Sensory Evaluation & Cupping
The science of tasting coffee with precision, consistency, and shared vocabulary
SCA Cupping Protocol
8.25g coffee per 150ml water | Medium-coarse grind | 93C water | 5 cups per sample
- Fragrance (Before water) — Evaluate aroma of dry grounds. Sniff deeply. Note first impressions.
- Pour (0:00) — Pour 93C water over grounds. Start timer. Ratio: 8.25g per 150ml.
- Aroma (0:00-4:00) — Evaluate wet aroma rising from the crust (floating grounds cap).
- Break (4:00) — Push spoon through crust 3 times, nose at rim. Most intense aroma moment.
- Skim (4:30) — Remove floating grounds and foam with two spoons.
- Taste (8:00-10:00) — Slurp from spoon. Evaluate flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance.
- Cool (10:00-30:00) — Continue tasting as coffee cools. Great coffee reveals new flavors at each temperature.
- Score — Assign numerical scores and descriptors for each attribute.
Q Grader Certification — 22 Tests
| Category | Tests | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cupping | 4 | Score 6 coffees per session, calibrate with instructor |
| Triangulation | 6 | Find the odd cup out of 3 — 6 sets |
| Organic Acids | 1 | Identify citric, malic, phosphoric, and acetic acids |
| Olfactory | 4 | Identify 36 aromas from Le Nez du Cafe kit |
| Basic Tastes | 2 | Identify sweet, sour, salty in varying intensities |
| Roasted Coffee | 2 | Identify roast levels and defects |
| Green Coffee | 2 | Grade samples for defects, screen size |
| Written Exam | 1 | Coffee science, geography, processing |
Palate Training Exercises
- Smell everything intentionally — Build an aroma memory bank at grocery stores, markets, gardens.
- Cup 3-5 coffees side by side — Compare, don't evaluate alone. Weekly practice.
- Triangulation at home — Brew 2 cups of one coffee, 1 of another. Find the odd one.
- Acid identification — Dissolve citric, malic, acetic acids in water at low concentrations.
- Fruit reference tasting — When eating fruit, memorize the flavor. Then find it in coffee.
- Cupping notes journal — Write every cupping: date, coffee, specific notes, score. Review monthly.