Excelsa

Excelsa is a term used in botany and the coffee industry, most commonly referring to the coffee plant historically classified as Coffea excelsa, a tropical shrub in the Rubiaceae family. The name derives from the Latin excelsus, meaning “lofty” or “high,” and has been used in marketing to convey distinctiveness in the coffee product.

Coffea excelsa was long regarded as a separate species. Genetic and taxonomic studies have led some authorities to reclassify it as Coffea liberica var. excelsa, or to treat Coffea excelsa as a variety within Coffea liberica. As a result, there is no universal consensus on its formal species status; many producers and roasters continue to designate it as Coffea excelsa for marketing reasons.

Excelsa coffee comes from small, elongated beans harvested from the Excelsa plant. Roasted, the coffee is described as bright with tart, fruity, and sometimes wine-like notes, and the flavor is said to contribute liveliness to blends rather than dominating the cup.

Excelsa is produced in limited quantities relative to arabica and robusta, and is grown primarily in tropical regions of Southeast Asia and Africa. It is marketed as a unique coffee variety and used to add complexity and aroma to blends.