Sensory analysis of arabica coffee: cultivars of rust resistance with potential for the specialty coffee market

The objective of this work was to describe the sensory profile of 11 arabica coffee genotypes with different levels of resistance to rust and to evaluate their genetic potential for the production of specialty coffees. The experiments were conducted in three coffee producing municipalities, in the region of Matas de Minas, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replicates and 11 genotypes with different levels of resistance to rust. The sensory analyses of the beverage, which was produced from coffee harvested in the cherry stage, were carried out according to the methodology proposed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. All genotypes resistant and moderately resistant to rust presented potential for specialty coffee production. The expression of attributes of sensorial quality is distinct in different environments, which increases the marketability and increases the demanded price for specialty coffees. The correlations between attributes were environmentally dependent. The fragrance/aroma, balance, and aftertaste attributes presented correlation higher than 0.8 with the total score in all evaluated environments.