Cupping 101: How to Score Coffee Like a Professional

What Is Cupping?

Cupping is the standardized method used worldwide to evaluate coffee quality. It strips away brewing variables -- no filter, no espresso machine, no pour-over technique -- and lets the coffee speak for itself. Every specialty coffee transaction on earth, from a farm in Caicedonia to a roastery in Tokyo, relies on this shared protocol.

I have cupped hundreds of samples from our farms over the years. Cupping is how we decide which lots become our specialty offerings and which need improvement. It is also how I learned what our terroir is capable of -- and what it is not.

The SCA Protocol Step by Step

1. Sample Preparation

• Roast the sample light (Agtron 55-65) within 24 hours of cupping
• Grind 8.25 grams per cup, slightly coarser than drip
• Use 150ml of water at 93 degrees Celsius (200F)
• Prepare at least 5 cups per sample to test uniformity

2. Evaluate Fragrance (Dry)

Before adding water, smell the dry grounds. Note the intensity and character. Is it floral? Nutty? Chocolatey? Fruity? Score the fragrance from 6.00 to 9.00.

I remember the first time I ground a fresh Geisha sample from one of our high-altitude plots -- the dry fragrance was so intensely floral that it stopped the room. Everyone leaned in. That is the moment you realize why variety and altitude matter so much.

3. Add Water and Evaluate Aroma (Wet)

Pour hot water directly onto the grounds. A crust forms on top. After 4 minutes, break the crust with a spoon and lean in to smell the released aromatics. This is the wet aroma.

4. Skim and Wait

Remove the floating grounds and foam from the surface. Wait until the cup cools to approximately 70 degrees Celsius before tasting -- about 8-10 minutes after pouring.

5. Taste and Score

Using a cupping spoon, slurp the coffee forcefully to spray it across your entire palate. Evaluate each attribute:

| Attribute | What to Look For |

|-----------|-----------------|

| Flavor | The core taste -- fruit, chocolate, caramel, floral, spice |

| Aftertaste | Does the flavor linger pleasantly or disappear quickly? |

| Acidity | Brightness and liveliness -- malic (apple), citric (lemon), phosphoric (sparkling) |

| Body | Weight and texture -- thin, silky, creamy, heavy |

| Balance | Do all components complement each other, or does one dominate? |

| Uniformity | Are all 5 cups consistent? (2 points deducted per inconsistent cup) |

| Clean Cup | Is there any off-flavor from cup to lip? (2 points per dirty cup) |

| Sweetness | Is there perceptible sweetness? (2 points per cup lacking it) |

| Overall | Your holistic impression of this coffee |

6. Calculate the Score

Add all attribute scores plus a base of 36 points (from uniformity, clean cup, and sweetness at maximum). Subtract any defects found.

• 80-84.99 -- Very Good (specialty threshold)
• 85-89.99 -- Excellent
• 90+ -- Outstanding

Our best lots have reached 89.25 SCA -- and every cupping session teaches me something new about what our farms can produce. Sometimes a washed Caturra lot surprises us with complexity I did not expect from that plot. That is what makes cupping addictive.

Building Your Palate

Cupping is a skill that improves with practice. Start by cupping two coffees side by side -- the contrast makes differences easier to detect. Try a washed vs. natural from the same variety and you will immediately understand how process shapes the cup.

Over time, you will develop the vocabulary and the sensory memory to identify origin, process, and even variety from the cup alone. It takes patience, but so does everything in coffee. And once you can brew specialty at home with intention, cupping becomes a daily practice, not just a scoring exercise.

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This post is part of our Seed to Cup series. Ready to cup with us? Join the free community at skool.com/particular-3064 where I host virtual cupping sessions and share scoring sheets from our latest harvests.