How Does Brazilian Santos Coffee Taste? Flavor Profile and Description

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Brazilian Coffee Bean Classification | Brazilian Santos Strictly Soft No.2 Coffee Naming Method?

Brazil is one of the world's top coffee-producing countries. As the largest coffee-producing region, it accounts for one-third of global coffee consumption with various grades and types of coffee, holding a significant position in the global coffee trading market. Although Brazil faces natural disasters several times higher than other regions, its sufficient planting area more than compensates for this. The coffee varieties here are numerous, but its industrial policy focuses on quantity and affordability, so premium-grade coffee is relatively rare. However, it serves as an excellent choice for blending with other coffees. Among them, the most famous is Santos coffee, known for its aromatic and neutral flavor profile. It can be brewed directly or mixed with other coffee beans to create blends, making it an excellent choice.

Other types of Brazilian coffee, such as Rio, Paraná, and others, can be mass-produced as they require minimal care. Although their flavors may be coarser, they remain cost-effective coffee options. Due to distribution across the country and varying quality levels, Brazil has established its own standards (graded by impurity content from No.2 to No.8, by bean size from No.13 to No.19, and by flavor into six grades). Almost all Arabica varieties are of good quality with stable prices, the most famous being "Brazil Santos," which has long been essential for blended coffees and is widely recognized. Recently, "Carmo de Minas" has also received high acclaim. From inexpensive instant coffee to premium estate beans, Brazilian coffee offers a wide range. Limited by natural conditions, Brazil's coffee grows at lower altitudes compared to neighboring countries, approximately 600-1200 meters above sea level, thus developing its own grading system. The term "Soft" in the name doesn't refer to bean hardness but indicates a mild and smooth flavor profile.

When purchasing Brazilian coffee beans, you'll typically see descriptions like: Brazil Santos No.2, Screen 19, Strictly Soft. This is because Brazilian coffee beans are evaluated using a combination of defect ratio, screen size, and cupping testing methods. The above description is understood as follows:

Brazil - Producing Country Name

Santos - Export Port

2 - Grade indicating defect bean quantity, where No.2 is the highest grade and No.8 is the minimum standard for export sales.

Screen 19 - Indicates bean size, with Brazil using numbers 12-20, where higher numbers indicate larger beans. "19" represents beans that pass through a screen with 5.4mm holes. However, this grading method applies only to flat beans; round beans require special oval-shaped screens (8-13) for grading.

Strictly Soft - Indicates cupping grade, with Strictly Soft being the highest grade.

Here, I can also briefly explain the Brazilian cupping grading system. From highest to lowest, they are: Strictly Soft, Soft, Softish, Hard, Riado, Rio, Rio Zona. Starting from Hard and including lower grades, they are considered commercial beans.

Grade 1: Strictly Soft

Grade 2: Soft

Grade 3: Softish

Grade 4: Hard

Grade 5: Riado

Grade 6: Rio

Brazil adopts such a complex quality grading system primarily due to its vast production area and enormous coffee output.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing: 【V60 Pour-Over】

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee grounds. First pour: 25g water for 25-second bloom. Second pour: up to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level drops to half before continuing to pour slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour extends extraction time, allowing for better extraction of the nutty and chocolate notes in the back-end.

Related recommendations: Flavor characteristics of Brazilian Santos coffee | Is Brazil's most famous Santos coffee good to drink?

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