Ask most people where coffee comes from and they picture neat rows of low, bushy plants on a hillside. That picture is right for almost every cup on the planet. Arabica and Robusta, the two species behind nearly all the coffee sold today, are grown as shrubs. Farmers keep them short so pickers can reach the cherries by hand.
Excelsa is different. Excelsa is tree coffee.
What is tree coffee?
Tree coffee is coffee that grows on a true tree instead of a pruned bush. Excelsa (Coffea excelsa, also known as Coffea dewevrei) grows a thick trunk, broad leaves, and roots that reach deep into the soil. Left alone, an Excelsa tree can grow taller than a two story house. On farms it is often pruned so the harvest stays within reach, but it never stops being a tree.
Shrub coffee is the coffee you already know. Arabica and Robusta are bred and managed as compact plants, packed close together and picked at chest height. That system made coffee cheap and predictable. It also made it fragile.
Why being a tree matters
Height is more than a fun fact. The way Excelsa grows changes how it handles a hotter, drier world.
- Deeper roots. A tree reaches water that shallow rooted shrubs cannot. That is a big part of why Excelsa is 2 to 4 times more drought tolerant than Arabica.
- Lowland friendly. Arabica needs cool mountain air. Excelsa grows from around 100 meters up, so it can thrive on land shrub coffee has already given up on.
- Disease resistant. Excelsa stands up to pests and diseases that hit shrub coffee hard, which means fewer chemical inputs on the farm.
- Built for diverse farms. Tree coffee fits naturally into shaded, mixed farms instead of the wide open monocultures shrub coffee depends on.
World Coffee Research estimates that by 2050, half of the land used to grow Arabica could be unsuitable. Shrub coffee is running out of places to live. Tree coffee is how we keep coffee growing.
What does tree coffee taste like?
Excelsa does not taste like the shrub coffee most of us grew up on. Expect tart tropical fruit, tamarind, dried fig, dark cocoa, and a warm spice that lingers. It has bright acidity, a medium to full body, and naturally less caffeine than most shrub coffee. People who say they don't like coffee are often the first to fall for it.
Taste tree coffee at Excelsa Café
The best way to understand tree coffee is to drink it. Excelsa Café, at 1855 Sunset Cliffs Blvd in Ocean Beach, San Diego, was the first café in the U.S. dedicated to 100% Excelsa. Every drink on our menu is made with tree coffee. No shrub coffee on the bar.
Stop in after a walk on the pier. Order a pour over if you want to taste the fruit, or go for our House Espresso if you want something bold. Our baristas love talking about where the coffee comes from, so ask away.
Bring tree coffee home
Not in San Diego? You can brew tree coffee anywhere. Shop the current batch, follow our V60 pour over guide, or if you run a café or roastery, apply for wholesale and start serving the coffee of the future.
Tree coffee is Excelsa. The rest of the world is shrub. Come taste the difference.