Brazilian Coffee Certification is gaining year by year a supreme importance worldwide. This national and international recognition is a reflection of the efforts to enhance the way Brazilian Specialty Coffee is produced and marketed globally.
Even where individual producers grow the same varieties, there are differences in tree age, tree care, fertilization, processing, general maintenance and sometimes irrigation that cause coffee quality to vary from farm to farm, within the same geographical area, on the same mountain slope. When the differences are too great, any blend becomes as good (or as bad) as its lowest components. One cannot hide poor quality by mixing it with better coffee.
The degree of quality variation will depend on the size of the production area or region (altitude, soil, and water), whether the coffee faces north or south.
There is no inherently bad coffee, at least not when it is still on the tree. What happens to degrade the quality from then onwards is nearly always caused by human intervention.
DE LUCA VIAN COFFEE IMPORTERS only work with producers that have won prizes high up at COE BRAZIL COMPETITION.
- Altitude and/or region
- Botanical variety
- Preparation (wet or dry process = washed or natural)
- Bean size (screen size), also bean shape and colour
- Number of defects (imperfections)
- Roast appearance and cup quality (flavour, characteristics, cleanliness…)
- Density of the beans
Cupping score: This is the score given by professionals.
Screens: This is the size of the bean.
NY: This is the grade given by the number of defects.
Cupping Score: above 88 points
AAA
Natural ou Pulped Natural
Cupping Score: above 85-86-87 points
Screens: 16 up
NY: 2/3
AA
Natural ou Pulped Natural
Cupping Score: above 83-84 points
Screens: 16 up
NY: 2/3
A
Natural ou Pulped Natural
Cupping Score: above 80-82 points
Screens: 16 up
NY: 2/3
High Commercial
Natural ou Pulped Natural
Cupping Score: above 77-79 points
Screens: 16 up Pulped or 17 up Natural
NY: 2/3 or 3/4
