The flavor of the coffee comes from a combination of soil, microclimate, altitude and specie of Arabica bean. Seeds for sowing are chosen from specially selected trees that develop slowly, creating a rich, savory bean. They are rooted in shallow beds, and when the seed matures and sprouts into a seedling over several months, the young plants are moved to the plantation.

Coffee Bean Coffee plantations can be found in South America, Central America, Indonesia, Africa, the Caribbean and Hawaii. The typical Arabica plantation sits on a sloping hillside at an elevation between 2,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level. The young plants are typically planted in shady areas, where they will begin to bear fruit after three to five years. With annual pruning and judicious care, each tree guarantees 10 productive years.

It is easy to find a similarity between the art of cultivating coffee beans to the same artful processes used by vintners to grow their grapes for wine. The care and nurturing of the plants, the groves in rich, fertile lands and the exquisite care given to both coffee beans and grapes produce a rich cup of coffee or a luscious glass of wine for the discriminating consumer.

The coffee bean is the seed of a bright crimson coffee cherry, which is the fruit of the coffee tree. Because the cherries ripen at different times on the same plant, they are almost always hand-picked. Once picked, the red cherries are fed into a pulping machine where the beans are separated from the skin. Then the beans are dried, either mechanically or spread out in the sun on immense clay patios, on roads or any other available flat surface.

Once dried, beans go through a process of milling, polishing, grading and sorting. Small quantities of beans are tasted to ensure that they meet Millstone® quality standards. While coffee is grown in approximately 30 countries, less than 15% of the world's Arabica beans are exceptional enough to be used by Millstone.