How Are Brazilian Green Coffee Beans Graded: Understanding the Brazilian Coffee Classification System

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Brazilian Coffee Grading

Coffee origins are managed in different ways. Some consist of small and large farms, while others are dominated by professional entrepreneurs. Even coffee from the same region can differ in quality and flavour. To signal quality and to make trade easier, coffee grading was established.

Brazil is a special case. As the world's largest coffee-producing country, its huge output and many growing regions make grading complicated, and no single standard fits. Brazil therefore uses several grading methods at once, applying defect ratio, sieve size and cupping tests together in the classification of its green coffee.

The oldest method, still used in many parts of Brazil, identifies defects by eye. A 300-gram sample is drawn at random and spread on black paper, since black paper best avoids glare. Professional graders then examine the sample closely and assign points according to the defects they find. One black bean counts as 1 point, one small stone as 1 point, one large stone as 5 points, five broken beans as 1 point, five insect-damaged beans as 1 point, two sour beans as 1 point, one large dried husk as 1 point, two medium dried husks as 1 point, three small dried husks as 1 point, five unshelled beans as 1 point and three shell beans as 1 point, and so on. The accumulated defect points then determine the grade, from NY2 to NY8. There is no NY1.

Cupping is one of the defining features of Brazilian coffee grading.

Cupping means evaluating the aroma and taste of roasted, ground beans steeped in hot water at around 90 degrees Celsius. It is divided into six levels: Strictly Soft (extremely mild), Soft (mild), Softish (slightly mild), Hard (harsh), Rio (a faint iodine taste) and Rioy (a strong iodine taste).

The first three levels can be grouped together as mild, with balanced sweet and sour flavours and a gentle taste. The last three are of slightly inferior quality, and the final two are the worst. The iodine taste appears because the soil near Rio de Janeiro has a strong iodine character, which the cherries absorb when they fall to the ground during harvesting.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Brazilian beans are the backbone of many everyday cups, and FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil range is built around two very approachable lots. The FrontStreet Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic Brazilian single origin from the well-known Cerrado region, a common Red Bourbon that, at a medium roast, shows rich creamy peanut, toast, caramel and hazelnut aromas. It is rounded rather than acidic, with a light bitter edge, and works not only as a pour-over but also in a moka pot, as an espresso SOE, or in a siphon or French press.

For something a little rarer, the FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate comes from Mogiana, near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil helps the fruit take up abundant nutrients. Its variety is the uncommon Yellow Bourbon, a natural mutation of Red Bourbon, with a cleaner fruit character. Brewed as a pour-over, in a moka pot or on a home espresso machine, it shows a distinctive sugarcane sweetness along with fruit and chocolate notes.

FrontStreet Coffee also leans on Brazilian beans across its espresso blends, such as the FrontStreet Classic Blend, FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend and FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend. The Brazilian component supplies chocolate and cream aromas as well as a soft balance of acidity, sweetness and bitterness, and that even keel helps keep extraction stable. Whichever lot you choose, a medium roast and a 1:15 ratio will let the nut and cocoa notes come through clearly.