What is the "SCA Score"?

For decades, the coffee industry relied on a singular, rigid cupping protocol to assign a 100-point score. While this provided a common language for trade, it often conflated "quality" with "consistency." A high score traditionally rewarded a clean, defect-free cup, but it frequently failed to capture the nuance of unique processing methods or regional character. This reductionist approach often disadvantaged producers, as the score became a blunt instrument for price negotiation rather than a holistic assessment of value. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has recently transitioned toward the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) framework. This modular system separates physical, descriptive, and affective evaluations, allowing for a more granular understanding of a coffee’s profile. A common misconception is that the score represents an objective measure of "goodness." In reality, it is a tool for quality control and repeatability. For a producer, a high score is a vital passport to specialty markets, but it is not a complete reflection of the labor, terroir, or innovation invested in the crop. By moving away from a single, monolithic number, the industry aims to reduce the 'intersubjectivity'—or personal bias—of cuppers, theoretically leading to more equitable compensation for farmers whose coffees may possess exceptional character even if they don't fit the traditional, narrow definition of a high-scoring cup.