Pacamara Coffee Beans: What You Need To Know
If you are a coffee lover, you likely already know about Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. But, how well do you know your coffee bean varieties? If you know them well, you’ve joined the coffee geek club. If not, buckle up.
Here is everything you need to know about Pacamara coffee beans.
What Is Pacamara Coffee?
Pacamara coffee is a unique coffee variety, and it is the product of scientific breeding and natural selection that took decades to achieve. It was first discovered in 1956 in El Salvador by Fernando Figueroa on his coffee plantation farm (1).
Pacamara coffee is a cross between two Arabica varieties: Pacas (a Bourbon mutation) and Maragogype (a Typica mutation). Arabica coffee beans are just one of the leading coffee family species. But, along with Robusta coffee beans, it makes up most of all coffee sales globally. Two other lesser-known different coffee bean types are Excelsa and Liberica (2).
The Pacamara variety itself is a parent of other coffee subvarieties including the Anacafe-14 coffee.
For more on coffee variety, check out this YouTube video:
How Do I Brew Pacamara Coffee?
Pacamara coffee is brewed as a medium or light roast to get the most out of its rich acidity. Thus, cold brew is not recommended for Pacamara coffee since it will cut through the acidity and nullify its complex flavour profile. It is ideal for use in other coffee brewing methods, such as French Press, Drip Brewing, Pour Over, Chemex, or as black coffee or an espresso shot. Adding milk works well, too (3).
Where Is Pacamara Coffee Grown?
This exotic coffee originated in El Salvador’s Institute of Coffee Studies in 1958. Pacas and Maragogype were mixed to form Pacamara via trial-and-error.
The idea. . . was to get the best of the two varietals. It was named PACAMARA in reference to the first four letters of each parent varietal
Pacas coffee also comes from El Salvador, specifically Santa Ana, and was discovered in 1949 as a natural mutation of the Arabica – Bourbon varietal. Pacas is smaller since it is a “dwarf” variety, yet it still has a good body and less sweetness than its predecessor (4).
Pacamara combines the best of Pacas and Maragogype to produce smaller trees that are closer together with larger beans and a higher coffee yield.
Maragogype comes from Brazil, specifically Maragogipe, Bahia, from a spontaneous mutation of the Arabica variety known as Typica. Maragogype, or “elephant coffee,” has a large body. Although this taller plant yield is not the most effective, it results in a higher quality coffee (5).
What Does Typica Coffee Taste Like?
Typica coffee tastes like a sweet lemony light roast. It yields high quality cups with characteristic floral notes, lemon acidity, and a surprisingly sweet aftertaste. Typica is one of the oldest coffee varieties. Maragogype retains many similarities with this parent type as a spontaneous mutation of it. The higher the elevation for Typica’s growth, the more intense its flavours (6).
Pacamara Coffee Taste
Pacamara coffee is known for its dazzling taste profile. It features a full medium-to-dense body and a delectable creamy texture. This coffee is bursting with flavours, from the sweet notes of butterscotch, cinnamon, and rich chocolate to the juicer citrus of raspberry and orange with a prominent jasmine undertone.
FAQs
Pacamara coffee is good. It has a well-renowned reputation for its creaminess, its intensity, and its combination of sweet fruity flavours with its characteristic jasmine notes. It is made in many ways and helps to curate a nuanced palette that will serve your needs as a home barista (7).
Excelsa coffee is often misunderstood. Although it used to be classified as its own type of species back in 2006, it is now technically considered a type of Liberica coffee. Excelsa coffee beans are scarcer, smaller and rounder, and more tart in flavour. They have more intense earthy tones and are often added to other coffee types for a more delicious taste (8).
Liberica coffee is rare and makes up just 2% of the global coffee yield. Compared to Arabica, the cherries from Liberica coffee plants are irregular, asymmetrical, and larger with a more hooked tip. Liberica coffee beans initially have pleasant fruity and floral scents, but post-brew they take on more of a richer and fuller earthy taste similar to that of Excelsa coffee.
As of writing, there are 44 known Arabica coffee varietals. Some of the more well-known ones are the Pacamara, the Catuai, the Bourbon, the Typica, and the Maragogype.
References
- NG, K. (2015, November 20). Interview: What’s So Special About Pacamara? Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2015/11/interview-whats-so-special-about-pacamara/
- McClelland, S. (n.d.). What Is Pacamara Coffee – Everything You Need To Know. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://fullcoffeeroast.com/what-is-pacamara-coffee/
- Crema Coffee Garage. (n.d.). How To Brew: Finca El Injerto – Pacamara. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://cremacoffeegarage.com.au/blog/how-to-brew-finca-el-injerto-pacamara
- Firebat Coffee Roasters. (2016, August 5). Pacamara – A True Beauty Of Speciality Coffees. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://firebatcoffee.com/pacamara-a-true-beauty-of-specialty-coffee/#:~:text=Pacamara’s%20flavor%20notes%20can%20drive,Coffee%20Studies%20in%20El%20Salvador
- Craves, J. (2006, May 1). Botanical varieties of coffee. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.coffeehabitat.com/2006/05/botanical_varie/
- Panama Varietals. (n.d.). Varietals. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.panamavarietals.com/varietals
- Try New Coffee. (n.d.). Pacamara Coffee: What is it & why should I try it? Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://trynewcoffee.com/pacamara-coffee-what-is-it-and-why-should-i-try-it/
- The Coffee Guru. (n.d.). What is Excelsa Coffee? Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://thecoffeeguru.net/what-is-excelsa-coffee/
