In short: it's a coffee blend made from Arabica varieties. This alone doesn't mean much, but the "100%" label looks good on every package, even though we learn very little about the coffee itself.
Coffee plant varieties can be classified into three major groups.
These are Robusta (originally called canephora, but due to English-German academic debates at the beginning of the last century, this name prevailed), Arabica, and Lyberica, which has almost completely disappeared. Each group contains numerous (or, by now, countless) varieties and variants (and their sub-variants), all of which have their own unique characteristics, similar to, for example, Hungarian apples.
What is the difference between Arabica and Robusta?
Actually, there are more similarities, as both are two different species of the same plant. Coffee can be brewed from the fruits of both (more precisely, from the seeds of the cherry-like fruit). They grow in different places, grow differently, the beans have different sizes, different caffeine content, and, of course, the taste of the finished drink is different.
As a rule of thumb, the Robusta shrub is less demanding, easier (cheaper) to cultivate (even in large-scale conditions), less susceptible to diseases, and in return, has a higher caffeine content, more intense taste and aroma, but produces a lower quality (less refined) drink. (Of course, there are already specialty Robustas, but let's not go into that now...).
This is why they started blending Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.
If you have a coffee that is more expensive but finer (milder), and another that is cheaper, strong-flavored, but provides body and crema, blending the two can create a drink that is cost-effectively spectacular and acceptable. The common blends are 70-30 or 80-20 (always with more Arabica), but of course, many variations can occur. Naturally, those who considered other aspects important began to blend only Arabica varieties.
Why is it good to blend coffee?
The single origin coffees we put in our capsules all have their own flavor profile, which is unique to that specific area, variant, and harvest (in this respect, coffee is very similar to wine). Therefore, it is almost impossible to achieve the same taste twice in a row within half a year to a year, and moreover, such coffees are much more sensitive to storage and preparation. If there is a specific flavor profile that the coffee company wants to achieve (because their customers insist on it, or they want to sell a quantity that does not exist for a single variety), then they start "marrying" different types of coffee in various forms (hello, winemakers!). Once the desired result is achieved, they "only" need to find the right coffees and proportions year after year to consistently produce the same result. (Coffees are usually blended after roasting, and the drink made from them is tasted). One of the first and most famous producers of Arabica blends was Ferenc Illy's company in Trieste in the first half of the last century (the brand name might be more familiar without Ferenc, let's be proud of it!), where even today a very well-trained team is responsible for selecting and combining the Arabica coffee varieties that will be on the shelves next year as a blend, providing the same taste experience that has been customary for that brand for decades.
Is Samurai Shoelace coffee 100% Arabica?
Yes, because we don't use Robusta. All our coffees are "single origin," meaning they come from one growing region (sometimes even one plantation), so although technically accurate, we don't use this descriptor. (Quality wineries don't write "100% grape" on their wine either). It can happen that the produce of several sub-variants is mixed (e.g., Costa Rica is famous for blending Catuai and Caturra varieties, sometimes from the same farm, but different plots), but of course, these coffees also meet the "specialty" qualification.
In summary: on a package, it's more important than the "100% Arabica" label to know where the coffee came from, what varieties (variants) it consists of, and when it was roasted. However, a quality 80-20 blend might provide a much better experience than a "100% Arabica" coffee blended from lower quality ingredients, but this is a matter of taste, and we won't argue about that.