Interaction of genotype, environment and processing in the chemical composition expression and sensorial quality of Arabica coffee

The present study was carried out to analyze chemical descriptors present in the raw coffee bean and to establish an association of these descriptors with the sensorial quality of the coffee beverage, based on expressions resulting from the interactions of coffee genotype, environment, and processing. The chemical descriptors caffeine, trigonelline, sucrose, and isomers of chlorogenic acid (3-CQA, 4-CQA, and 5-CQA), were analyzed through the use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Trained and qualified cuppers, certified as judges of specialty coffees, carried out the sensorial analysis using the methodology proposed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Based on the cultivation environment, altitude and the genotype, it was possible to associate the chemical composition of the raw coffee bean with the coffee beverage sensorial quality. Yellow Bourbon cultivated above 1,200 m of altitude present higher contents of trigonelline and 3-CQA in the raw beans as well as high sensorial quality in the beverage.  Key words: Altitude, multidimensional scaling, slope exposure, Yellow Bourbon, coffee processing.