark chocolate depth with reliable yields.

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Peaberry

Peaberries are coffee's fascinating anomaly—single seeds that develop alone in the cherry instead of twins. This natural mutation occurs in 5-10% of any crop across all varieties. From their round shape to concentrated flavors, here's what makes peaberries special.

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Pink Bourbon

Pink Bourbon represents coffee's beautiful mysteries. This Brazilian variety ripens to distinctive pink, offering improved disease resistance with exceptional flavor. From its unclear origins to strawberry-floral notes, here's everything about specialty coffee's pink gem.

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Typica

Typica is the great-grandparent of all coffee varieties. First transported from Ethiopia to Yemen in the 1400s, this original Arabica spread globally, spawning Bourbon and countless mutations. Though low-yielding today, its clean, chocolatey sweetness remains prized.

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Villa Sarchi

Villa Sarchi stands as Costa Rica's prized coffee mutation. Discovered in Sarchí in the 1950s, this Bourbon mutation produces 40% higher yields with exceptional flavor. From its compact, wind-resistant growth to chocolatey cups, here's everything about Villa Sarchi.

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