The Specialty Coffee Association's cupping form, digitised. Score each attribute from 6.00 to 10.00 — the total updates as you go.
The SCA cupping protocol scores seven sensory attributes — aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance and overall — each on a scale from 6.00 (good) to 10.00 (exceptional). Three attributes (uniformity, clean cup, sweetness) score 2 points per cup out of 5 cups, for 10 each. Defect points (taints and faults) are subtracted. Coffees scoring 80+ are considered "specialty grade."
Total = sum of 7 attributes + uniformity + clean cup + sweetness − defects.
80 and above. 85+ is excellent, 90+ is world-class.
The official protocol uses five cups per sample to detect inconsistency. At home, one cup is fine for practice.
Taints (2 points each) and faults (4 points each) — e.g. sour, phenolic, mouldy, fermented off-flavors.
Yes — cup regularly with other people, use the SCA flavor wheel, and compare scores to published cupping notes.