Coffee Origins

Brazil produces about 40% of the world's coffee crops and enjoys particularly high quality due its stable climate. Brazilian coffee, grown in large low-level plantations, undergoes "semi-dry" processing that maintains the strength of the dry process, but offers refinement, sweet and chocolate aromas and more pronounced flavor than coffee beans grown in other parts of South America.

Colombia, the second largest coffee maker in the world, produces coffee of an exceptionally high quality. Most of its coffee plantations are located in the mountainous northern region of the Andes. The farms located at a height of 900 meters above sea level produce coffee with low sweetness and rough flavors, while the coffee that grows in farms at altitudes of 1300 meters is characterized by greater acidity and sweetness. The coffee grown in Colombia is processed by the dry method and has the most recognizable flavor in North America thanks to its gentle acidity, caramel flavors, intense sweetness and nutty notes.

Guatemala is placed among the world’s top 10 coffee exporters. Coffee beans grown in Guatemala are high in quality and rich in flavor. The Guatemalan beans are grown in small farms and large estates spread across 8 different climatic zones. This geographic and topographical diversity creates dramatic differences in the coffee flavor - which is what makes the coffee that grows in Guatemala so special. The wet processing of the coffee lends Guatemalan coffee a full body, medium acidity, high vitality, dark chocolate aroma and a good aftertaste.

Coffee grown in Jamaica is a favorite for coffee lovers all over the world. The Jamaican farm which supplies coffee beans to AVA is located in a unique area, where only 0.1% of Jamaican coffee production is produced. The farm cultivates coffee plants which were introduced to the area in 1725 and are grown with particularly strict supervision. The result: an outstanding coffee characterized by a distinctive and intense flavor with no hint of bitterness.

One of the important challenges in improving a coffee’s flavor is the ability to locate the coffee fruit at the peak of its maturity and to separate the coffee beans perfectly. Only recently, researchers have found that the Luwak, a rodent living in Indonesia's rainforest and feeding from the fruit of coffee, prefers to eat the outer shell while ejecting the entire pit or the coffee bean. From the meticulous processing of these rare coffee beans, only a few hundred kilograms of coffee can be produced for the global market. Therefore, it is not surprising that this coffee is the most expensive in the world.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee, and is home to some of the most diverse varieties on the planet. Coffee from Yirgacheffe is surprising and unlike any other coffee in the world. It is traditionally known for its hints of Jasmine and floral notes. Another unique growing area is the Harar region. Coffee from Harar is a wild coffee, processed in the natural way where the fruit dries on the coffee beans, marking them with its fruity scents and flavors. When tasting this special origin one can also sense flavors of blueberry jam, cocoa and even cardamon. Coffee in Ethiopia has a uniquely high status, since unlike other countries where it is simply a source of livelihood, most of Ethiopian coffee stays in Ethiopia and is consumed in the utmost ceremony by the local people.