When you see a cupping score displayed on packaging or on a website, how has it been calculated? Here’s everything you need to know about how coffees are awarded cupping scores, and what the score means.
What is a cupping score?
Whilst a cupping score is not everything, it is something that helps us understand how one coffee bean differs from another, in terms of taste and quality. Coffee cupping is a standardised way that the taste and other specific characteristics are assessed, essential when grading speciality coffee.
Coffee is ranked on criteria specified by the Speciality Coffee Association.
The categories are flavour, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, cleanliness, sweetness, balance, fragrance and aroma, and overall impression. Each coffee is tasted and scored on these characteristics, and a score is calculated out of 100.
Who does coffee cupping?
Coffee cupping is generally done by industry experts, which includes green coffee buyers, QC assessors, farmers, roasters, baristas and coffee shop owners, and Q graders.
How do you get a cupping score?
To be awarded a score, coffees must be evaluated through a process called cupping. This process enables coffee experts to assess the quality of coffee beans, which vary depending on the farm and region they come from.
Weighing out the same amount of beans for each coffee is essential for precise scoring and comparison. The beans are ground with the same grind size, hot water (at the same temperature) is poured over them, and they are left to brew for exactly the same amount of time.
Next comes the tasting. The ‘crust’ of the coffee needs to be broken without over-agitating the coffee grounds. This allows the aroma to be enjoyed. Once the coffee grounds are removed, the coffee is tasted from a cupping spoon, usually with a big slurp to aerate the liquid as it makes contact with the taste buds – intensifying the tasting sensation.
Beyond evaluating coffee on established criteria, experts pay close attention to any defects that might influence its cup score. These can originate during cultivation, harvest, or processing and are often noticeable in the coffee’s appearance, scent, or flavour.
So what is a good cupping score?
To be classed as speciality, coffee must have a score of above 80, and offer superior flavour and aroma. They really are the best coffees you can buy.
But that is not quite good enough for us here at Cupper’s Journey. We have found the difference from the low 80’s to the mid 80’s and up is huge. As such, we only sell speciality coffee with a cupping score of 84+, ensuring you the cleanest and tastiest cups.
The reason behind this approach is that by sourcing coffees with high cupping scores enables us to provide much more complex flavours for you to enjoy. Indeed, our latest Rwanda Lot14 coffee, which we have just roasted, has a cupping score of 88 and is a sensational coffee that absolutely stands out from the crowd. This is how Cupper's Journey differentiates itself from others, and it's our mission to hunt out high-end, exceptional coffee.
Ready to try a really great coffee?
Whether you’re looking for a Rwandan single estate with hints of green grape, vanilla and toffee, or a Costa Rican roast with more spice and chocolate, we guarantee it will be a taste experience like no other.
