How to choose your coffee from the label

Any specialty coffee label carries between 5 and 10 data points that very few people pay attention to — partly because most consumers do not understand what they are for.

Let us go one by one, explaining what they mean.

Origin and traceability

This is the most important figure on the label. When a bag of coffee states “Producer: Simón Quispe”, “Finca Generosa” and “Sandia, Puno”, instead of simply saying “Peruvian coffee” or “Puno”, it means that coffee can be traced back to the farm it came from.

That matters for two reasons: (i) the quality of the coffee and (ii) fair payment to the producer.

Quality comes down to the practices the producer applies in the field, which are decisive for the final quality of the bean. Imagine a collector buying coffee from many producers in Puno, each using different practices and each with uneven quality. The result will be different from what you get working with the coffee of a single producer who manages their plot well.

Traceability also tends to mean there was fair payment behind the sale of that coffee. It does not happen in 100% of cases, but it does help encourage fair payment to the first link in the chain.

So traceability is not just a seal. It is valuable information for the consumer about the coffee they are buying.

Altitude

You will see figures such as 1,800 or 1,850 m.a.s.l. The higher the altitude, the colder the nights and the slower the fruit ripens. That slowness concentrates sugars and acids, which is why high-grown coffees tend to have more sweetness and a more defined acidity.

It is not a magic rule — a well-processed coffee at 1,500 m.a.s.l. beats a badly processed one at 1,900 m.a.s.l. — but it explains a good part of the profile.

Variety

Caturra, Typica, Bourbon, Catimor. They are like wine grapes: each one brings a different character. Many of our lots are a blend of varieties because that is how they are grown on the farms: the producer has several varieties and harvests them together.

Process

Also called “processing method”. The three main ones:

• Washed: all the pulp is removed from the bean before drying. It gives clean, defined cups with clear acidity.
• Natural: the bean is dried with the fruit still on. Sweeter, fruitier, sometimes with fermented notes.
• Honey: a middle ground.

It gives you an idea of what kind of flavour to expect.

The score

The famous number out of 100. It is assigned by a certified taster (Q Grader) who evaluates fragrance, flavour, acidity, body, balance, sweetness and cup cleanliness.

The practical scale:

• Below 80: not specialty coffee.
• 80 to 84: specialty, a good cup.
• 84 to 86: very good, with its own character and no defects.
• 86 and above: exceptional, usually very small lots.

Here is what almost nobody says: a higher score does not mean you will like it more. An 87-point coffee with very high acidity may feel uncomfortable if what you want is a sweet, comforting cup. The score measures technical quality, not personal affinity.

We work with coffees scoring 84 – 86 points, although we do not print it on our packaging. We decided it that way so people can experience the coffee on their own, without being biased by the numbers.

So what do I look at to choose?

Start with the tasting notes, which are what you will actually taste. If you like chocolatey and sweet, look for words like chocolate, raisins, raw cane sugar, nuts; these are usually the easiest to drink when you are starting out. If you prefer something brighter and more citric, look for orange, citrus, floral.

Then check that there is information about the origin. A traceable coffee is usually a quality coffee that supports a fair value chain. After that, read the rest of the information. Having it on your coffee’s packaging is always a good sign of quality.