Sensory Profile of Fermented Arabica Coffee in the Perception of American Cupping Tasters

The consumption of specialty coffees has been growing year after year, indicating that several niches and market forms according to the sensorial orientation of the consumers, as well as the cupping tasters and agents are responsible for the composition of blends, and for the physical and sensory classification of the coffees in the industry. This study presented 5 methods of spontaneous and induced fermentation to different North American cupping tasters, in order to evaluate coffee quality potential, based on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol. During the months of May to July of 2017, 150 coffee samples were evaluated. Initial results indicate that North American cupping tasters evaluated dry fermented coffees using yeast culture as superiors, in the sensorial aspect, than the more conventional methods in Brazil. Such indication opens new discussions on the acceptance of a determined product, followed by the potential for modification of the sensory route as of the fermentation that will affect the attributes.