Craving the World's Tastiest Coffee? These 7 Organic Blends Will Have You Hooked
These specialty coffees with complex flavor profiles are made of organically grown, ethically sourced beans. Find your new favorite blend.
Published Sept. 20 2024, 10:29 a.m. ET
- How is the world's tastiest coffee selected?
- Equator Coffees - Colombia Cerro Azul Enano, 12 oz.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon, 12 oz.
- Lifeboost - Medium Roast Coffee, 12 oz.
- Volcanica Coffee Company - Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee, 16 oz.
- Counter Culture - Finca Santa Elena, 12 oz.
- Death Wish Coffee Co. - Dark Roast Ground Coffee, 16 oz.
- Bird Rock Coffee Roasters - Norandino Decaf, 10 oz.
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Coffee is a lot like wine in terms of complexity, flavor diversity, and the influence of terroir — a fancy word for the soil and other environmental factors that impact the beans. All of this is at play when you discover a cup of coffee so delicious it can't be denied. The world's tastiest coffees come from regions worldwide, from North and South America to Africa and India. When coffee is grown organically (without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers), it's not only healthier, but it tends to be more flavorful, too, because the characteristics of the beans are preserved.
How is the world's tastiest coffee selected?
The organic coffee market is pretty saturated, and you can get analysis paralysis trying to determine which are the real deal. A good place to start is the Q Grade system, a scoring method used by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) that evaluates the quality of coffee beans on a 100-point scale. Most of the coffees below have Q grades of 85 or above, meaning they're deemed "excellent" and are considered specialty coffees. They're all made by ethical brands that use sustainable practices — and in some cases, recyclable packaging. Keep scrolling to see what all the buzz is all about.
Equator Coffees - Colombia Cerro Azul Enano, 12 oz.
Equator Coffees is a certified B Corporation, which means they meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The company prioritizes direct trade relationships and supports shade-grown and organic coffee production to protect biodiversity. Equator offsets carbon emissions through reforestation and uses recyclable packaging to reduce waste. It invests in coffee-growing communities, and many of its coffees are USDA-certified organic.
Their Colombia Cerro Azul Enano is a rare and high-quality coffee made from the Enano (dwarf Geisha) varietal.
Flavor profile: Expect vibrant flavors like strawberry guava, cocoa nib, cane sugar, tea rose, and a hint of cedar. This coffee has a delicately sweet structure, with bright acidity and a crisp, syrupy mouthfeel.
Body: Light
Q Grade: 94
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon, 12 oz.
It wouldn't be a list of the world's tastiest coffees with Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a Portland, Oregon-based pioneer in top quality, ethically sourced coffees since 1999. Stumptown is known for its direct trade model, building long-term, transparent relationships with coffee farmers worldwide. This ensures farmers are fairly compensated and promotes sustainable, ethical farming practices.
Stumptown specializes in single-origin coffees like the beloved Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon, produced on one of Guatemala's most renowned farms, much of which is on protected land.
Flavor profile: Notes of milk chocolate, cherry, and orange define this coffee. It has a creamy, smooth body and a lingering sweetness.
Body: Medium to medium-bold
Q Grade: 86+
Lifeboost - Medium Roast Coffee, 12 oz.
Lifeboost is a specialty coffee company focusing on high-quality, single-origin, organic coffee from Nicaragua. All its blends are USDA-certified organic and low-acid, so they're gentler on the stomach. Lifeboost is committed to sustainability, too. The company's coffee is shade-grown, preserving the surrounding ecosystem and wildlife, and produced in small batches through fair trade practices.
Lifeboost's most popular blend is their Medium Roast Coffee.
Flavor profile: Smooth and rich with notes of chocolate, caramel, and mild fruitiness. This roast is well-balanced with low acidity, making it an excellent daily coffee.
Body: Medium
Q Grade: 85+
Volcanica Coffee Company - Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee, 16 oz.
Volcanica Coffee is one of the most sustainable brands out there. Many of Volcanica’s ethically sourced coffees are USDA-certified organic and Fair Trade-certified, ensuring farmers receive fair wages. Several Volcanica Coffee varieties are Rainforest Alliance Certified, meaning they're produced under sustainable agricultural practices that protect forests, conserve wildlife, and promote the well-being of farming communities.
The company's popular Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee is Fair Trade certified, USDA organic, and Kosher certified, and it even comes in recyclable packaging.
Flavor Profile: Bright, fruity, and acidic with citrus, berry, and floral notes. This coffee offers a clean and vibrant cup with a tea-like body.
Body: Medium light
Q Grade: 88+
Counter Culture - Finca Santa Elena, 12 oz.
Counter Culture Coffee is dedicated to sustainability through Direct Trade relationships, carbon neutrality efforts, and recyclable packaging. The company promotes organic farming, water conservation, and social initiatives like gender equity.
Finca Santa Elena is one of the world's tastiest coffees, sourced directly from the owners of the estate in El Salvador. Its unique flavor comes from the area's volcanic soil.
Flavor Profile: Notes of caramel, citrus, and subtle nutty undertones. It tends to have a sweet, clean profile with bright acidity and a crisp finish, making it an easy-to-drink coffee for those who enjoy balanced and flavorful cups.
Body: Medium
Q Grade: 85+
Death Wish Coffee Co. - Dark Roast Ground Coffee, 16 oz.
The name says it all: if you're looking for "The World's Strongest Coffee," it's Death Wish. The brand produces USDA-certified organic, Fair Trade-certified coffee with double the caffeine of your average cup, so it'll knock your socks off. It uses recyclable packaging, too.
Death Wish Coffee's Dark Roast is a blend of robusta and arabica beans from Peru and India, carefully roasted to achieve bold flavor without excessive bitterness.
Flavor profile: Bold, rich flavors with notes of dark chocolate and cherry. It has a smooth, slightly sweet finish, with a hint of bitterness typical of dark roasts.
Body: Bold
Q Grade: Not available
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters - Norandino Decaf, 10 oz.
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters is a celebrated San Diego-based roaster, known for its direct trade relationships with small-scale farmers. The company sources the highest quality beans, fosters long-term partnerships, and promotes sustainable farming practices. As a former Micro Roaster of the Year winner, Bird Rock emphasizes transparency and ethical sourcing by working closely with farmers and cooperatives like Norandino.
Their Norandino Decaf is a medium-bodied decaf that's perfect if you love a cup of coffee but can't do caffeine. It’ssourced from Peru’s Norandino cooperative, and decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Process, which means no chemical residues.
Flavor profile: Brown sugar, ripe fruit, and cedar, with a hint of spice.
Body: Medium
Q Grade: 85+
