How Elevation Affects the Flavor of Coffee

You might have heard before that the best coffees in the world come from the highest alps of the tropics. But what does that really mean when coffees are grown at high elevations?

In this article, we’ll tackle everything you need to know about coffee elevations for you to understand what the fuss is all about.

Why Elevation is Important for Coffee

Elevation is important for coffee because it determines what producers can plant. To thrive, Arabica coffees require higher altitudes and cooler climates while Robusta coffees need warmer climates.

Certain Arabica varieties (like Typica, Bourbon, Gesha, SL28, SL34.) are also best planted at very high elevations so they are less susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease – which is more likely at lower elevations.

The way a coffee will taste is also greatly affected by its elevation. In a nutshell, because higher elevations are cooler and have less oxygen, this causes the coffee cherries to take longer to ripen. At the same time, this causes the sugars of the fruit to really concentrate. Thus, often translating into naturally sweet and fruity flavors.

A Helpful Chart to Understand Coffee Altitudes

Altitude (Feet)	Altitude (Meters)	Category	General Notes
2000-2499	610-749	Very Low	Muddy
2500-2999	750-900	Low	Earthy, Nutty
3000-3999	900-1199	Medium	Low Acidity, Sweet
4000-4999	1200-1499	High	Chocolatey, Slightly Fruity, Sweet
5000 and above	1500 and above	Very High	Vibrant, Fruity, Floral

Aside from the numbers and flavor notes, some coffee bags come with labels to identify high-elevation coffees. These are:

• Hard Bean – coffee grown between 900-1200 meters (3000-3999 feet) above sea level
• High Grown – used interchangeably with “Hard Bean”
• Alturra – term used in Mexico to identify high grown coffees
• Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) – coffee grown above 1200 meters (4000 ft.) above sea level
• Strictly High Grown (SHG) – used interchangeably with “SHB”
• Mile High – designates coffee from the highest farms in Papua New Guinea

Is Higher-Elevation Coffee Always Better?

There is some truth to the cliché “the taller, the better”. Many roasters like to source the highest-grown coffees, they can get their hands on per origin. Likewise, the coffees that do make it to coffee competitions (like the World Brewers Cup or the Cup of Excellence) are always coffees from very high altitudes.

What we have to be mindful about, though, is that elevation as an absolute number doesn’t give us the full picture. Some origins will naturally have higher altitudes than others. And what might be a high elevation for one origin might just be above average for another.

For example, Burundi grows much of its coffees between 1800-2000 meters (5900-6500 feet), while Nicaragua’s coffees are somewhere between 1400-1700 meters (4560-5600 feet) above sea level. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Burundian coffees automatically beat Nicaraguan coffees just because those coffees on average are from higher elevations.

Before jumping to conclusions based on elevation alone, we need to consider other factors. Like how the coffees were processed. Does the producer have a good reputation for growing quality coffee? And most importantly, what flavors do you prefer? Some people like fruity coffees but don’t enjoy the floral notes as much. On that front high altitude coffees might be a better option than very high altitude coffees.

Does Lower-Altitude Coffee = Bad Coffee?

In general, the short answer is yes. Most coffees from low altitudes (below 900m / 3000 ft) just don’t taste as good. They often carry earthy flavors that are better off with a lot of milk and sugar added. At the same time, lower elevations are not ideal for most Arabica coffees. However, they are ideal for Robusta coffees.

Technically, Arabica can grow as low as sea-level and Robusta at very high altitudes. But, on average, Arabica varieties grow best at 1300m (4260ft) and above.

Meanwhile, Robusta varieties grow best in low to medium altitudes between 900-1100m (2500-3600 ft). But this doesn’t mean that all Robusta is bad.

Quality Robusta from medium-level altitudes and up can taste quite good. Having said that, those still doesn’t compete with Arabica coffees of the same altitude or higher.

Final Thoughts

Elevation plays a big role in how coffee will taste. The best coffees in the world do come from the highest of altitudes an origin can offer. But not all coffees are meant to be grown really high up, nor should they be.

While higher elevations benefit the sought-after Arabica varietals (Bourbon, Gesha, etc.), we have to remember that yield at higher altitudes is also much lower. That’s why resistant Arabica varietals exist – so farmers can get better yields at reasonable altitudes yet still grow good coffee.

And even then, that still doesn’t mean producers should stop growing at lower elevations altogether. Some consumers simply don’t want their coffees to be fruity and delicate. That in mind, there will always be a market for those kinds of coffees – especially for those looking more for the caffeine kick rather than a novel taste experience.

To wrap up, while elevation does greatly impact a coffee’s flavor, there are many other things to consider as well. But with that in mind, it helps you to better understand the coffee you’re buying. Thus, allowing you to really find what you want.

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