Phenolic compounds (PC) and phenolic acids (PA) were quantified in mature caryopses of sorghum grown in wet or dry environments. Seventeen cultivars varying in pericarp color and presence of a pigmented testa exhibited different levels of resistance to molding in the wet environment. Sorghum caryopses with a white pericarp contained lower levels of free PC (14μg/caryopsis) than those with a red pericarp (41 μg/caryopsis) when grown in the dry environment. This difference diminished under humid conditions. Cultivars with a pigmented testa were more resistant to grain molding, contained higher levels of free PC (151 μg/caryopsis), and had a softer endosperm texture than cultivars without a pigmented testa. In cultivars without a pigmented testa, higher levels of free PC and free PA, especially free p-coumaric, ferulic, and caffeic acids, were observed in mold-susceptible cultivars. A scatter plot of free PC vs. free p-coumaric acid indicated that mold-susceptibility was related to higher levels of p-coumaric acid, regardless of environment.