Coffee Varieties Explained: Gesha, Bourbon, Typica and More
Updated October 2026
A coffee variety is a distinct genetic type of coffee plant, like a grape variety in wine. Almost all specialty coffee comes from one species, Coffea arabica, but within that species there are dozens of varieties, such as Gesha, Bourbon, Typica and Caturra. Each one grows differently and tastes different. Gesha is famous for jasmine and bergamot. Bourbon is known for sweetness and balance. Typica is clean and mild.
At Tapestry, we roast every coffee to order at our roastery in St. Paul, Minnesota, and we list where each coffee comes from on the bag. If you want to taste how much variety and origin matter, start with our single origin coffees.
Variety vs. Varietal: What's the Difference?
Variety is the noun: the type of plant. Bourbon is a variety. Varietal is technically an adjective, used to describe a coffee made from a single variety, as in "a varietal Gesha." In everyday coffee talk, people use the two words interchangeably, and that's fine. Either way, you're talking about the kind of coffee plant the beans came from.
One more thing that trips people up: a variety is not the same as a region. "Gesha" and "Bourbon" are plant types. "Yirgacheffe," "Huehuetenango" and "Blue Mountain" are places. A coffee from Yirgacheffe can be made up of many different varieties.
Coffee Varieties at a Glance
| Variety | Where it comes from | Known for | Typical flavors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gesha | Ethiopia, made famous in Panama | Rare, expensive, competition coffee | Jasmine, bergamot, peach, tea-like |
| Bourbon | Yemen, via Réunion (once called Île Bourbon) | Sweetness and balance | Caramel, red fruit, chocolate |
| Typica | Yemen, via Java | One of the oldest varieties | Clean, mild, sweet |
| Caturra | Brazil, a natural mutation of Bourbon | Compact plant, high yield | Bright, citrusy, lighter body |
| Pacas | El Salvador, a natural mutation of Bourbon | Hardy and productive | Sweet, soft, caramel |
| SL28 & SL34 | Kenya | Bred in the 1930s for Kenyan farms | Blackcurrant, grapefruit, juicy acidity |
| Ethiopian landraces | Ethiopia | Thousands of wild and local types, often called "heirloom" | Floral, citrus, berry, tea-like |
Gesha (Geisha) Coffee
Gesha comes from the Gori Gesha forest in southwest Ethiopia, which is where the name comes from. "Geisha" is a common misspelling. Seeds were collected in the 1930s and eventually made their way to Central America, where farmers planted it for its resistance to coffee leaf rust, not its flavor.
That changed in 2004, when Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, Panama entered its Gesha in the Best of Panama competition. Judges had never tasted anything like it: intensely floral, with jasmine, bergamot and stone fruit, light and tea-like in body. It won, set auction records, and Gesha became the most sought-after variety in specialty coffee. Top lots now sell for thousands of dollars per pound at auction.
Gesha grows best at high elevations, produces relatively little fruit, and is usually roasted light to protect its delicate aromatics. Brew it as pour over and skip the milk.
Gesha vs. Yirgacheffe
This is one of the most common coffee comparisons, but it's not quite apples to apples. Gesha is a variety that can be grown anywhere, though Panama is the most famous. Yirgacheffe is a region in Ethiopia, and its coffee comes from many local Ethiopian varieties grown together.
| Gesha | Yirgacheffe | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A coffee variety | A growing region in Ethiopia |
| Flavor | Jasmine, bergamot, peach, very perfumed | Lemon, floral, black tea, often berry in naturals |
| Body | Very light, silky | Light to medium |
| Price | Usually very expensive | Specialty pricing, much more accessible |
Both are floral and bright, and they're related: Gesha's roots are in Ethiopia too. If you love Gesha but not the price, Ethiopian coffees are the best place to look.
Bourbon Coffee
Bourbon is one of the two original lines of arabica that spread from Yemen around the world. In the early 1700s, French traders planted it on Île Bourbon, the island now called Réunion, which gave it its name. From there it spread to Africa and Latin America and became the parent of many modern varieties, including Caturra and Pacas.
Bourbon is loved for its sweetness and balance: caramel, red fruit and chocolate, with a rounder body than Gesha. It comes in different colors depending on the ripe cherry, including red, yellow and orange Bourbon. Pink Bourbon, popular in Colombia, is a special case. Despite the name, genetic testing suggests it's more closely related to Ethiopian varieties than to true Bourbon, which may explain its floral, fruity flavor.
Typica, Caturra and Pacas
- Typica is the other original line from Yemen. The Dutch took it to Java in the late 1600s, and it later spread across the Caribbean and Latin America. Jamaica Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona are mostly Typica. It tastes clean and sweet but produces little fruit, so fewer farms grow it today.
- Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon found in Brazil in the early 1900s. It's a small, compact plant that farmers can grow close together, which makes it very productive. It's bright and citrusy, and it's one of the most common varieties in Central and South America.
- Pacas is a natural mutation of Bourbon found in El Salvador in 1949 on the Pacas family farm. Like Caturra, it's compact and productive, with a sweet, soft cup.
Kenya's SL28 and SL34
In the 1930s, Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya selected varieties that would thrive on Kenyan farms. Two of them, SL28 and SL34, are now among the most prized varieties in the world, known for juicy acidity and flavors like blackcurrant, grapefruit and tomato. They're a big part of why Kenyan coffee tastes the way it does. When we have a Kenyan coffee on our menu, you’ll find it with our single origin coffees.
Does Variety Really Change the Taste?
Yes, but it's one piece of the puzzle. Flavor comes from the variety, where it's grown (altitude, soil and climate), how the cherries are processed (washed, natural or honey), and how it's roasted and brewed. The same variety can taste very different from one farm to the next. That's why we taste every coffee before we buy it and roast each one on its own profile.
Taste the Difference
The best way to learn varieties is to taste them side by side. Grab a few of our single origin coffees and brew them the same way, or try Roaster's Choice, our subscription where our roasters send you rotating single origins, including coffees you won't find anywhere else. Not sure where to start? Take our 60-second coffee quiz.
