Coffee only grows in the tropics, in the so-called coffee belt. That is because coffee is a perennial that does survive a frost. Although disease resistance can be high with strains like robusta, high quality coffee like arabica does not do well at extremely low altitudes because of excessive heat, humidity, and presence of fungi and other coffee pests. Thus coffee is generally grown at around three thousand feet but can also be grown at much higher altitudes such as in Ethiopia, Colombia, Bolivia, or Honduras, where coffee is grown as high as 7,000 feet above sea level and occasionally even higher.

How Does Altitude Affect Coffee?

As a rule, high quality coffee grown in the 3,000 foot range has nutty and chocolate flavors while coffee grown closer to 7,000 feet has more floral and fruity aromas and flavors. The best coffee grows slowly and ripens slowly. This is what happens at higher altitudes in countries like Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, and Bolivia at the highest altitudes. A problem today that plagues coffee production is coffee leaf rust which kills entire coffee crops. This fungal coffee plague is more prevalent at lower to medium altitudes and less of a problem at altitudes above 6,000 or 7,000 feet. As earth’s temperatures and humidity steadily increase there will be a need to plant coffee at higher and higher altitudes to stay ahead of leaf rust infestations. Meanwhile, coffee growers are trying to cross breed arabica strains with resistant East Indian strains to increase disease resistance while retaining arabica flavor and aroma.

Science, Altitude, and Coffee Characteristics

Higher altitude coffee means slower growth in cooler temperatures. Slower growth results in higher sugar content which, in turn, results in more complex flavors. Coffee at lower altitudes grows faster and produces more coffee but of noticeably lower quality. Higher altitudes tend to have better drainage for coffee with reduces water saturation of coffee beans and further increases sugar concentration and flavor complexity.

Coffee Quality By Altitude

As a general rule, here are the coffee qualities that relate to altitude of production. Above 5,000 feet like in Colombia or Ethiopia coffee has greater complexity, is fruitier, spicier and has aromas that are more floral.

Coffee grown in the 4,000 feet range like in Mexico, Costa Rica and lower elevations in Colombia tends to be more earthy with notes of nut, chocolate, citrus, and vanilla.

Coffee that grows around 3,000 feet such as the lowest Colombian production areas or in Brazil tends to be sweet and smooth.

And coffee grown as low as the 2,500 foot range such as in Hawaii tends to be mild, not very complex, and not acidic.

Altitude Requirements for Arabica Versus Robusta

Robusta is a hardier coffee plant than arabica. Thus it can be grown at lower altitudes where temperatures are higher. Arabica requires not only higher altitude with lower temperatures but also more shade, stable temperatures, and plentiful rainfall. We have written about how both in Colombia and other countries of Latin America and in the East Indies coffee growers are attempting to cross breed robusta and arabica with the hope of obtaining a coffee with the best features of both, namely a hardy coffee with high production that retains arabica’s exceptional qualities. Until that ideal is obtained, we can expect to see the best coffees grown at the highest altitudes in places like the departments of Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda in Colombia.