OUR QUALITY
The Standard of the Ride
Every bag of Midnight Rider Coffee begins 5,000 miles away, in the volcanic highlands of Brazil's Cerrado — one of the most celebrated coffee-growing regions on earth. What arrives in your cup is the result of 45+ years of farming expertise, a rigorous quality chain, and a roast built for those who ride hard and demand more.
Origin: Cerrado, Minas Gerais — Brazil
Our beans are sourced exclusively from the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais, a southern state of Brazil internationally recognized for producing some of the finest Arabica coffee in the world. The Cerrado sits on Brazil's Central Plateau — a vast savannah of red volcanic soil, defined by two distinct seasons: a warm, wet growing season and a dry, sunny harvest season that concentrates sugars and intensifies flavor.
The farms we source from have been cultivated by the same families for generations. With over 300,000 coffee trees across 500-acre estates, these are not anonymous commodity operations — they are legacy farms where the land, the trees, and the craft are passed down like heirlooms.
| Origin Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | Cerrado, Minas Gerais |
| Altitude | 800 – 1,100 meters above sea level |
| Variety | 100% Arabica |
| Processing | Natural (dry-processed) & Pulped Natural |
| Harvest Season | May – September (dry season) |
| Soil | Deep red volcanic latosol (rich in iron and minerals) |
| Average Temperature | 68°F (20°C) — ideal for slow, even cherry development |
Quality & Cup Scores
Our beans are evaluated using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cupping protocol — the global gold standard for coffee quality assessment. Scores are assigned across 10 categories including fragrance, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, and clean cup. A score of 80 or above qualifies as specialty grade. Our beans consistently score 82 and above, with select microlot batches scoring 85+.
Microlots — limited batches from a single estate, processing method, or altitude band — represent the absolute peak of a farmer's crop. They are traceable, exclusive, and produced with exceptional care. When we source a microlot, you are drinking the best of what that farm produced that season.
| Quality Metric | Our Standard |
|---|---|
| SCA Cup Score (Standard) | 82+ / 100 |
| SCA Cup Score (Microlot) | 85+ / 100 |
| Grade | Specialty Grade (SCA-certified) |
| Acidity | Low — smooth on the stomach, easy to drink black |
| Body | Full to medium-full — rich, coating mouthfeel |
| Flavor Notes | Dark chocolate, roasted hazelnut, brown sugar, smooth caramel finish |
| Roast Method | Air-roasted — cleaner, more even roast with reduced chaff and bitterness |
| Roasting Experience | 45+ years of combined growing, harvesting & roasting expertise |
From Brazil to Your Cup: The Journey
Most coffee travels through a chain of middlemen before it reaches a roaster. Ours does not. We source direct from the farms in the Cerrado — a relationship built over decades, not a transaction on a commodity exchange. Here is how the journey unfolds:
Coffee cherries are selectively hand-picked or strip-harvested at peak ripeness during the dry season. The Cerrado's predictable climate produces exceptionally uniform cherry development — a key factor in cup consistency.
Cherries are dried whole on raised beds under the Brazilian sun (natural process) or pulped and dried with the mucilage intact (pulped natural / honey process). Both methods enhance sweetness, body, and the signature chocolate-nut profile of Cerrado coffee.
Green beans are hulled, sorted by screen size (14/16 grade), and evaluated for defects. Only beans meeting specialty-grade standards — fewer than 5 full defects per 300g sample — are selected for export. Beans are then bagged in GrainPro-lined jute sacks to preserve freshness during transit.
Green beans depart through the Port of Santos — the world's largest coffee export terminal, handling over 40% of Brazil's annual coffee exports. Shipments are containerized and climate-monitored throughout the Atlantic crossing to the United States.
Upon arrival in the US, all green coffee shipments are subject to FDA inspection and customs clearance under the Bioterrorism Act. Our beans clear every inspection — a testament to the clean, traceable supply chain we maintain from farm to port.
Beans are roasted in small batches using an air-roasting process — a method that suspends beans in a column of hot air rather than tumbling them in a drum. The result is a cleaner, more even roast with less chaff, reduced bitterness, and a brighter, more vibrant expression of the bean's natural character.
Third-Party Tested: Clean Cup, Clear Conscience
We do not ask you to take our word for it. Our beans have been independently tested by Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories — one of the world's leading food safety testing organizations — for mycotoxins and pesticide residues.
✓ Mycotoxin & Pesticide Levels Passed USDA Organic Standards
Verified by Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories — Report AR-22-QA-096257-01
Our beans are grown using integrated pest management — a natural, chemical-minimal approach that relies on the Cerrado's native ecosystem. Natural predators including emus and seriemas patrol the coffee trees, controlling the coffee bean borer and cicada without the need for heavy pesticide applications. The land is farmed as it has been for generations: with respect for the soil, the trees, and the people who depend on them.
Farming Philosophy: The Land Rides With Us
The Cerrado is not just a growing region — it is a living ecosystem. The farms we source from operate with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. Pest control relies on the natural predators native to the Brazilian savannah. Soil health is maintained through cover cropping and minimal tillage. Water is managed through the region's natural dry-season harvest cycle, reducing irrigation dependency.
This is not marketing language. It is the way these farms have operated for over 45 years — long before sustainability became a selling point. When you ride with Midnight Rider Coffee, you ride with farmers who treat the land the way a rider treats a good horse: with care, with respect, and for the long haul.
One If By Land. One Standard. No Compromise.
From the volcanic highlands of Minas Gerais to your cup — every step of this journey is deliberate, traceable, and held to the standard the Midnight Rider demands.