What is the Arabusta coffee variety?

Arabusta is an interspecific hybrid created by crossing Coffea arabica with Coffea canephora (Robusta) - a cross between two different species rather than two cultivars within the same species. That distinction requires specialised breeding techniques to produce fertile offspring.

The hybrid was developed primarily in West Africa with the aim of producing a plant that could grow at lower altitudes and in warmer climates where Arabica struggles, while producing a better cup than Robusta. Arabusta plants are disease and pest resistant, tolerant of difficult conditions, and reasonably productive.

In the cup, Arabusta doesn't compete with quality Arabica and isn't found in specialty coffee. It's primarily used in commercial blends and instant coffee where hardiness and yield matter more than flavour complexity. That said, interspecific hybrids like Arabusta represent a direction of ongoing research as climate pressures push the boundaries of where Arabica can viably grow.