6 Phenomenal Peaberry Coffees That Will Make You Believe
The Peaberry Coffee Controversy
If you’ve ever browsed for high end coffees from around the world, you’ve probably come across a peaberry coffee or two. You may have also noticed that these peaberry coffee brands typically have an inflated price tag. There is of course, a justification for this...
And that is where the peaberry coffee controversy comes in to play... Okay so maybe it's not a controversy so much as a couple of differing opinions.
Spare me the drama, I'll judge peaberry coffee for myself!
The Coffee | The Visual | Defining Aspects | Available As... |
---|---|---|---|
Tanzanian: Mt. Kilimanjaro | |||
Costa Rica: Doka Estate | |||
Hawaiian Kona | |||
Colombia Supremo | |||
Tanzanian: Mt. Meru | |||
Kenya |
Need help deciding? You really can't go wrong with any of these, but Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee: Mt. Kilimanjaro is a personal favorite of ours!
The peaberry coffee hype vs. the denial...
In short, a peaberry is type of coffee bean that grows as one full, round, intact bean. Peaberry coffee beans occur in every type of coffee in nature, but are quite rare. It is thought that these peaberries exhibit a more concentrated flavor, aroma, and a more desirable acidity, and are thus superior to regular old coffee beans.
Some people do not consider the peaberry coffee bean to be superior, and think of it it to be no better than a regular bean.
We happen to fall on the peaberry believer side, and we've made a list of 6 peaberry coffees that we think will convert any skeptic to a peaberry believer.

That one in the middle is a peaberry coffee bean!
About Peaberry Coffee Beans
The coffee beans that you are probably accustomed to seeing grow as two separate beans within one coffee cherry. Although they look as though they could be two halves of a more complete and round bean, they are not attached.
A peaberry, as you may now be able to guess, consists of a round bean that grows in solitude within the coffee cherry. Although the peaberry looks very much like it could be two typical beans mashed together, it is actually the result of a partially infertile coffee plant. This lesser fertility results in only one of the seeds within a cherry being fertilized, which then grows to be the shape of the full coffee cherry.
This phenomenon is relatively rare, approximately 5% of coffee beans grow as a peaberry.
Peaberry coffee beans are painstakingly separated from the regular coffee beans for your enjoyment. Such a laborious process comes at a cost of course, but we think the result is well worth it.

Can you spot any peaberries? Okay, go ahead and separate ALL OF THEM.
Wait, why is the product of semi-infertile coffee plant MORE expensive than a regular coffee bean?
Good question. It is thought that peaberries, which tend to be smaller than two separated beans, receive a higher level of nutrients during the development of the coffee tree.
Due to this, the singular bean is of a relatively higher density and therefore produces a more concentrated...
Whether you're a peaberry coffee believer or not...
The fact of the matter is that the clashing opinions in either of the camps of thought for peaberries shouldn’t be analyzed too deeply. Everyone tastes things differently, so it is really up to you to give a peaberry coffee a try and decide for yourself.
If it tastes superior to you, fantastic, you have a whole world of high quality products to explore!
If it tastes the same as any other coffee to you, then grab a pitchfork or torch and join the peaberry opposition camp.
Or you know, just drink whatever coffee you prefer.
All jokes aside, we strongly believe that the peaberry coffees that we’ve included in our list below are all great coffees regardless of the peaberry label and hype. If you happen to be a naysayer on this topic, we encourage you to try these coffees anyway, as you might just find that one of them changes your mind!

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The Best Peaberry Coffee
So whether you are already a peaberry enthusiast, or looking to explore them for the first time, or are a naysayer looking to be converted, here are our top 6 best peaberry coffee recommendations!
A quick note on whole bean peaberry coffee...
We recommend the whole bean option for each of these peaberry coffees. These peaberry beans are held in such high regard because they are rare in nature, and seeing them as whole peaberry beans is part of the experience!
If you prefer ground coffee, that's no problem at all, we're sure that you'll still love each of these fine coffees in any form!
1. Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee: Mount Kilimanjaro
Roasted By: Volcanica Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, notes of fruit & wine
This peaberry coffee is sourced the highly elevated slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. This rich, velvety coffee contains prominent fruit and wine notes with a bright, yet light acidity which is often characteristic of peaberry coffee. A roller-coaster of flavor fades away slowly into a sweet, lingering aftertaste. If you are unsure of how you feel about the peaberry coffee hype, try this. Actually, try this regardless of how you feel. Tanzanian Peaberry coffees are among the best in the world!
2. Costa Rican Peaberry Coffee: Doka Estate
Roasted By: Doka Estate Gourmet Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, notes of lime, apricot & brown sugar
Doka Estate’s Costa Rican Peaberry is a single origin coffee with an intense, brown-sugary sweet aroma to die for. Assuming that you don't literally die from how wonderful the aroma is, a rich and deep taste with notes of lime and apricot follows. The concentrated nature of peaberry beans shines here. Doka Estate coffee is the type of coffee that could turn a non-coffee drinker into an enthusiast. Highly recommended to anyone and everyone.
3. Hawaiian Peaberry Kona Coffee
Roasted By: Hualālai Estate Coffee
Roast: Medium-Dark
Taste: Rich, notes of chocolate, nuts, earth & spice
Hawaiian Kona coffee is considered by most experts to be one of the best coffees in the world. Mix that reputation with the concentrated nature of peaberries and what do you get? You'll have to give this a try and see for yourself! This coffee is rich, with notes of chocolate, nuts and spice. A mild acidity and some earthy character round out this luxurious cup. There's no denying that this coffee is expensive, but it is a great treat for a special occasion!
Interested in Kona coffee? Learn all about it here!
4. Colombia Peaberry Supremo Coffee
Roasted By: Volcanica Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, notes of fruit, caramel & chocolate
Another one from Volcanica! This coffee is quite different than their Tanzanian variety in most aspects, but is similar in that it is a top of the line product. This peaberry coffee stays true to the smooth, light mouthfeel that Colombian coffee is known for. It manages to do so while also balancing a variety of enjoyable flavors including caramel, chocolate and fruit. Whether you’ve tried one of Volcanica’s products before or not, we highly recommend this one!
5. Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee: Mount Meru
Roasted By: Cubico Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Complex, notes of dark chocolate & cherry
Tanzania again? Yes, you read that correctly. A list of six items and two are the same? Preposterous! Wait, we can explain! Tanzanian Peaberry coffees are very well known and considered to be some of the best coffees in the world! Cubico’s Mount Meru coffee is another stellar example of why. The delightful combination of a dark chocolate and cherry notes with a bright and zesty acidity result in a truly distinct taste profile. Take an already stellar cup and apply the peaberry magic to it, and you get this. This one won’t disappoint, and can be used to convert peaberry skeptics to believers with one cup!
6. Kenya Peaberry Coffee
Roasted By: RhoadsRhoast Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, notes of tropical fruit, black cherry & citrus
We think that anyone from a first time coffee drinker to a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur will enjoy this one. This coffee contains a large variety of pleasing aspects, from the multiple distinct fruit notes, to the honey-like sweetness, to the tangy acidity! There is a lot to take in. The brilliance of this coffee is in how well the different flavors compliment one another, and they do so in a way that they can be enjoyed all together, or appreciated independently by a well experienced palate. Treat yourself, everyone deserves to taste this sensational peaberry coffee!
And there you have it, 6 of our favorite peaberry coffees. We'd also say once more that even if you don’t personally believe that peaberry coffees are superior, we think that you’ll enjoy each of these coffees anyway.
Let us know which peaberry coffee is your favorite, or if you have recommendations for us! We are in the peaberry believer camp and are always excited to try new coffee!
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