What is coffee cupping??

Coffee cupping has been around for a long time, and is a way for coffee professionals, especially coffee roasters to quickly evaluate a given coffee sample.  Essentially to find out if that coffee is worth buying. Making an informed decision on coffee is important. When you’re talking about spending thousands, even 10s of thousands of dollars of green coffee at one time, you have to be confident that coffee is worth serving your customers! Read on to learn more..

Coffee cupping, also called coffee tasting, is the practice of observing the aromas and flavors of brewed coffee. It is a professional activity that is performed by coffee tasters, who are trained to identify particular qualities in the coffee. The purpose of cupping is to evaluate a coffee’s overall quality and to identify specific defects.

Coffee cupping is conducted in a quiet room where the taster can concentrate on the coffee’s aroma and flavor. The coffee is brewed using a standard brewing method, and then poured into cup bowls, called “cupping bowls” or “samples.” A small amount of coffee is usually brewed, so that the taster can taste multiple samples.

The coffee is allowed to cool for a few minutes, so that the flavors can develop, and then the taster slurps the coffee from the spoon, making sure to aerate it. This allows the coffee to coat the entire palate and to be properly evaluated.

After slurping, the coffee is spat out into a “spittoon.” The taster does not swallow the coffee, as this would interfere with the taste buds’ ability to perceive the coffee’s flavors. (And you’d be bouncing off the walls.)

The taster then assesses the coffee’s aroma and flavor, looking for particular qualities like complexity, clarity, and sweetness. The coffee is also evaluated for body, acidity, balance, and aftertaste.

Coffing is a professional activity, and it is important to have a trained palate in order to properly evaluate a coffee. However, anyone can learn to cup coffee, and it is a great way to learn more about coffee in general!

Here is a guide if you’d like to do it at home.

https://sca.coffee/research/protocols-best-practices

• Step #1– Fragrance/Aroma
  • Within 15 minutes after samples have been ground, the dry fragrance of the samples should be evaluated by lifting the lid and sniffing the dry grounds.
  • After infusing with water, the crust is left unbroken for at least 3 minutes but not more than 5 minutes. Breaking of the crust is done by stirring 3 times, then allowing the foam to run down the back of the spoon while gently sniffing. The Fragrance/Aroma score is then marked on the basis of dry and wet evaluation.
• Step #2 – Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, and Balance
  • When the sample has cooled to 160º F (71º C), in about 8-10 minutes from infusion, evaluation of the liquor should begin. The liquor is aspirated into the mouth in such a way as to cover as much area as possible, especially the tongue and upper palate.Because the retro nasal vapors are at their maximum intensity at these elevated temperatures, Flavor and Aftertaste are rated at this point.
  • As the coffee continues to cool (160º F – 140º F), the Acidity, Body and Balance are rated next. Balance is the cupper’s assessment of how well the Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, and Body fit together in a synergistic combination.
  • As the coffee continues to cool (160º F – 140º F), the Acidity, Body and Balance are rated next. Balance is the cupper’s assessment of how well the Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, and Body fit together in a synergistic combination.
• Step #3 – Sweetness, Uniformity, and Cleanliness
  • As the brew approaches room temperature (below 100º F) Sweetness, Uniformity, and Clean Cup are evaluated. For these attributes, the cupper makes a judgment on each individual cup, awarding 2 points per cup per attribute (10 points maximum score).
  • Evaluation of the liquor should cease when the sample reaches 70º F (21º C) and the Overall score is determined by the cupper and given to the sample as “Cupper’s Points” based on ALL of the combined attributes.
• Step #4 – Scoring
  • After evaluating the samples, all the scores are added as describe in the “Scoring” section below and the Final Score is written in the upper right hand box.