In part one, we introduced the Specialty Coffee Association’s (SCA) new Coffee Value Assessment system and its major updates. Now, let’s take a closer look at how this assessment works.

The 4 Key Areas

The new Coffee Value Assessment system divides the evaluation process into four separate pillars: physical, descriptive, affective, and extrinsic assessments. Each of these serves a specific purpose in providing a complete view of a coffee’s value.

1.Physical Inspection: This is where the coffee’s intrinsic attributes are first evaluated. It includes assessing the green bean’s color, size, defects, and moisture content and other bean factors. These factors provide the foundation for determining the coffee’s quality but must be kept separate from sensory assessments to avoid any bias.

.2.Descriptive Assessment: Here, the coffee’s sensory attributes—like flavor, fragrance, aroma, and mouthfeel—are evaluated. The SCA uses various tools, such as the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) tests, to help cuppers accurately describe what they’re tasting. This assessment is purely descriptive and does not involve any personal preferences.

3.Affective Assessment: This is where subjectivity comes into play. Cuppers provide their personal impressions of the coffee’s quality, using a 9-point scale that ranges from “extremely low” to “extremely high.” This part of the evaluation is more flexible, allowing cuppers to incorporate both their personal and market preferences.

4. Extrinsic Assessment: The last pillar focuses on factors outside the cup itself. This could include details about the coffee’s origin, certifications, sustainability practices, and farming methods. It’s about understanding the broader context that contributes to the coffee’s value.

How to Use This System?

For coffee buyers, roasters, and producers, the new Coffee Value Assessment offers a structured way to evaluate and communicate coffee quality. And this is an improved version of SCA’s 2004 Cupping Protocol.

Buyers can use the extrinsic assessment to ensure they are purchasing from ethical sources, while roasters can rely on the descriptive assessment to match coffees to specific flavor profiles they know their customers will enjoy.

This system is also a valuable tool for price discovery. While the assessment itself doesn’t dictate the price, it helps buyers and sellers better understand the total value of the coffee, making price negotiations more transparent.

Room for Improvement

While the new Coffee Value Assessment is a big leap forward, it’s not without its shortcomings. One issue is that it’s still heavily reliant on human tasters, whose personal preferences can sometimes skew results. Though the SCA’s new approach allows for a wider range of opinions, ensuring consistent results across diverse groups of cuppers remains a challenge.

Moreover, the system’s complexity could be a hurdle for smaller producers or less experienced cuppers, who may not have access to the necessary training or resources to fully implement all four assessments. A more simplified version of the system might make it more accessible for a broader range of users.

Final Thoughts

The SCA’s new Coffee Value Assessment represents a significant improvement in how we evaluate coffee. By incorporating both intrinsic and extrinsic factors and offering a more flexible approach to taste evaluation, it allows coffee professionals to get a fuller picture of what makes a coffee truly valuable. While there are some areas for improvement, particularly around the subjectivity of taste, this new system is a step in the right direction for the specialty coffee industry.

Coming soon: In Part 3, we will given an overview of the changes in the cupping protocol. 

Disclaimer : This article is a summary, critique, and analysis based on our own readings of the new SCA Coffee Value Assessment system. We do not claim any rights to the content of the system itself. The views expressed here are our own and not affiliated with or representative of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Always refer to SCA New Coffee Value Assessment for authoritative information.

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