Coffee cupping, or sampling, is a big part of our quality and assurance program, but it is more than that, it is the development of our coffee senses. It is exciting! Cupping is about looking at coffee with curiosity and seeing opportunities. When we cup we are building a relationship with coffee where we are thinking about the characteristics and asking ‘What next?’ and ‘What more?’ 

cupping

The way the coffee behaves as it is roasted varies is due to environmental changes like humidity, heat as well as how well the roasting equipment is cleaned and maintained. We constantly monitor all of these variables and carefully maintain our roasting equipment to keep our roasting consistent throughout the year. 

We get feedback about how well we are doing by regularly tasting batches of coffee using the Cupping method. Cupping is the universal approach to coffee grading and sensory analysis, from its overall quality to its unique and celebrated characteristics. Cupping allows for a standardised methodology and language that provides invaluable opportunities for communication with supply chain partners. It is a language that allows growers to connect their farming practices with the coffee experience, roasters to assess the results of their roasting and importers and exporters to share varieties and choices that roasters have access to. 

At the conclusion of the sensory evaluation of cupping and reviewing a roast profile, amendments may be made to the future roast profile in the pursuit of quality and consistency for the coffees being reviewed. 

 

May 19, 2021 — Lauren Scaroni