Coffee sensory quality study based on spatial distribution in the Mantiqueira mountain region of Brazil

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the sensory quality of the coffee cultivated in the Mantiqueira region of Brazil (Minas Gerais State) and to identify its main descriptors. The sensory quality of red and yellow coffee fruit varieties (Coffea arabica L.) grown in environments with different slopes, at altitudes ranging from 932 to 1,391 m, was analyzed in three different crop seasons. The dry processing method and the wet processing method, based on mechanical removal of skin and mucilage, were used. The variables were analyzed through correspondence analysis. There was no correspondence with sample discrimination between the direction the slope face and coffee sensory profile. The sensory characteristics of coffee such as flavor, acidity, body and sweetness correspond to the cultivation environment with altitudes above 1,050 m. However, for the red coffee fruit varieties, that correspondence only occurred when subjected to a wet‐processing method. The quality of the coffee as a micro‐region product was identified in this study at altitudes above 1,050 m. This effect was not found in natural red coffee fruit varieties. Practical Applications Environmental aspects such as latitude, longitude, altitude and slope, as well as different coffee varieties and processing methods were analyzed in consecutive crop seasons, based on multivariate logistic regression and correspondence analysis techniques. The impacts of different methods of coffee production and processing on beverage quality have been debated for years and will surely continue to be studied in the coming decades, mainly because it is a phenomenon of high complexity. The variations in the sensory profile of coffee produced in different countries or microregions, or even at different planting sites, are noteworthy.

Precision Techniques and Agriculture 4.0 Technologies to Promote Sustainability in the Coffee Sector: State of the Art, Challenges and Future Trends

“…Colombia is one of the countries with the highest sustainable production, seeking sustainable initiatives as a strategy to increase the added value of the product [41]. The specialty coffees, rare and exotic, with high standards of quality and variety, have a higher market value [42], [43]. However, the quality depends on cultivation techniques, genetic traits and technologies used in cultivation and processing.…”

Is Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Quality Related to a Combined Farmer–Farm Profile?

“…Because there are complex interactions among the factors that influence coffee cup quality, many investigations are currently focused on determining the manner in which these factors affect each producing region, exploring beyond the productivity of the crop. One of the factors that has been shown to influence the quality of coffee is the variety as it determines the chemical composition of the beans, and this, in turn, is affected by the environmental conditions where the crop is established [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Regarding the environment, there is consensus in the studies that explain that altitude and climate are factors that affect cup quality [11,16,17].…”

“…One of the factors that has been shown to influence the quality of coffee is the variety as it determines the chemical composition of the beans, and this, in turn, is affected by the environmental conditions where the crop is established [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Regarding the environment, there is consensus in the studies that explain that altitude and climate are factors that affect cup quality [11,16,17]. Other studies have emphasized that the type of processing process also influences the quality of the coffee [18][19][20].…”

An Index to Evaluate the Acceptance of Specialty Coffees in Consumer Groups

“…With this focus, we emphasize that the common characteristics between coffee A and D are restricted to the fact that yellow Bourbon coffee samples (produced above 1,200 m altitude), regardless of processing type, are characterized by a high sensory quality. In general, when grown in higher altitudes, this coffee variety produces coffee with citric acidity, high sweetness, creamy body, and floral and fruity notes (Borém et al 2019).…”

“…For coffees B and C, the most relevant characteristics are explained by the fact that these varieties produce red fruits and, mostly, when grown in regions with altitudes lower than 1000 m, result in drinks with lower acidity and less sweetness and complex flavors, predominantly caramel and medium-to-low body flavors (Borém et al 2019). Quite often these varieties can also produce coffees with a slight astringency.…”