If coffee growing was an Olympic event, it'd be a marathon not a sprint. And not just because Africa totally dominates. Being a coffee superpower requires years of economic, infrastructural, and government investment. Plus a bean-friendly terrior, farmers dedicated to quality control, and a trust in industry buyers to bring the beans to the masses. So, which countries shell out the best beans? To get an idea, we asked a group of 11 roasters and writers to weigh in. Obviously, with all of the variables involved, naming favorite countries is not an easy task . Almost all of our contributors expressed hesitation about throwing their hat into the ring (too much Deadly Grounds , perhaps), and one roaster even pulled their choices for fear of upsetting their farmers. Naturally, personal bias in taste, education, and life experience influence one's picks, but by polling a diverse cross-section of the coffee world, we feel like this is an honest pulse of the industry,