What is Excelsa Coffee?
Excelsa coffee is a subspecies of Liberica coffee. Still, excelsa coffee is considered a distinct type of beans because it differs greatly compared to the Liberica coffee bean. Excelsa coffee beans, which are mostly grown in the Southeast Asian region, account for 7 percent of the amount of coffee worldwide. The aroma of Excelsa coffee is quite strong and remarkable.
Often confused with Robusta coffee in taste, excelsa coffee has a sour and acidic structure. Due to this structure, Arabica is often blended with coffee beans, thus giving the resulting product a different character. A very small amount of excelsa coffee is used as a reinforcer in the aroma in the coffees we drink.
This type of coffee, which is highly preferred to give Arabica coffees a more complex and memorably characterized taste, stands out as a type that is not much preferred in brews due to the fact that it is not suitable for brewing in one state. The taste that occurs as a result of grinding the Excelsa coffee beans is likened to a pie. There are also those who liken the taste of Excelsa coffee to the taste of a ripe fruit.
About this type of coffee, which carries a unique profile, coffee gourmets say that it has a unique taste. Although it is said to resemble a flavor with a mixture of flowers and fruits, there are also negative comments about Excelsa coffee. Tasters who stated that the taste of coffee was not obvious also caused a question mark in the minds in terms of the flavor of this type of coffee.
Due to reasons such as the coffee type whose production decreased after the Philippines announced its independence, and the more and regular production of Arabica coffee beans, Excelsa coffee is no longer as popular around the world as it used to be. We recommend you to try Excelsa coffee beans, which can be easily distinguished from other types of coffee with their caffeine content and unique flavored flavor. You can obtain Excelsa coffee beans through global sales platforms on the internet and ask your nearest coffee shop to grind them for you. After this process, it is recommended to mix your ground excelsa coffee with your Arabica coffee powder.
History of Excelsa
Excelsa (Coffea excelsa) was discovered in 1903 in Chad.
Although it still grows naturally in Chad and other parts of Central Africa, the majority of Excelsa is now grown in South East Asia, particularly in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
It was reclassified as a subspecies of Liberica in 2006 and there is some evidence that Excelsa is sold under the name Liberica.
There isn’t much data collected on the amount of Excelsa grown, exported and consumed around the world, as the International Coffee Organization (the body that collects data on these things) says the demand for Excelsa is “not commercially significant”.
Roasting and Flavor
Despite the problems with its production, excelsa can create a complex and interesting cup profile when grown and handled with care.
It is said that the Excelsa bean has a more concentrated mucilage than arabica and has much less soluble solids. It means that existing roasting profiles for Excelsa should not be confused with any other bean profiles and new roasting styles and best practices should be used.
Additionally, its lower solubility means excelsa beans may need to be roasted at higher temperatures or for longer periods of time to achieve optimal flavor profiles.
Roasters powered by Excelsa state that medium-light roasting can produce fruit-like and fruity notes as well as woody and popcorn-like flavors. As the roast darkens, the core gives it a fuller body with notes of chocolate and cream.
