Physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of coffee cultivars

Brazil maintains its position as the world's largest coffee exporter. Between January and December 2016, coffee accounted for 6.44% of Brazil's agribusiness exports, ranking 5th with revenues of US$ 5.47 billion. The main destinations were Germany, the United States, Italy, Japan and Belgium. Coffee quality is related to a number of factors, such as harvesting methods, processing, storage, roasting, beverage preparation and, crucially, the chemical composition of the beans, which is determined by environmental, cultural and genetic factors. In this sense, a great deal of research has been focused on improving crop management and developing new genetically improved cultivars to increase productivity and resistance to pests and diseases, to the detriment of studies focussed essentially on the relationship between cultivar type and beverage quality.