Rio Minas is Arabica coffee from Minas Gerais, Brazil's largest coffee-growing state, that falls into the “Rio” group of Brazil's official cup classification. It has a distinctive, slightly iodine-like, sharp taste. In filter coffee that taste counts as a defect; in strong, foamy Turkish coffee drunk with its grounds it is part of the character many people grew up with. That is why Rio Minas is the traditional bean for Turkish coffee.
Where does the name come from?
Minas is the state where the coffee grows. Rio is a taste class rather than a place: Brazil's official classification (Classificação Oficial Brasileira) ranks cup quality from soft, sweet cups down to hard and “Rio” cups. The taste is generally said to take its name from the Rio de Janeiro region, where it was first described.
| Brazilian cup class | Taste |
|---|---|
| Estritamente mole | Very soft, sweet |
| Mole | Soft |
| Apenas mole | Softish |
| Duro | Hard, astringent |
| Riado | Slight Rio taste |
| Rio | Distinct iodine-like, sharp taste |
| Rio Zona | Very strong Rio taste |
Why does it taste different?
The Rio taste comes from compounds that form during harvest and drying; research links it in particular to 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). In a light filter cup it stands out. In Turkish coffee, ground as fine as flour and brewed with its grounds, it blends into the body, the foam and the roast notes, and becomes part of what many people call “Turkish coffee taste”.
Is Rio Minas specialty coffee?
No. Specialty coffee scores 80 or more on the 100-point cupping scale and has no taste defects, and the Rio taste counts as one. So we don't call our signature Turkish coffee specialty: it is Brazilian Rio Minas, 100% Arabica. Our specialty coffees are the two we choose each month; the difference is explained in our specialty Turkish coffee article.
What does Rio Minas 17/18 mean?
Numbers like 17/18 on a bag are screen sizes that describe bean size. A screen number gives the hole diameter in 64ths of an inch: screen 17 is about 6.75 mm. “17/18” means large beans held back by screens 17 and 18. Size alone doesn't decide flavour, but evenly sized beans roast more evenly.
How is it roasted for Turkish coffee?
Rio Minas is usually roasted medium to medium-dark for Turkish coffee. We set our roast for the cezve: developed enough for body and foam, never so dark that it turns bitter. Cocoa, hazelnut and caramel come through in the cup.
“We describe Rio Minas as it is: the traditional bean for Turkish coffee. Where we make a difference is freshness. We grind it for your order and print the roast date on every bag.”
— Roaster Lab
At a glance
| Origin | Brazil, Minas Gerais |
| Species | 100% Arabica |
| Cup class | Rio (Brazil's official classification) |
| Specialty grade | No |
| Best brewed | In a cezve, as Turkish coffee |
| Our roast | Medium, set for the cezve |
Our signature Turkish coffee is Brazilian Rio Minas, ground for your order, with the roast date on every bag, and handed to the courier within 1–3 business days.
