Assessed, then stated.
Quality in green coffee is not an adjective. It is a set of measurements taken on a defined sample, by named parties, at points fixed in a contract. This page sets out what is measured, who measures it, and which of Zoebar's own figures are confirmed today.
- Amaro (Koore Zone)
- 1,700–1,800 masl
- September – December
- Zoebar-owned
How is coffee quality assessed before export from Ethiopia?
Ethiopian export coffee is assessed twice on the same sample: a raw evaluation of the green bean covering defect count, screen size and moisture, and a cup evaluation of the brewed liquor. Both feed the export grade issued by Ethiopia's national coffee authority and recorded on the export quality certificate.
The full structure of the Ethiopian grade, what the bands mean, who issues them, and why a grade is not a cup score, is set out in the grading guide.
| Origin | Amaro (Koore Zone), Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Trade category | Commonly presented within the Sidama category |
| Species | Ethiopian Arabica |
| Altitude | 1,700–1,800 masl |
| Harvest | September – December |
| Processing | Washed / Natural |
| Washing station | Zoebar-owned, Amaro, Ethiopia |
Two assessments, one sample.
An Ethiopian grade is a composite of both. Two coffees that taste quite different can carry the same grade, and a coffee can cup beautifully and still be held back by its raw score. Buy on both numbers, not one.
Raw evaluation
Defects are identified in a weighed sample and totalled against a full-defect equivalence table. Screen size distribution and moisture content are recorded alongside the count. A raw problem is usually a sorting or drying problem, and it is visible in the sack.
- Defect count
- Screen size
- Moisture content
- Foreign matter
Cup evaluation
The coffee is roasted, ground and cupped, and scored for cleanliness, acidity, body and flavour, with any cup fault recorded. A cup fault is usually a fermentation or storage problem, and it is invisible until the coffee is brewed.
- Cleanliness
- Acidity
- Body
- Flavour
- Cup faults
Control
Where quality is actually decided.
Quality is not created at the grading table. It is created at intake, at sorting and on the drying beds, and the grading table only records what already happened. Zoebar Business Group owns the washing station in Amaro, Ethiopia, which puts the stages that determine the outcome under direct control rather than bought in.
| Stage | What is fixed or checked | Controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry intake | Ripeness and condition assessed on arrival at the washing station. | Zoebar |
| Sorting | Density and defect separation before processing begins. | Zoebar |
| Processing and drying | Method recorded per lot; drying monitored on raised beds through to target moisture. | Zoebar |
| Resting and milling | Moisture equalised in parchment before hulling, then screened and sorted. | Zoebar |
| Export grading | Raw and cup assessment producing the grade recorded on the export quality certificate. | National coffee authority |
| Pre-shipment sample | Sample drawn from the actual lot for buyer approval, against the contract quality basis. | Zoebar and buyer |
| Weight and quality inspection | Independent determination at the point named in the contract, where one is appointed. | Independent inspector |
What we can state today.
Zoebar records grade, screen size, moisture and cupping score on each lot and shows them on that lot rather than as a single figure for the origin. A lot's figures are published once confirmed, never as an indicative range, because a buyer comparing suppliers on a cupping score should be comparing a number the supplier actually stated.
| Grade | Confirmed per lot |
|---|---|
| Screen size | Confirmed per lot |
| Cupping score | Confirmed per lot |
| Defect count | Confirmed per lot |
| Moisture content | Confirmed per lot |
Each of these is measured on the lot in front of you and stated on that lot’s record, rather than published as a standing Zoebar figure. They fill from Zoebar’s confirmed records, not from industry averages, and they appear here, on the coffee page and on each lot record simultaneously, because all three read from one source.
Need a figure that is not published?
Ask directly. We will give you the confirmed number, or tell you when it will be confirmed.
A figure belongs to a lot.
Most green coffee offer sheets carry one grade, one screen size and one cupping score for the whole origin. A buyer has no way to tell which of those numbers came from a certificate for the coffee being offered and which came from a colleague’s memory of last season.
Grade, screen size, cupping score, defect count and moisture are measurements taken on a defined sample of a specific lot. Zoebar states them where they were measured — on the lot record — rather than as a standing specification for Amaro, because a figure detached from the lot it was measured on cannot be checked.
Everything published as a Zoebar figure was confirmed before it was published. Anything not yet confirmed is not shown at all, rather than dressed as an estimate, and it appears the moment it is fixed. When the lot record reaches a buyer, it is checkable against the sack in front of them.
Quality, answered.
- How is coffee quality assessed before export from Ethiopia?
- Ethiopian export coffee is assessed twice on the same sample: a raw evaluation of the green bean covering defect count, screen size and moisture, and a cup evaluation of the brewed liquor. Both feed the export grade issued by Ethiopia's national coffee authority and recorded on the export quality certificate.
- What quality record does a Zoebar lot carry?
- A Zoebar lot record carries its origin in Amaro (Koore Zone), Ethiopia, the processing method applied at Zoebar's own washing station, the harvest period, and the quality assessment made before the lot was released. Grade, screen size, moisture and cupping score are recorded on each lot rather than published as a standing figure, and none is filled with an estimate.
- Does Zoebar publish cupping scores and grades?
- Zoebar records grade, screen size, moisture and cupping score on each lot and shows them on that lot rather than as a single figure for the origin. A lot's figures are published once confirmed, never as an indicative range, because a buyer comparing suppliers on a cupping score should be comparing a number the supplier actually stated.