If you ask even devoted coffee drinkers to name the different species of coffee plants grown commercially, most would say Arabica. Some might mention robusta. But only a very few would have heard of liberica coffee.
So just what is liberica coffee, and should you care less about it?
Well, it’s got its own following based on a different mix of aromas and tastes. It has a sweetness that even outshines arabica coffee, but with less acidity. If you are concerned about your caffeine intake then liberica coffee beans win again. They have less caffeine than both robusta and arabica beans.
Accounting for less than 2% of world coffee output, coffea liberica is far from the most widely known coffee in the world. Despite this, liberica has gained a following in the world of coffee alongside the more popular arabica and robusta coffees. So you will be pleased you took the trouble to find out more about this underrated coffee plant.
What is liberica coffee?
Liberica Coffee (species name: coffea liberica) originated in Liberia, in West Africa. It accounts for as little as 1-2% of world commercial coffee production.
Like robusta and arabica, liberica is able to grow and produce a crop of beans in a tropical climate, though it does not need to be grown at altitudes as high as arabica plants.
For long it was overlooked compared to arabica and robusta varieties because it was considered more difficult to farm. Taking longer to reach maturity, and hence to produce its maximum crop size.
Things changed for liberica in 1890 (yes, coffee was an important world crop that long ago). In that year arabica and robusta crops were devastated by a disease (coffee rust). 90% of growers in Sri Lanka replaced their plants with liberica.
The plants enjoyed greater immunity to coffee rust and other coffee pests, compared to arabica and robusta.
From that foothold, liberica has slowly spread to parts of southeast Asia, notably: the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Filipinos call liberica “barako” – the Philippine word which translates as masculine and strong. This is probably a good time to consider how liberica coffee tastes.
What does liberica coffee taste like?
With sweet fruit flavours reminiscent of some arabica coffees, though with less acidity, this is a coffee that’s well worth tracking down and brewing.
Liberica’s flavour is often compared to jackfruit. Jackfruit is in the fig and mulberry family. If you have never eaten jackfruit, it tastes like tropical fruits including pineapple and mango.
Many consider it a sweeter taste than arabica which often has some acidic citrus notes.
And it’s certainly different to robusta which has a darker more bitter flavour with notes of chocolate.
How much caffeine is there in liberica beans?
Despite being a bigger plant producing bigger coffee beans, there is less caffeine in liberica than arabica and robusta coffee.
Liberica has, on average, 1.2g of caffeine per 100g of roasted beans, compared to arabica with 1.6g per 100g of beans. But both trail far behind robusta which kicks out 2.3g of caffeine per 100g of roasted beans.
Are Liberica plants or coffee trees?
Whilst all coffee species are actually trees, growers generally refer to them as plants because modern farming methods dictate shorter, shrub sized, plants. Making them easier to manage and to harvest the berries.
But as the plants can grow up to 66 feet in height we really are talking about coffee trees.
Farmers regularly prune the plants limiting their height. Cutting out the need to climb them to harvest the beans.
Just as it’s a bigger plant, liberica has larger leaves – up to 10 times the size of arabica leaves – and much produces bigger fruit and coffee beans.
Should you bother to track down and buy liberica coffee?
I guess there are several answers to this. First off, with so many amazing arabica and robusta coffees to choose from, why bother?
But, if you have an enquiring mind and palate, why miss out on a coffee that compares favourably to arabica for sweetness. It’s also extremely rare. Plus, when well farmed, roasted and brewed liberica coffee rewards you with a great and unique coffee experience?
So I urge you to take that step, track down a batch of fresh roasted liberica and decide for yourself. I’m glad I did.
Hi, I’m Eric Loftuss, co-founder of Bean Thirst with my wife Sophie.
My Coffee journey started young. I used to help my mom with the weekly shopping trip and we always called in to a coffee wholesaler and retail outlet in our town.
I really started to learn about coffee when, while in college, I worked in a local coffee shop and trained as a barista. Even though I went on to qualify and work as a lawyer, I still get a kick out of brewing a cup of Joe.
Sophie and I are so glad to be part of your coffee journey. Find out more about us