Coffee Seasonality: When Is Coffee in Season?
Coffee is a seasonal crop: each growing country harvests once or twice a year, and its coffee tastes best in the months after it arrives. Because coffee grows on both sides of the equator, it's being harvested somewhere in the world almost every month. Countries north of the equator, like Ethiopia, Guatemala and Mexico, mostly harvest from late fall to early spring. Countries south of it, like Brazil and Peru, harvest from late spring to early fall. Fresh coffee usually reaches the U.S. three to six months after harvest.
Photo: Cafe Imports
Coffee Harvest Season Chart
These are typical windows. Exact timing shifts by region, altitude and weather each year.
| Country | Main harvest | Fresh in the U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia | October to January | Late spring to summer |
| Kenya | October to December (main crop) | Spring to summer |
| Rwanda and Burundi | March to July | Fall to winter |
| Brazil | May to September | Fall to winter |
| Peru | May to September | Fall to winter |
| Colombia | Two harvests: spring and fall, depending on region | Most of the year |
| Guatemala | December to March | Late spring to summer |
| Honduras | November to April | Summer |
| Costa Rica | November to March | Late spring to summer |
| Mexico | November to March | Spring to summer |
| Nicaragua | November to March | Late spring to summer |
| Indonesia (Sumatra) | Varies by island, often several harvests | Much of the year |
What Coffee Is in Season Right Now?
- Spring and summer: new-crop Central American coffees (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico) and East African coffees (Ethiopia, Kenya). This is when bright, floral and fruity coffees are at their best.
- Fall and winter: new-crop South American coffees (Brazil, Peru) and Rwanda and Burundi. Expect nutty, chocolatey Brazils and sweet, fruity Rwandas.
- Year-round: Colombia, with harvests in different regions at different times, and blends built to taste the same all year.
Why Coffee Seasonality Matters
Coffee is the seed of a fruit, and like any crop it's best fresh. After harvest, coffee is processed, dried and shipped as green, unroasted beans. Green coffee stays good for months when it's stored well, but it slowly loses its brightness and sweetness. A coffee that tasted juicy and floral in spring can taste flat and papery a year later.
There are two kinds of fresh in coffee. Crop freshness is how recently the coffee was harvested. Roast freshness is how recently it was roasted. You want both, which is why we print the roast date on the bottom of every bag. Read more in Coffee Freshness.
Seasonal Single Origins vs. Year-Round Blends
Single origin coffees come from one country or farm, so they come and go with the harvest. When one sells out, the next year's crop may taste a little different, and that's part of the fun.
Blends keep a steady flavor all year. Roasters adjust the components as crops change so the cup stays the same. Our year-round blends work this way: Loom (nutty, toffee, chocolate), Abstract (honey, berry, cacao) and Fringe (chocolate, peanut, jam). We also roast a rotating seasonal blend and seasonal single origins as fresh crops arrive.
What to Do When Your Favorite Coffee Is Out of Season
Look at the tasting notes and origin of the coffee you loved, then pick something close. If you loved a fruity Ethiopian, try another East African coffee or a natural process coffee. If you loved a chocolatey Brazil, try a Central American coffee or a medium roast blend. Our guide to coffee tasting notes can help, and our 60-second coffee quiz will match you with a coffee we have now.
Fresh Seasonal Coffee From Tapestry
We roast in small batches in St. Paul and rotate our single origins as new crops land, so what's on our menu follows the harvest calendar above. Want to taste the seasons? Roaster's Choice sends a different coffee every two weeks, picked by our roasters, and the Coffee Sampler includes our three blends plus our current seasonal coffee.
Quick Answers
Is coffee seasonal?
Yes. Each coffee-growing country harvests once or twice a year, and single origin coffees taste best in the months after their harvest arrives.
When is coffee harvest season?
It depends on the country. North of the equator, the main harvest is usually October to March. South of the equator, it's usually May to September. Somewhere, coffee is being harvested nearly every month.
When is Ethiopian coffee in season?
Ethiopia harvests from about October to January, and fresh Ethiopian coffee usually reaches the U.S. in late spring and summer.
When is Colombian coffee in season?
Colombia has two harvests a year in different regions, so fresh Colombian coffee is available most of the year.
How long does green coffee stay fresh?
Stored well, green coffee holds its best flavor for several months to about a year after harvest. Once roasted, coffee is best within about a month.
Why do coffee shops change their coffee?
Because single origin coffees are seasonal. When a coffee's crop runs out or starts to fade, roasters switch to a fresher one.
