What does Strictly High Grown (SHG) mean in coffee grading?

Strictly High Grown - SHG - is an altitude-based grade designation used primarily in Mexico and some other Central American origins, equivalent to the Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) classification used in Guatemala and Honduras. Both designations indicate coffee grown above approximately 1,350 metres above sea level and reflect the same underlying principle: altitude produces slower cherry maturation, denser beans, and typically more complex flavour.

The distinction between SHG and SHB is regional naming convention rather than any meaningful difference in what the grades represent. Both sit at the top of their respective altitude classification systems, above designations like Hard Bean (HB) or High Grown (HG).

For buyers, SHG on a Mexican lot specification signals the same thing as SHB on a Guatemalan one - high-altitude production with the cup quality implications that come with it. As with all altitude-based grades, it's a starting point for quality assessment rather than a standalone guarantee.