Cafés in major cities reported a sharp shift in flavor profile over the past seven days, attributed to a new shipment of Brazilian Arabica beans. Roasters say the harvest of 2026 was unusually wet, producing beans with lower acidity and a heavier mouthfeel.

Industry analysts at the Specialty Coffee Association expect the trend to last through the end of the quarter. Cafés have begun adjusting their grind settings and brew temperatures to compensate. Most chains report no change to retail prices, absorbing the import cost differences into existing margins.

For home brewers, experts recommend a slightly coarser grind and a five-degree drop in water temperature to bring out the new flavor characteristics. The change is most noticeable in pour-over methods, where extraction time is sensitive to bean density.
