Classification of Colombian boutique coffee beans characteristics, taste and brand of Colombian coffee beans

Some ways of grading Colombian boutique coffee beans:

One: according to the law

According to the National Coffee Council, only high-quality coffee beans are allowed to be exported. These are set by the National Coffee Committee.

Business rating: Maragogype Supremo Excelso and UGQ

Boutique rating: Grade AA Grade A Special Grade

Each grade has specific rules in terms of bean size and next degree.

The National Coffee Council and private bean merchants also classify several categories as boutique coffee, usually with organic, sustainable and fair trade certified coffee.

Two: according to the size of the bean body

Maragogype Malagori bark, a special tree species, has a large bean body and a low total yield.

Supremo super grade, no more than 5% of the beans less than 17 mesh but more than 14 mesh in the sample

Supremo screen18+ 18 + super grade, no more than 5% of beans less than 18 mesh but more than 14 mesh in the sample

Excelso Extra is top grade, and the bean body in the sample is less than 16 mesh but not more than 5% above 14 mesh.

Excelso EP is of top grade, with less than 2.5% of beans less than 15 mesh but more than 12 mesh in the sample (this proportion may also be adjusted to 5% or 8% depending on demand)

U.G.Q. General "Usual Good Quality": no more than 1.5% of beans less than 14 mesh but less than 12 mesh in the sample

Three: high-quality coffee beans according to the defect rate

The number of defective beans allowed per 500g sample:

Private raw bean exporter: 72defects

National Coffee Committee: 42defects

There are two kinds of defective beans:

The first one: it's called a first-class defect.

The second kind is called secondary defect.

First: major defects (defects that affect the taste characteristics of coffee): black beans, moldy beans or sour beans

Private raw bean exporters: no more than 12 first-class defective beans

National Coffee Committee: no more than 8 first-class defective beans

Second: secondary defects (defects that affect the appearance of raw beans):

Discolored beans (old beans, over-dried beans, soybeans), broken beans, insect bite beans, shell beans, unripe beans, special-shaped beans

Private raw bean exporters: no more than 60 minor defective beans

National Coffee Committee: no more than 35 secondary defective beans

Note: the number of major defective beans can be replaced by the number of secondary defective beans, and one primary defective bean is equivalent to 10 secondary defective beans.

Boutique coffee

The number of primary defective beans in Grade AA per 500g coffee is zero and the number of secondary defective beans is less than 5.

Grade A has less than 3 primary defective beans and less than 8 secondary defective beans per 500g coffee.

There are less than 8 primary defective beans and less than 35 secondary defective beans per 500g coffee in Grade.

Four: according to the region

Traditionally, Colombian coffee is often called the Armenian / Medellin Gourmet.

A few years ago, coffee began to be sold under the name of region: Popayan, Bucaramanga, Huila, Tolima, Medellin, Nari ñ o became the main coffee producing areas.

There are two distinct coffee production periods in Colombia: Main crop (main season), and (second season) and Mitaca (second season). These two production periods will be different in different regions.

For example, the harvest time of the main season

Bucaramanga10-December

Popayan5- June

The quality of coffee produced in the main season is usually better than that in the next season.

The above four ways of grading coffee beans can also be used in other countries, but different regions and different countries have their own requirements for the quality of coffee beans, but the ones that can be promoted to high-quality coffee are very good coffee. be sure to try boutique coffee if you have a chance.

Source: Beresta's blog