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Characteristics of Bolivian Coffee Beans: Gentle Acidity and Quality Determined by Grading System

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Bolivian Coffee Grading Introduction: Located near Brazil, the largest coffee-producing country in South America, Bolivia remains a destination yet to be discovered by many coffee enthusiasts. However, this country is renowned for producing high-quality coffee and, like Brazil, possesses excellent coffee

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Bolivian Coffee Classification

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

Bolivia, located near Brazil, the largest coffee-producing country in South America, remains a place unfamiliar to many coffee enthusiasts. However, the country is renowned for producing high-quality coffee and possesses excellent coffee cultivation and production conditions similar to Brazil. Bolivian green beans are large and uniform in size, with green-colored ones being of premium quality.

Most Bolivian coffee varieties consist of Caturra and Typica coffee produced using traditional methods. The majority of Bolivian coffee is grown through organic farming and is currently exported to European consumer countries such as Germany and the Netherlands through fair trade. Bolivian coffee is famous for its excellent quality, thanks to the fertile land suitable for coffee growth. Although not yet world-renowned, its quality will be further enhanced through natural growing conditions and cooperative support for cultivation techniques and seedlings.

This classification standard primarily exists because coffee produced at high altitudes generally exhibits higher quality than that from lower altitudes. Higher elevations mean lower temperatures, allowing slower coffee development that facilitates the accumulation of desirable compounds. Additionally, high-maturity green beans expand well during roasting, which benefits the roasting process and results in more stable quality.

Currently, coffee-producing countries that adopt this classification standard include Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and other Central and South American countries. Taking Guatemala as an example, the highest-grade coffee is called SHB (Strictly Hard Bean), grown at altitudes above 1350m. This is followed by HB (Hard Bean), grown at altitudes between 1200m-1400m; SH (Semi Hard Bean); EPW (Extra Prime Washed); PW (Prime Washed); EGW (Extra Good Washed); and GW (Good Washed), with respective growing altitudes of approximately 1200m, 1000m, 800m, 600m-800m, and below 600m. We have previously discussed Guatemalan classification in detail on our public account.

Knowledge Point: Bolivia is a landlocked country where approximately one-third of the territory consists of the Andes mountain region, characterized by rugged terrain and high altitudes.

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with enthusiasts. We share our knowledge without reservation to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three coffee promotion events with significant discounts each month. This is because FrontStreet Coffee wants to enable more friends to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible prices - this has been our mission for the past six years!