Relationship between altitude and physical, chemical and organoleptic quality attributes in beans of Coffea arabica L. with denomination of origin "Pluma" from Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca, Mexico, coffee (Coffea arabica L.) received its denomination of origin "Pluma" (NOM-255-SE, 2022). Previous studies indicate that the intrinsic characteristics of coffee originate from chemical components that intervene in the organoleptic attributes evaluated during cupping. The objective was to analyze the physical and chemical attributes of medium roasted Coffea arabica L. beans from the farms: “La Virginia” (1058 meters above sea level; masl), “La Palma” (1149 masl) and “Nuestra Señora del Carmen” (1343 masl) located in the area of Pluma, state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The physical analysis was performed according to NOM 255-SE-2022, the chemical analysis was attached to the AOAC, 2012, the evaluation of the organoleptic quality was established with respect to the quality standards of the Specialty Coffee Association and the statistical analysis was carried out by Principal Component Analysis. The physical analysis shows that the beans from the "Nuestra Señora del Carmen" farm have greater integrity than the other two farms, categorizing them as "premium" quality. The chemical analysis allowed establishing the existence of a correlation between altitude and the content of lipids, proteins, and titratable acidity, which influence the sensory characteristics of the coffee beverage, mainly in the body and acidity.