OUR QUALITY
Midnight Rider Coffee
The Rider's Standard
of Quality
"We don't settle for good enough. Every bag that bears the Midnight Rider name has earned it — from the highlands of Brazil to your cup."
Origin
Born in the Cerrado Mineiro
Our coffee originates from the Cerrado Mineiro region of Minas Gerais, Brazil — one of the world's most celebrated specialty coffee origins. Situated on a vast elevated plateau at altitudes ranging from 800 to 1,300 meters above sea level, the Cerrado's dry winters, warm days, and cool nights create ideal conditions for slow, even cherry development and exceptional cup complexity.
The region was the first in Brazil to receive a Designation of Origin (DO) certification — a distinction reserved for coffees with verifiable geographic identity and measurable quality standards. When you ride with us, you ride with provenance.
800–
1,300m
Altitude
87–90
SCA Score
100%
Arabica
3rd
Party Tested
Scoring
SCA Specialty Grade: 87–90 Points
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) uses a rigorous 100-point cupping protocol to evaluate coffee quality across ten attributes: fragrance, aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, and sweetness. Only coffees scoring 80 points or above qualify as "specialty grade." Our lots consistently score between 87 and 90 points — placing them firmly in the upper tier of the specialty spectrum.
Tasting notes across our lots include dark chocolate, toasted almond, brown sugar, dried fruit, and a smooth, lingering finish — the hallmarks of well-processed Cerrado Arabica.
Processing
From Cherry to Green Bean
The Cerrado's dry season — a defining feature of the region — makes it uniquely suited to natural (dry) processing, where whole coffee cherries are laid on raised drying beds and sun-dried for 20–30 days. This extended contact between the fruit and the seed imparts the rich sweetness, body, and dried-fruit complexity our coffees are known for.
Natural Process
Whole cherries dried on raised beds in full sun. Produces rich body, low acidity, and notes of dark chocolate and dried fruit.
Pulped Natural
Skin removed, mucilage retained during drying. Balances sweetness and brightness — clean cup with caramel and nut notes.
The Journey
From Brazil to Your Cup
Every lot begins its journey at the farm level in Minas Gerais, where cherries are hand-sorted and processed on-site. Green beans are then milled, graded, and bagged in GrainPro-lined jute sacks — preserving freshness and moisture stability during the long sea voyage north.
Farm Harvest — Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil
Selective hand-picking at peak ripeness. Only red, fully ripe cherries are accepted. Immature and overripe cherries are discarded.
Processing & Drying — On-Farm
Natural or pulped natural processing. Raised-bed drying for 20–30 days under the Cerrado sun. Moisture content controlled to 11–12%.
Milling & Export — Port of Santos, Brazil
Green beans milled, hulled, polished, and graded. Packed in GrainPro-lined jute sacks and containerized at the Port of Santos — Brazil's largest coffee export terminal.
Import & Quality Inspection — United States
Containers arrive at U.S. port of entry. Every lot undergoes independent quality inspection and cupping before release. Only lots meeting our 87+ SCA threshold are accepted.
Artisan Roasting — Small-Batch, To Order
Roasted in small batches by skilled roasters using precision profiling. Each roast is dialed to bring out the full character of the lot — never over-roasted to hide defects, never under-roasted to rush production.
Verification
Third-Party Lab Tested
We don't just say our coffee is clean — we prove it. Our lots are independently tested by Eurofins Scientific, one of the world's leading food safety and quality testing laboratories, for:
Pesticide Residues
Multi-residue screen, 500+ compounds
Mycotoxins
Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin B1/B2/G1/G2
Heavy Metals
Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury
Moisture & Density
Water activity and bulk density grading
Every lot passes before it earns the Midnight Rider name. No exceptions.
The Ride Awaits
Ready to Ride?
This is what 87–90 points tastes like. Dark, bold, and unapologetically complex. One if by land — brewed for the ride.
Shop the Roasts