Liberica Green Unroasted Coffee Beans, Philippines, 3 LB

Liberica is the rarest coffee species. It almost became extinct by the 1990's. Now cultivated only in the Philippines and to a lesser extent in Malaysia, people are rediscovering this unique coffee. The fruits grow on trees 30 feet tall, and must be harvested by people climbing ladders. The leaves and the beans are the largest in the world. The beans are not symmetrical, having a distinctive shape in which one half is a little lower than the other. The flavor of Liberica coffee is hard to describe... at first bold and smoky, it ripens in the cup to a mellower profile with rich caramel tones. When ground and brewed it is as aromatic as arabica, yet it is much more stable. It stores well and can be brewed as a drip coffee, boiled in campfire style or as espresso. It adds an exotic note to any blend of beans. Relatively low in caffeine. Direct trade from the producer. It is getting harder to procure Liberica as the world rediscovers it and supply does not keep up with demand. Dubbed "Barako" coffee after the term for the sugar cane workers who enjoyed this coffee in the Batangas region, only 100% Liberica coffee is the traditional Barako coffee. Other euphemisms used by growers who do not use 100% Liberica include "Batangas Blend", etc., but if the coffee is not from this region and is not 100% Liberica, it is not the traditional Philippine Barako coffee.