How is coffee scored?
Coffee is scored by trained tasters using the Association's 100-point protocol. Samples are tasted blind and graded on fragrance, aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance and cleanliness. Defects subtract points. Eighty or above means specialty grade.
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The protocol keeps everything identical so the coffee itself is the only variable: same dose, grind, water temperature, timing. Ten attributes are scored on 16-point scales that map to the 0-100 total. Uniformity, cleanliness and sweetness reward consistency; defects — like fermented or musty cups — subtract hard. Because the protocol is standardized, a in Colombia and one in Norway should land within a couple points of each other on the same coffee. That calibration is the whole point: it turns 'I like it' into a number others can trust and compare. Our reviews use our own scores alongside this shared language.
- ·Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cupping protocols(No direct source link provided)