Why the most popular word on your coffee bag is actually a mistake.

In the world of specialty coffee, we love the word "Heirloom."

You see it on bags of coffee from Ethiopia all the time. It sounds fancy. It makes you think of ancient forests and rare history. But as a botanist and a coffee roaster with 20 years of experience, I can tell you the truth: "Heirloom" is a lazy word.

It is a confusing label that hides the real science of the coffee.

I have spent decades tasting and roasting these beans. I know that "Heirloom" is not one single variety. It is a placeholder name for over 10,000 different types of coffee.

Here is the simple reality of what is inside your bag.

The Genetic Mystery

First, we have to look at the science.

Almost all coffee grown outside of Ethiopia (like in Colombia or Indonesia) comes from just a tiny group of plants taken from Africa hundreds of years ago.

However, 99% of all natural coffee varieties are still found only inside Ethiopia. When you buy a bag marked "Ethiopia Heirloom," you are buying a mystery box. Usually, that box contains two very different types of coffee: JARC Selections and Landraces.

1. The JARC Selections (The Disease Fighters)

The first type isn't just about flavour. It is about survival.

In 1971, a bad disease attacked Ethiopia’s coffee farms. To save the industry, researchers went into the wild forests. They looked for "mother trees" that did not get sick.

They found the best coffee trees and gave them numbers. If you are drinking a high-scoring Ethiopian coffee today, it is likely one of these:

• 74110 & 74112: These were found in 1974. They are small trees. In your cup, they create those famous notes of peach and flowers.

• 74158: This variety is very popular right now. It tastes like heavy stone fruit.

As a roaster, I need to know if a bean is a 74110. These beans are small. If I roast them like a big bean, I will ruin the flavour.

2. Landraces (The True Wild Coffee)

The second type is called a "Regional Landrace."

These are wild varieties that have adapted to the forest over thousands of years. Farmers do not use numbers for these. They name them after local trees or shapes.

• Kurume: Named after a small fruit. The beans are very small and hard. They taste like jasmine tea.

• Wolisho: Named after a large tree. These beans are bigger. They taste bright, like wine or citrus.

Often, a washing station mixes Kurume and Wolisho together. They label this mix "Heirloom."

Why This Matters for Roasting

Why should you care about the name? Because biology changes how I roast.

Ethiopian coffee grows very high up, often 2,000 meters up a mountain. This makes the beans very dense (hard).

• The Challenge: I have to use high heat to get inside the hard bean.

• The Risk: If I have a bag of mixed "Heirloom," I have big beans and tiny beans together. The heat needed for the big Wolisho bean will burn the tiny Kurume bean.

This is why single-variety lots are the "Holy Grail" for roasters. When the beans are all the same size and type, I can roast them perfectly.

The Future is Specific

The coffee industry is finally moving away from the word "Heirloom."

This helps the farmer, too. When a farmer sells "100% Kurume" or "Variety 74110," they can charge more money. It is like selling a fine Pinot Noir wine instead of a cheap "Red Blend."

Next time you buy Ethiopian coffee, look past the word Heirloom. Look for the codes. Look for the local names. That is where the real flavour lives.

Quick Guide: The "Heirloom" Decoder

If you see these names on a bag, here is what they mean:

You Don’t Need to Be a Scientist to Drink Better Coffee

You just need a roaster who knows the science for you.

The world of specialty coffee is full of myths, confusing labels, and mystery boxes. That is why having a reliable coffee partner matters. You need someone who looks past the marketing to find the truth in the bean.

At Coffee Hero, we obsess over these details. We understand the difference between a wild forest bean and a selected variety, and we roast them with precision. We don’t hide behind vague words like "Heirloom." We focus on transparency and flavour.

Ready to taste the truth in your cup?

Visit Coffee Hero today. Explore our selection of freshly roasted coffee beans and see exactly what you are drinking. For the best experience, subscribe to our delivery service. You will get consistent, high-quality coffee delivered right to your door, no myths, just mastery.