Coffee-lovers often define a gourmet coffee as one grown in a geographic region known for its excellent coffee. Hawaii produces Kona coffee, Jamaica has its amazing Blue Mountain and Kenya has a number of well-known regions as well. Some folks love gourmet flavoured coffee as well, though some people feel the excessive flavouring ruins the natural tastes of coffee. It’s all a matter of opinion on that one. Flavoured coffee can run the spectrum of taste, offering a coffee bean to suit any palate. You can try pumpkin spice, banana hazelnut or mint chocolate truffle.

Another thing to look out for when buying gourmet coffee beans, is the term “peaberry”. Peaberry isn’t a particular type of coffee, or coffee from any specific area. Even so, peaberry coffee is still highly sought after, and can be found as a variety of other popular gourmet coffee lines. Coffee beans are actually the seeds inside a small fruit, called the coffee cherry. Most have 2 beans in each fruit. Sometimes, a cherry will only produce 1 large seed instead. These beans are peaberry, and are considered to be more flavourful because they are basically 2 beans worth of coffee in one.

The most exclusive type of gourmet coffee is so rare and unusual that many people think its just an urban legend. Kopi Luwak coffee comes from Indonesia, home to many other great coffee-growing areas. It’s the rarest of the rare, and not something most people ever get to try. The little coffee fruits are eaten by a small cat-like animal called a Luwak. The beans inside are not digested, and left amongst the animal waste. Believe it or not, these beans are collected and roasted into coffee. The final cup is reported to be extremely rich and even chocolatey in flavour.

Tip

When you buy gourmet coffee beans, make sure you don’t ruin them by getting over-zealous with the roasting. A medium roast is usually just right to get the unique flavours of each variety of coffee. Going for an overly dark roast will destroy all the subtle differences, and all your coffee will taste the same.

Most coffee fanatics would agree that some of the very best gourmet coffee comes from the Jamaican Blue Mountain region. It’s one of those unique places in the world that has exactly the right climate and growing season for producing amazing coffee. You can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 for a pound of roasted Blue Mountain coffee beans. The taste is smooth and clean.

The second coffee region that has top-notch coffee beans would be in the Kona district of Hawaii. Coffee grown along the slopes of Mount Hualalai or Mauna Loa are considered to be true Kona coffees, and should not be confused with any other Hawaiian coffee regions. Kona is a bit spicier than Blue Mountain, but without a hint of bitterness.

These are just two of the best locations for coffee, but not the only ones. Excellent gourmet coffee also comes from many areas of Kenya, Ethiopia, Costa Rica and Indonesia.

When looking for the best gourmet coffee, check the labels or descriptions on the website. It should say that the coffee is 100% beans from that region. A Kona blend does not mean a mix of Kona beans, but rather a mix of cheaper beans and a small percentage of true Kona coffee.

Large urban supermarkets may carry beans from these high-end regions, but you may have to search a bit more to find them. Gourmet food shops, or coffee houses might also be able to help you. And there is always the Internet for finding online sources that can deliver right to your door.