Coffee Sensory & Cupping

Learn to taste the way the industry does. Great coffee is judged before it is sold — and cupping is how. Aligned to Specialty Coffee Association protocols, this module trains your palate systematically: aroma, flavour, acidity, body and balance, scored at the cupping table the way professionals do it worldwide.

What You Will Learn

• The full SCA-aligned cupping protocol — setup, dosing, breaking the crust, slurping and scoring
• The sensory vocabulary of the flavour wheel: naming what your palate already notices
• Identifying common defects — ferment, baggy, phenolic — before a customer does
• How acidity, sweetness, body and aftertaste are evaluated and scored
• Palate calibration: scoring blind alongside your trainers and closing the gap session by session

What You Will Walk Away With

• A trained, calibrated palate — the single most transferable skill in the coffee trade
• Confidence at a professional cupping table, from green-bean buying to quality control
• The sensory foundation required for roasting and for the Coffee Excellence Certificate

Who It Is For

Baristas and coffee professionals ready to develop the judgement the industry pays for — ideal after ACF Level 1.

Duration: 4 hours (cupping-table session) · Level: Intermediate · Pillar: Coffee & Vocational Skills · Runs: Wednesdays

A trained palate cannot be taken from you. It is yours for life. Marginality is not destiny.