Introduction:Explore the global specialty coffee beans carefully selected by a certain coffee brand in 2022, spanning from Ethiopia to Yunnan, China, covering diverse producing regions and innovative processing methods. This article provides detailed introductions to each bean’s origin characteristics, variety, processing techniques, unique flavor profiles, and suggested retail prices, offering practical reference for pour over enthusiasts in selection and brewing, helping you find the specialty coffee that best suits your taste.

A certain coffee brand selects rigorously each year from hundreds of sample beans, with only just over fifty making it onto the annual bean list, showcasing their pursuit of ultimate quality. The 2022 new season bean list spans well-known producing regions such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Jamaica, Hawaii, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, and Yunnan, China, utilizing diverse processing methods including washed, natural, wet-hulled, and wine barrel fermentation, creating a rich flavor spectrum. This article will analyze each coffee’s origin background, variety characteristics, processing craftsmanship, flavor profile, and suggested price, allowing you to easily choose based on your personal preferences.

Each year, the team at a certain coffee brand evaluates over three hundred sample beans and cuppings, with less than one-fiftieth making it to the shelves, and these selected beans all possess unique flavor highlights. Below are the curated recommendations from each major producing region:

Ethiopia— The cradle of coffee, home to nine major specialty producing regions, with Yirgacheffe and Sidamo being the most renowned for their diverse and layered flavor expressions.

COE#22 is the 22nd place winner from Ethiopia’s first Cup of Excellence, originating from the Arsi region in Sidamo, using the Typica variety and natural processing, delivering flavors of distinct strawberry, lychee, fermented wine aroma, and honey, with a suggested retail price of 108 RMB/100g.

TOH Washed Champion Bean is the 2020 East African Harvest Season washed group champion, produced in the Guji Uragaazi region, featuring native varieties with washed processing, presenting a fresh profile of citrus, jasmine, honey, and pomelo tea, priced at 98 RMB/100g.

Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry comes from the Aletan washing station, selecting ripe red fruits to enhance quality, with flavors of berries, strawberry, lemon, and fermented wine, recommended purchase price 88 RMB/227g. The Gu Ding Ding cooperative excels in washed native varieties, with flavors including citrus, berries, oolong tea, and honey, also at 88 RMB/227g.

The Sidamo Arsi region’s namesake bean, processed naturally to bring out sweet tropical notes of berries, honey, nectarine, and mango, is affordably priced at 80 RMB/227g. Huakui 4.0 is an upgraded fourth generation version with smaller beans believed to intensify strawberry flavors, selling for 78 RMB/227g. Candlelight and Gesha Village each have their own unique profiles: Candlelight presents nectarine, tropical fruits, and creaminess, priced at 90 RMB/227g; Gesha Village offers both Gold Label and Red Label — the Gold Label features citrus, cream, plum, and a tea-like character, retailing at 158 RMB/100g, while the Red Label excels in citrus, cream, and fruit candy, priced at 108 RMB/100g.

KenyaKenyan coffee is known for its bright acidity and double harvest seasons, grown in volcanic soils at altitudes of 2000 meters.

Asali is produced at the Asali washing station in the Kirinyaga region, using SL28 and SL34 varieties with Kenya’s 72-hour refined washed process, showcasing bright and clean qualities of cherry tomato, dark plum, and brown sugar, with a suggested price of 98 RMB/227g.

Papua New GuineaIts island environment is similar to Blue Mountain, giving rise to a unique island-style flavor.

Bird of Paradise is a washed Typica from Sigri Estate, with flavors of sugarcane, hazelnut, caramel, and nuts, priced at 88 RMB/227g.

IndonesiaIs known for its full-bodied taste, with representative items like Golden Mandheling.

Golden Mandheling uses the Ateng variety from Gayo Mountain, Aceh, North Sumatra, with wet-hulled processing and multiple hand sorting, offering flavors of nuts, caramel, herbs, and chocolate, sold at 89 RMB/227g. Tiger Mandheling carries a agarwood nuance, priced at 79 RMB/227g. Aged Mandheling, after 2–3 years of aging at origin, transforms into flavors of pine, malt, and aged pu’er, also at 89 RMB/227g. Kopi Luwak is famous for its fermentation in the civet’s digestive system, with a unique flavor, selling for 250 RMB/100g.

JamaicaBlue Mountain coffee has long been at the pinnacle of specialty coffee.

Blue Mountain No.1 is produced at the Clifton Estate, with a 2020 addition of a natural version; the washed version features flavors of dark chocolate, nuts, and cream, while the natural offers berries and fermentation notes, both at 158 RMB/100g.

HawaiiKona and Blue Mountain are hailed as the “king and queen” of coffees.

Kona is produced at the Queen’s Estate, which once won second place in the Cup of Excellence, featuring flavors of osmanthus, mulberry juice, maltose, and plum, priced at 120 RMB/100g.

PanamaIs the birthplace of Gesha coffee.

The Emerald Estate Gesha is divided into three grades — Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label: the Red Label offers rose-citrus and berry layers, selling for 350 RMB/100g; the Green Label focuses on jasmine and citrus, priced at 168 RMB/100g; the Blue Label exhibits lemon-citrus and oolong tea tones, at 98 RMB/100g. Hartmann Estate excels in wine processing, with flavors of floral and liquor chocolate, priced at 85 RMB/227g; Flower Butterfly is a Gesha blend, selling for 85 RMB/227g.

Costa RicaIts natural conditions nurture high-quality coffee.

The Musician Series includes Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, presented through raisin honey, anaerobic raisin, and washed processes with diverse flavor profiles, all at 90 RMB/227g. Miramar Gesha Blend combines 50% Gesha with other varieties, using raisin honey processing, with floral and berry notes, priced at 88 RMB/227g.

ColombiaIs the world’s third-largest Arabica-producing country.

Hua Yue Ye and Rose Valley utilize anaerobic natural and double enzyme washed processes respectively, showcasing strawberry and honey profiles, both at 62 RMB/100g. Sakura employs double anaerobic washed processing, with flavors of berries and spices, priced at 88 RMB/100g; San Jose uses rum barrel fermentation, presenting liquor chocolate and tropical fruit aromas, sold at 98 RMB/100g. Brazilian Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Natural has a balanced flavor, priced at 85 RMB/227g; Honduras Sherry and Lychee Orchid use sherry and brandy barrel fermentation respectively, with rich and sweet profiles, priced at 80 RMB/227g and 58 RMB/100g.

The 2013 Typica from a certain coffee brand is a Yunnan washed variety, with flavors of sweet potato, nuts, and tea, selling at 63 RMB/227g, offering another choice for consumers who appreciate local flavors.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.