Recommended Premium Brazilian Coffee Bean Brands | Flavor Profile and Taste Characteristics

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How should you choose coffee? What is the coffee brand ranking? Friends who are new to coffee might start with coffee brand rankings, thinking that highly-ranked brands must be good coffee. In fact, this is not the case. FrontStreet Coffee believes that whether it's single-origin beans or espresso beans, freshness is key. For single-origin beans, look at origin, altitude, and processing method; for espresso beans, look at blend recipes. Coffee brand rankings are just a reference, not absolute. Everyone's preferences are different - someone else's NO.1 may not suit your taste, nor does a high ranking necessarily mean it's a good coffee brand, nor does not being on a ranking mean it's a bad coffee brand. We need to have this basic understanding first before delving deeper into coffee.

The three major world coffee regions are Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Many friends who come to FrontStreet Coffee to drink coffee, when faced with the 30-plus coffee beans displayed in the shop, experience choice paralysis. The key to selecting good-tasting coffee beans lies in understanding your personal flavor preferences. FrontStreet Coffee usually offers over 50 types of single-origin coffee bean brands, covering coffee bean brands from various coffee-growing regions worldwide. Coffee bean varieties change with the seasons, just like our current drip coffee bags, which use the seasonal Brazilian Red Fruit coffee beans. So whether coffee beans taste good also depends on the season. In fact, recommending coffee beans based on the three major world regions is a good selection approach. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will recommend coffee beans based on the three major world regions, introducing ten coffee bean brands with distinct flavors, which are also the ten most popular coffee beans at FrontStreet Coffee. Let's see what makes these coffee beans special.

FrontStreet Coffee's Top Ten Coffee Bean Recommendations

African Region Coffee Bean Recommendations

1. FrontStreet Coffee · Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Cherry

Region: Yirgacheffe, Ardentland Estate
Altitude: 1700-2200m
Grade: G1
Variety: Heirloom
Processing: Natural

Ethiopia is located on the eastern side of the African continent. The "Gedeo zone" to which Yirgacheffe belongs is located in Ethiopia's southwestern "Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region."

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia, situated at an altitude of 1700-2100 meters. It is one of the world's highest-altitude coffee-growing regions and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Lakes Turkana, Abaya, and Chamo bring abundant water vapor to this area.

[Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Coffee Grade]

ECX (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange) has defined grading based on defect rates: G1 and G2. G1 represents no more than 3 defective beans per 300g of green beans, while G2 represents 4-12 defective beans per 300g. Besides Red Cherry coffee, many G1-grade FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe coffee beans on our bean list include FrontStreet Coffee Kochere, FrontStreet Coffee Gedeb, FrontStreet Coffee Konga, and others.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

On FrontStreet Coffee's bean list labels, this coffee bean's variety is marked as Heirloom, which differs from many coffee-growing regions' variety naming conventions. This is because Ethiopia has too many coffee varieties, like a natural gene bank for Arabica. On one hand, the variety is numerous and difficult to classify; on the other hand, the Ethiopian government, for protection reasons, is unwilling or unable to disclose this variety information. However, FrontStreet Coffee found that in this year's COE competition held in Ethiopia, Ethiopian beans have begun to use different variety names, all named with numbers.

[Natural Processing Method]

Natural processing, also called dry processing, involves hand-picked high-sugar content coffee cherries being placed on raised beds or open ground for sun-drying. During the drying process, they need to be turned and mixed appropriately to avoid uneven drying or over-fermentation. After 2-4 weeks of complete drying until moisture content reaches 12%, the husker removes the pulp and skin. Currently, there is also a FrontStreet Coffee Red Cherry coffee bean using honey processing. After a period of bean selection, roasting, cupping and other processes, FrontStreet Coffee selected a FrontStreet Coffee Honey Red Cherry coffee bean and put it on shelves, receiving good customer feedback.

This FrontStreet Coffee Honey Red Cherry coffee, when cupped by FrontStreet Coffee, shows flavors of citrus, lemon, and fruit candy, with overall sweetness slightly higher than the FrontStreet Coffee Natural Red Cherry coffee beans.

[Red Cherry Project]

The so-called Red Cherry actually refers to the Red Cherry Project, jointly initiated by Dutch trader Trabocca and local farmers, aimed at improving the quality of small-scale farms. Picking coffee fruits requires not only picking fully red, high-maturity fruits but also harvesting entirely by hand. There are also corresponding requirements for coffee bean processing methods. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that currently, basically all coffee beans that can be considered specialty coffee can be called Red Cherry coffee beans, because coffee beans from these regions are all processed using the Red Cherry Project strategy for picking and processing.

[Ardentland Estate]

Each small coffee farmer at Ardentland Estate owns an average cultivation area of about 0.6 hectares, consisting of hundreds of coffee farmers. The cultivation altitude is nearly 2000 meters, with large temperature differences and fertile soil, providing excellent growing conditions. The green beans themselves emit rich raisin and fermented wine-like aromas.

[FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Coffee Flavor Description]

Lemon, licorice, citrus, berries, sweet orange, with overall high sweetness, caramel and cream flavors in the aftertaste, and a black tea aroma in the finish.

2. FrontStreet Coffee · Kenya Asalia

Region: Asalia Honey Processing Station, Thika
Altitude: 1550-1750m
Grade: AA TOP
Variety: SL28, SL34
Processing: K72 Washed

Kenya is also located in East Africa, bordering Ethiopia. Kenya introduced coffee only in the early 20th century. Unlike Ethiopia, coffee was introduced to Kenya by the colonial power - Britain. During the colonial period, Kenya developed its coffee economy, with the entire coffee system leaning toward refined management. Kenya's coffee breeding, grading, and processing methods were far ahead of many coffee-producing countries at that time. It wasn't until decades later that other countries realized the advantages of this refined management and began to emulate it, gradually diminishing Kenya's unique position.

[Kenya Coffee Grades]

Kenya grades coffee by bean size and cupping results. Based on coffee bean size, shape, and hardness, from highest to lowest: E, AA or AA+, AB, PB, C, TT, T. For AA and AB grade green beans, special grading based on cupping results (not officially recognized by Kenyan authorities, established by exporters) from highest to lowest: TOP, PLUS (+), FAQ.

Clearly, Kenya's coffee bean grading system is more refined than Ethiopia's. FrontStreet Coffee often explains to customers why Ethiopian coffee beans vary in size - this becomes clear when looking at the grading system. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes this is also the most distinctive characteristic of Ethiopian coffee beans - basically, one can quickly determine if they're Ethiopian coffee beans just by looking at them.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

In 1922, Kenya established the Scott Agricultural Laboratory to conduct coffee cultivation research. In the decade-plus following its establishment, the laboratory selected SL28 and SL34 as most suitable for cultivation in the region from 42 coffee varieties, providing a good start for coffee industry development. SL28 belongs to the Bourbon genetic group, with the bright acidity and rich acidity of original Bourbon. SL34's lineage is closer to Typica genetics, with milder acidity than SL28.

[K72 Washed Processing Method]

Kenya's washed processing is world-famous but differs from ordinary washed methods. Kenya's K72 processing method refers to its washed fermentation time of up to 72 hours. General washed processing rarely exceeds 36 hours. Such ultra-long fermentation time creates the unique acidity of Kenyan specialty coffee. The process involves first selecting high-maturity coffee fruits, removing pulp and fruit flesh, then soaking in fermentation tanks to ferment and remove mucilage. This process takes 72 hours, after which they are taken for drying until moisture content reaches 12%.

[FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Asalia Coffee Flavor Description]

Cherry tomato and berry aromas, with noticeable acidity upon entry, juicy mouthfeel, prominent sweetness in the middle, and tea-like finish.

3. FrontStreet Coffee · Rwanda Gisakura

Region: Nyamasheke District, Western Province
Processing Station: Gisakura
Altitude: 1500m
Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon
Processing: Washed

Rwanda is one of the most watched coffee-producing countries today. FrontStreet Coffee found that this African country's coffee beans are no less than Ethiopian coffee beans in quality, so recently we have been repeatedly roasting and cupping, finally settling on a FrontStreet Coffee Rwanda coffee bean with outstanding flavor.

Rwanda is blessed with ideal coffee growing conditions, including high altitude, stable rainfall, volcanic soil, and organic environments. The bean varieties are predominantly flourishing Bourbon. Rwanda coffee generally does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Soil fertilizers come from natural ground cover and traditional fertilization methods. The vast majority of Rwanda coffee is produced by small farmers, with about 500,000 farming households, each owning less than one hectare of land. Although Rwanda has a long history of coffee production, it wasn't until recently that quality significantly improved.

[Gisakura Washing Station]

Fidele Ndagijmana is a young trader in the Nyamasheke region who saw the development potential of Rwandan specialty washed coffee. He applied to the government to build the Gisakura washing station, successfully producing 170 tons of coffee cherries in its first year. He uses the off-season to improve and expand production equipment, so that when the next harvest season arrives, he can provide better production machines and superior storage conditions. This excellent trader also secured more land near the processing plant for cultivation.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Bourbon coffee variety is a subspecies that mutated from Typica coffee variety. Generally speaking, Bourbon coffee variety defaults to Red Bourbon coffee variety, named for its red color when mature. Bourbon coffee variety characteristics: all have distinct dark chocolate, cocoa, nut, and caramel flavors, smooth acidity, and lower bitterness. FrontStreet Coffee has several Bourbon coffee beans, like FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Red Bourbon, FrontStreet Coffee Queen's Manor Yellow Bourbon, etc. While maintaining Bourbon variety flavor characteristics, they also have regional flavor differences, which will be introduced later.

Caturra is a natural dwarf mutation of Bourbon, higher yielding than Bourbon. It was first discovered in Brazil and began commercial cultivation. Altitude of 1500-1700m is suitable for cultivation. Caturra's characteristics are bright acidity and low to medium body. It has less clarity and sweetness than its parent Bourbon. When FrontStreet Coffee cupped it, we felt it had lemon or citrus acidity in taste, but不及 Typica and Bourbon in sweetness.

Catuai is a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra. It inherits Caturra's advantage of low tree height and also makes up for Arabica varieties' weak disease resistance. The fruit sets solidly and doesn't easily fall off in strong winds. The biggest regret is that its overall flavor is slightly more monotonous than Caturra.

[Washed Processing Method]

Rwanda coffee beans mainly use washed processing. During each harvest season, farmers pick ripe coffee cherries and concentrate them at washing stations for processing. First, manual selection ensures no unripe or damaged fruits are mixed in. Next, the pulp is removed, and a 12-18 hour washed fermentation process is carried out in a cool, low-temperature environment, cleaning the attached mucilage in channels. During the drying process on raised beds, washing station members manually turn them, carefully ensuring that under sufficient sunlight, the parchment green beans don't lose moisture or have uneven drying conditions until the green bean moisture content stabilizes below 14%.

[FrontStreet Coffee Rwanda Gisakura Coffee Flavor Description]

Cherry tomato and citrus aromas, with distinct citrus, berries, and plums upon entry, nuts in the middle, and honey sweetness in the finish.

Latin American Region Coffee Bean Recommendations

4. FrontStreet Coffee · Panama Mariposa

Region: Boquete
Altitude: 1600-1650m
Grade: SHG
Variety: Geisha (70%), Caturra, Catuai
Processing: Washed

Panama is a Central American country, bordering Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. Panama coffee arrived in Panama in the 19th century with European immigrants. At that time, Panama had been independent from Spain for about 50 years, but as an agricultural product, Panama coffee only truly established itself in the past 20 years.

In terms of climate, Panama is near the equator with a tropical maritime climate - humid during the day and cool at night. Annual average temperature is 23-27°C, with distinct dry and rainy seasons throughout the year, and annual precipitation of 1500-2500 millimeters.

[Panama Coffee Grades]

SHG: Strictly High Grown, grown at altitudes above 1200 meters
HG: High Grown, grown at altitudes of 900-1200 meters
CS: Central Standard, grown at altitudes of 600-900 meters

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

FrontStreet Coffee Panama Mariposa consists of 70% Geisha coffee variety, composed of Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai varieties. Surprisingly, on top of excellent quality, its very approachable price makes this coffee bean's value proposition outstanding.

[Washed Processing Method]

After coffee cherries are picked, floating beans are removed, pulp and fruit flesh are removed, then coffee beans are soaked in fermentation tanks. Enzymes in the water soften the mucilage, and natural yeast breaks down sugars in the mucilage. This process is called fermentation. After fermentation is complete, coffee beans are moved to drying grounds to dry. During drying, coffee beans need constant turning to ensure even drying until moisture content reaches 12%.

Many customers ask about the difference between washed and natural processing. FrontStreet Coffee's answer is simple: washed processing highlights acidity, natural processing highlights sweetness. Because the essential difference in operation is whether fruit flesh is retained - natural processing retains fruit flesh flavors, while washed processing does not. This can also be clearly distinguished visually. FrontStreet Coffee has set up a display area in the shop to distinguish coffee beans from different processing methods. Washed coffee beans have a silver line in the middle, which is residual silver skin, while natural processed coffee beans do not.

[FrontStreet Coffee Panama Mariposa Coffee Flavor Description]

Floral, black tea, berries, citrus, with slight nuts in the finish, smooth mouthfeel, low bitterness, moderate acidity, and medium finish.

5. FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Queen's Manor

Region: Mogiana Estate, Queen's Manor, São Paulo State
Altitude: 1400-1950m
Variety: Yellow Bourbon
Processing: Pulped Natural

Brazilian coffee beans were introduced from French Guiana (a country in northern South America) in 1720. At that time, Brazil was a Portuguese colony, while many other South American countries were Spanish colonies, which is why most South American countries speak Spanish, while Brazil speaks Portuguese.

The Portuguese officer stationed in Brazil, to bring Guiana's coffee beans to Brazil (coffee export to other countries was strictly prohibited at that time), won the heart of the Guiana governor's wife and successfully brought coffee seeds into Brazil. From then on, coffee quickly adapted in Brazil, spreading from the north to the southeastern São Paulo state. By 1845, Brazilian coffee beans already accounted for 45% of the world's total coffee beans and became the main economic source of São Paulo state.

Top Ten Brazilian Coffee Brands

[Brazilian Coffee Grades]

Among the many coffee-growing countries in Central and South America, Brazil's altitude is relatively low. Therefore, unlike other countries such as Colombia, Brazil does not emphasize hard beans that can only grow in high-altitude areas. Instead, it grades coffee beans based on four criteria: bean size, defect rate, cupping score, and flavor.

Flavor grade classification (from high to low): Strictly Soft (very smooth), Soft (smooth), Softish (slightly smooth), Hardish (harsh), Rioy (iodine taste).

Defect rate grading: Based on number of defective beans, with 6 defective beans per 300g of green beans being NY.2. Completely defect-free beans can only be NY.1, but completely defect-free beans are rare and cannot maintain a stable supply volume, so the best grade among Brazilian green beans is NY.2.

Type	Defective Beans (per 300g)
NY.2	6
NY.2/3	9
NY.3	13
NY.3/4	21
NY.4	30
NY.4/5	45
NY.5	60
NY.5/6	＞60

Cupping quality grading (from high to low): Fine Cup, Fine, Good Cup, Fair Cup, Poor Cup, Bad Cup. FC (Fine Cup) and GC (Good Cup) are more common.

Bean size grading: The largest screen size for Brazilian coffee beans is 19, but production is limited, so 17 and 18 screen sizes are considered the highest grade.

Top Ten Brazilian Coffee Brands

Type	Quality
NY.2	17-18 screen FC
NY.2/3	14-16 screen FC
NY.3/4	DD Quality
NY.4/5	14-16 screen GC

Top Ten Brazilian Coffee Brands

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Bourbon coffee variety is a subspecies that mutated from Typica coffee variety. Generally speaking, Bourbon coffee variety defaults to Red Bourbon coffee variety, named for its red color when mature. Yellow Bourbon does not refer to the unripe state of Red Bourbon, but rather a hybrid of Bourbon and a Typica variety that produces yellow fruit, resulting in yellow fruit when mature. Due to its lower yield and less resistance to wind and rain, it has not been widely cultivated.

[Pulped Natural Processing Method]

Pulped natural processing involves selecting suitable coffee fruits, removing pulp and fruit flesh and part of the mucilage, then drying with a small amount of mucilage until moisture content reaches 12%.

[FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen's Manor Coffee Flavor Description]

Rich nuts and dark chocolate flavors, fermented fruits, with noticeable sweetness, accompanied by a light lemon aroma, overall feeling is quite mellow.

Top Ten Brazilian Coffee Brands

6. FrontStreet Coffee · Honduras Sherry

Region: Moca Estate, Masaguara, Intibucá Province
Altitude: 1500-1700m
Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas
Processing: Refined Washed Whiskey Sherry Barrel Fermentation

Honduras is located in northern Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Fonseca to the south, bordering Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and Guatemala to the west. It is mostly mountainous and plateau, with a tropical climate, mild temperatures, and abundant rainfall - ideal for coffee cultivation.

Honduras has 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations, mainly small coffee farms, most under 3.5 hectares. These coffee plantations account for sixty percent of Honduras's total coffee production.

Honduras mainly has 6 coffee-producing regions: Copán, El Paraiso, Comayagua, Opalaca, Montecillos, and Agalta. Average cultivation altitude is 1000-1600m, with main varieties including Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Catuai, and Pacas.

Moca Estate is not among these six major regions but is located in Masaguara city, Intibucá province, southwestern Honduras.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Sherry coffee beans consist of three varieties: Caturra, Catuai, and Pacas. When introducing Rwandan coffee beans earlier, Caturra and Catuai were already covered, so FrontStreet Coffee won't elaborate further here.

Pacas is a natural mutation of Bourbon discovered in El Salvador. In 1935, Salvadoran coffee farmers planted selected San Ramón Bourbon in their estate. By 1956, Pacas's friends noticed that a few coffee trees produced significantly higher yields than most coffee trees, so they invited Professor Gwell from the University of Florida to identify them.确定为波旁基因突变，便以咖啡农帕卡斯之名来命名。帕卡斯产量高，品质佳，在中美洲很是受欢迎。

[Refined Washed Whiskey Sherry Barrel Fermentation]

Barrel fermentation draws inspiration from winemaking processes. Its greatest impact on wine is that wine achieves structural stability through moderate oxidation and incorporates barrel aromas into the wine. It plays a similar role in coffee fermentation.

This bean uses refined washed whiskey sherry barrel fermentation. Freshly picked coffee cherries first undergo refined washed processing, then are placed in sherry-aged barrels for low-temperature fermentation for 30-40 days (temperature approximately 15-20°C), followed by shade drying.

Sherry barrels are those used by sherry producers in the whiskey industry for aging. Sherry production undergoes the Solera System aging process. This process refers to the procedure of mixing and aging sherry of different vintages after fortification, which is also what creates sherry's unique flavor.

This year, coffee beans with special processing methods have been very popular. Several barrel-fermented coffee beans on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list are also well-liked by customers, such as FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Lan coffee beans with brandy-like flavors, FrontStreet Coffee Hartmann coffee beans with red wine-like flavors, and FrontStreet Coffee San Jose coffee beans with rum-like flavors.

[FrontStreet Coffee Honduras Sherry Coffee Flavor Description]

Noticeable wine aroma, vanilla, cream, balanced, cocoa finish, moderate acidity.

7. FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaica Blue Mountain

Region: Newcastle Region, Clifton Manor Estate
Altitude: 1310m
Grade: Blue Mountain No. 1
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica's Blue Mountains are the highest mountains in the western Caribbean (2256 meters high). The unique flavor of Blue Mountain coffee is related to Blue Mountain's unique geographical location and climatic conditions.

Blue Mountain is located in the coffee belt at 25 degrees north latitude, with fertile new volcanic soil, fresh air without pollution, year-round rainfall, high humidity, and large day-night temperature differences. The soil here is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, very suitable for coffee growth. Fertile volcanic soil, regular rainfall combined with the island's hazy clouds under which it stays away from harsh sunlight. All these factors combine to create FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain coffee.

[Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Grades]

There are three grades of coffee in Jamaica's Blue Mountain region: Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans, and Jamaica Prime Coffee Beans.

Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each further divided into two grades. From highest to lowest quality: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2, Jamaica Prime. FrontStreet Coffee's selected Blue Mountain coffee is of the highest grade, Blue Mountain No. 1.

From highest to lowest quality: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB (PB refers to peaberries). According to CIB standards, NO.1 Blue Mountain green beans' basic standards include beans above 17 screen size, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Typica originates from southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan, one of the oldest varieties among many Arabica species. The top leaves are bronze-colored, called red-topped coffee, also known as old-variety small-grain coffee. Due to low yield and difficult cultivation, its price is much higher than ordinary small-grain coffee. But its flavor performance is excellent, recognized as a specialty coffee variety.

[Washed Processing Method]

After coffee cherries are picked, floating beans are removed, pulp and fruit flesh are removed, then coffee beans are soaked in fermentation tanks for fermentation to soften mucilage, constantly washed and rinsed to remove mucilage, then moved to drying grounds to dry. During drying, coffee beans need constant turning to ensure even drying until moisture content reaches 12%.

[Clifton Manor Estate]

The Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6000 hectares of cultivation area, so it's impossible for all coffee marked "Blue Mountain" to be grown there.

Today's Clifton Manor Estate is the largest estate in this area. By international standards, it's still considered small-scale cultivation, with many estate owners being small landholders whose families have worked this land for two centuries.

Clifton Mountain is Jamaica's oldest coffee-producing area still in normal operation, and only Clifton Farm in Jamaica has the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. This certification can only be obtained by meeting "Sustainable Agriculture System Standards," with the rainforest certification logo on its wooden barrels.

As early as the mid-18th century (around 1750), Clifton Manor Estate began planting and producing coffee. The coffee cultivation and processing areas here are situated at an average of 4300 feet (1310.64 meters). Sufficient altitude, afternoon gentle clouds lingering in the mountain forests for shade, ample sunlight, and mineral-rich planting soil provide good growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the maturation of coffee cherries.

[FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor Description]

Rich and mellow flavor, with perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter tastes, very strong body.

Asian Region Coffee Bean Recommendations

8. FrontStreet Coffee · Indonesia Gold Mandheling

Region: Sumatra, PWN Company
Altitude: 1100-1600m
Grade: G1
Variety: Typica
Processing: Wet-Hulled

Indonesia is located in southeastern Asia, with its coffee history tracing back to 1696. Dutch coffee farm owners attempted to find broader coffee-growing areas, and after extensive exploration, finally settled on Indonesia's Java Island. After 30 years, Indonesia had established a sufficient foundation in the coffee market.

However, today Indonesia's coffee representative is Mandheling, which is actually not surprising, because most of the Java coffee originally exported to Europe came from the Sumatra region, and Mandheling comes from Sumatra. So Sumatra can be said to be an important coffee-producing area in Indonesia.

[Indonesia Coffee Grades]

Indonesia's coffee beans use a grading system based on defect bean ratios. Indonesian beans are mainly divided into 6 grades: G1-G6. Fewer than 3 defective beans (300g green bean sample) belong to the highest G1 grade.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Typica originates from southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan, one of the oldest varieties among many Arabica species. The top leaves are bronze-colored, called red-topped coffee, also known as old-variety small-grain coffee. Due to low yield and difficult cultivation, its price is much higher than ordinary small-grain coffee. But its flavor performance is excellent, recognized as a specialty coffee variety.

[Wet-Hulled Processing Method]

Most Mandheling uses Sumatra's unique coffee bean processing method - wet-hulled processing. Due to local weather often being rainy with constant typhoons, making it impossible to achieve the good weather needed for sun-drying, and because the local economy is poor and cannot afford the more expensive washed processing method, the uniquely local wet-hulled processing method was developed.

First stage: Use a wooden peeler to remove peel and pulp, ferment for 3 hours, then dry until moisture content reaches semi-dry, semi-wet state of 30-50%.

Second stage: Remove mucilage and parchment layer, continue drying in the later stage. The drying process takes 2-4 days, with moisture content reduced to 12-13%.

FrontStreet Coffee Gold Mandheling increases the number of screenings on this basis, with three or more manual screenings, giving FrontStreet Coffee Gold Mandheling the characteristics of uniform size and low defect rate.

[PWN]

PWN Company (Pwani Coffee Company) registered Gold Mandheling, while a Japanese company registered "Gold Top Mandheling," which is Ding Shang Gold Mandheling. In terms of flavor performance, the two are actually not very different, but due to different brands and different merchant marketing strategies, it's possible that public opinion changed. So whether Gold Mandheling or Ding Shang Gold Mandheling is better is subjective. PWN Company was the first company to export Gold Mandheling to Japan, and FrontStreet Coffee also purchases PWN's Gold Mandheling.

[FrontStreet Coffee Indonesia Gold Mandheling Coffee Flavor Description]

Multi-layered changes, rich and clean, high balance, intense nuts and caramel aroma, with chocolate notes, persistent finish.

9. FrontStreet Coffee · China Yunnan Small Bean

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan
Altitude: 1200m
Variety: Catimor
Processing: Washed Method

Yunnan's coffee cultivation is mainly distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong areas, which have natural resources of low latitude, high altitude, and large day-night temperature differences.

Yunnan has no four seasons, only dry and rainy seasons. Most coffee-producing areas have similar conditions, which is also the fundamental reason some regions use natural processing. Entering June marks the beginning of the rainy season in producing areas, and the next three to four months will be rainy, which is the most favorable period for coffee cultivation. Only by planting seedlings at this time can they develop extensive root systems during several months of rain nourishment to survive the first six-month dry season.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Baoshan City introduced Typica and Bourbon varieties as early as the 1950s, which locals call "old varieties." Because old varieties have relatively low disease and pest resistance and yield, and management requires more manpower, plus market procurement prices don't offer much advantage, coffee farmers have switched to new Catimor varieties in recent years.

Catimor is a hybrid of Timor and Caturra varieties. In 1959, it was developed by the Portuguese Coffee Leaf Rust Research Center CIFC, with research directions focused on disease resistance and high yield. Catimor inherits the advantages of Robusta (Timor is a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta), allowing Catimor to better resist coffee berry disease and coffee leaf rust, while also having stronger disease and pest resistance. However, this is also often criticized in cup performance. FrontStreet Coffee, observing Yunnan coffee beans' production in recent years, finds more emphasis on processing methods, even Yunnan coffee beans with flavors very similar to Yirgacheffe. Of course, this follows market changes, but FrontStreet Coffee believes it's ridiculous to use various titles to name Yunnan Catimor varieties. The variety has already determined a large component of flavor, and this year's Yunnan green bean competition results didn't even mention varieties.

[Washed Processing Method]

The harvested cherries are separated from most fruit flesh using a depulper, then the parchment beans are placed in a clean water tank, soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining fruit flesh layer.

Through washed processing, unripe beans and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy differences. The fermentation process is also easier to control, so the flavor doesn't easily have impurities like natural processed beans, instead presenting clear fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and cleaner cupping characteristics.

[FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Flavor Description]

Smells of strong nut aroma, with herbs, chocolate, and caramel upon entry, and a hint of light fruit acidity in the finish.

10. FrontStreet Coffee · Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise

Estate: Bird of Paradise Estate
Grade: AA
Altitude: 1600-1800m
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed Method

Papua New Guinea (Independent State of Papua New Guinea, abbreviated PNG) consists of two parts: New Guinea in the north and Papua in the south, located east of Indonesia. Southern Papua New Guinea consists of plains and lowlands in the southeastern coastal area, with the central mountain range in the middle, and several separate mountain ranges in the north.

Most of Papua New Guinea's coffee is grown in mountainous areas. Papua New Guinea's highland areas are divided into two main provinces, including Eastern Province and Western Province.

[Papua New Guinea Coffee Grades]

Named with country + cultivation type + grade name. In Papua New Guinea, there are three cultivation types: plantations, large estates, and small to medium-sized farms. Plantations and Large Estates account for 25% of national production; small to medium-sized farms of 10-20 hectares (Holdings or Blocks) account for 10%.

Grade classification as follows:

Grade	Screen Size
AA	> 18
A	17
AB	>16 (50%) >17 (50%)
B	>16
C	>15
PB	11-14S
X	mixed
E	>19
PSC	>15mm
Y1	mixed
Y2	mixed
T	mixed

FrontStreet Coffee will use the most noteworthy specialty grades AA and A as examples:

AA and A grade coffees belong to specialty coffee grades, mainly from larger estates. For AA grade, bean size is larger than 18 screen, oval flat beans. Defect count: maximum 10 defects per kilogram. Green bean appearance is greenish-blue. Green bean flavor must be clean, roasted flavor must be clean and smooth. Cupping quality must be excellent (Fine Cup).

A grade size is larger than 17 screen, cupping must reach at least GTF level (Good to Fine), meaning good to excellent mouthfeel. Other defect counts and green bean conditions are the same as AA.

[Coffee Bean Varieties]

Typica originates from southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan, one of the oldest varieties among many Arabica species. The top leaves are bronze-colored, called red-topped coffee, also known as old-variety small-grain coffee. Due to low yield and difficult cultivation, its price is much higher than ordinary small-grain coffee. But its flavor performance is excellent, recognized as a specialty coffee variety.

In 1931, Typica was introduced to Papua New Guinea from Jamaica. At that time, Britain had occupied Jamaica for nearly 300 years. Jamaica's most representative coffee is Typica variety Blue Mountain coffee. Since Australia had friendly relations with Britain, it was reasonable for Papua New Guinea to introduce Typica. FrontStreet Coffee often uses the name "Little Blue Mountain" to introduce Papua New Guinea coffee to customers. After all, the historical reasons are there, well-founded, and "Little Blue Mountain" is indeed much easier to remember than Papua New Guinea.

[FrontStreet Coffee Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise Coffee Flavor Description]

Multi-layered changes, rich and clean, high balance, intense nuts and caramel aroma, with chocolate notes, persistent finish.

The above are FrontStreet Coffee's ten recommended coffee beans. Three to four coffee beans from each of the world's three major coffee regions have been listed. The top ten coffee brand rankings are not in any particular order. We recommend coffee enthusiasts select coffee beans that suit their personal taste preferences.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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