Beyond Arabica and Robusta: Excelsa Coffee in the Spotlight

Could Excelsa be the future of coffee? As global warming challenges arabica and robusta growth, the lesser-known species is gaining traction.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Olin Patterson

In the landscape of coffee cultivation and consumption, the dominance of the arabica and robusta varieties has largely overshadowed lesser-known species. Among these, Excelsa coffee remains relatively obscure despite its distinct characteristics, including a lower caffeine content.

However, as global warming presents more challenges to arabica and robusta growth, folks across the industry are becoming proponents of what’s been somewhat of a specialty-coffee underdog.

To learn more about the rise of Excelsa, we spoke to Michael Mazzotta and Olin Patterson of San Diego’s Excelsa Coffee Company: a café and roasting company dedicated to what Michael and Olin are calling the “champagne of coffee beans.”

An Unlikely Beginning

Michael, a commercial real estate broker, and Olin, an expert in consumer packaged goods, did not set out to revolutionize the coffee industry. Their journey began with a simple curiosity: Was there a smoother, less anxiety-inducing coffee alternative? Michael stumbled upon Excelsa during his research and, intrigued by its qualities, shared his discovery with Olin. That moment of excitement quickly turned into an obsession.

“I think there’s two parts of the story,” Olin explains. “One of them is my background in sourcing products from around the world—avocado oil, grain, salsas. I’ve always worked in consumer-packaged goods. Michael, on the other hand, had nothing to do with it—he’s a real estate guy. But sometimes, the right energy is all it takes to start something big.”

The Search for the Perfect Bean

The duo embarked on a multiyear exploration, traveling to coffee farms in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America to source and sample Excelsa. What they found was surprising: Farmers in regions like Uganda, South Sudan, Indonesia, and the Philippines were already growing Excelsa as a response to global warming. Unlike arabica, which struggles in rising temperatures, Excelsa is a hardy, tall-growing coffee species that thrives in more challenging environments.

Yet, despite its potential, the Excelsa industry was highly fragmented. Quality was inconsistent, and consumers often ended up with subpar beans mislabeled as Excelsa. Michael and Olin saw an opportunity—not just to introduce Excelsa to the market, but to do so with integrity.

“We were blown away by Excelsa’s taste profile,” Olin recalls. “It was bright, fruity, and lacked the bitterness we often associate with other coffee varieties. But what really struck us was how few people had heard of it.”

Establishing Trust and Quality

To ensure quality control and build credibility, they partnered with DNA scientists and chemical experts to properly identify and authenticate Excelsa beans. They launched a resource hub for farmers, collaborating with researchers from the University of Florida and UC Davis to study Excelsa’s potential. They also founded an online storefront and wholesale platform, and a café concept exclusively dedicated to Excelsa coffee.

“We spent years testing and refining,” Olin says. “We wanted to make sure every cup we serve truly represents the highest quality Excelsa has to offer. That meant working directly with farmers, ensuring fair prices, and providing education on best harvesting and processing practices.”

The First Excelsa Café

Years of meticulous sourcing, research, and development culminated in a major milestone: the opening of their first Excelsa Café in San Diego. The café, currently in its soft launch phase, serves as a proof of concept, introducing consumers to Excelsa through pourovers and nitro cold brew made with carefully selected beans from Vietnam and the Philippines.

Olin and Michael see the café as an educational tool, helping to shift consumer awareness of coffee beyond just arabica and robusta. “We’ve had people walk in and tell us they’ve been drinking coffee for years, but they never knew there were other species beyond Arabica,” Olin says. “That’s a huge moment for us—getting people to rethink what coffee can be.”

Expansion and Innovation

Beyond their café, Michael and Olin have ambitious long-term goals: expanding Excelsa cultivation, pioneering regenerative agriculture, and developing eco-resorts on their farms. They also aim to scale their café concept into a franchise, exclusively serving Excelsa coffee.

One of their key strategies for building consumer awareness is through collaborations with influential coffee professionals and competitions. However, despite Excelsa’s potential, some specialty-coffee competitions have rejected it from entry, citing rules that only allow arabica.

“It’s funny—when we get these rejection emails, we screenshot them,” Olin laughs. “It’s validation that we’re ahead of the curve. Eventually, they’ll catch up.”

Michael and Olin remain undeterred. In fact, they believe that Excelsa could be a crucial player in the future of specialty coffee, especially as global warming challenges traditional coffee-growing regions.

“With the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns, coffee farmers need viable alternatives,” Olin explains. “Excelsa is one of those alternatives. It’s resilient, it’s flavorful, and it deserves a place in the specialty-coffee conversation.”

The Road Ahead for Excelsa

With the specialty-coffee movement embracing diversity and sustainability, Excelsa could well be the next big thing. And thanks to two unlikely pioneers, a once-overlooked coffee is finally getting recognition.

As they continue to expand their reach, Michael and Olin are confident that Excelsa’s moment is coming. “It’s not about competing with arabica,” Olin says. “It’s about adding another layer to coffee’s incredible story. And we’re just getting started.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work.

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