Specialty coffee is not a trend, but a profession that treats its raw material with rigor. If you have checked our website, you will know that in each entry, we provide a technical sheet with the characteristics of each coffee, as well as its SCA score.
But, what are tasting notes? What is the SCA score? Two key concepts that help understand what specialty coffee is and that we explain to you today in a very simple way.
What are tasting notes?
Tasting notes describe the aromas and flavors a taster perceives in a cup of coffee. They allow the objective communication of each coffee's sensory profile.
Among the main categories, we find:
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Aroma: smell before and during preparation.
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Acidity: fresh or bright sensation that provides liveliness.
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Body: density and texture in the mouth.
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Flavor: balance between sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and specific nuances (fruits, chocolate, spices…).
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Aftertaste: duration and quality of the flavor after the last sip.
These notes allow tasters and consumers to identify suitable coffees for espresso, pour-over or milk combinations, and to compare different origins and processes.
What is the SCA score?
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) developed a standard system for evaluating specialty coffees. Each coffee is scored out of 100, considering several parameters: fragrance/aroma, flavor, acidity, body, aftertaste, balance, uniformity, and cleanliness.
A coffee that scores 80 points or more is considered specialty.
How is the tasting for SCA scoring performed?
As you can imagine, scoring a coffee is not an easy task, so the evaluation follows a very rigorous process:
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Sample reception: representative beans are selected, and defects are removed.
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Preparation: freshly ground coffee, filtered water, and standardized proportions.
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Sensory tasting: it is tasted with the “slurping” technique to aerate the coffee and perceive all the aromas. Then, aroma, acidity, body, flavor, and aftertaste are evaluated.
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Professional evaluation: it is carried out as a team, often with certified tasters (Q Graders). For this, blind methods and comparison tables with other coffees from the same area or profile are used to calibrate the score.
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Recording of results: tasting notes are written down, the SCA score is assigned, and any defects are recorded.
What you should remember as a consumer
Although some brands display the scores on the package, it is important to understand that:
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The score reflects the sample evaluated at a specific time.
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It does not always indicate how the coffee will taste after traveling or after a few days of roasting.
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It serves as a reference to guide you towards coffees with profiles you like, but it does not replace the experience of trying them.
At Barsel, our coffees include tasting notes and SCA scores to help you choose, understand the nuances, and consciously enjoy each cup. Knowing the tasting notes and the SCA score is not just for professional tasters. It allows you to understand what you are buying, discover new flavors, and recognize the quality behind each cup.
Ultimately, the score and tasting notes are a guide. But the most important thing is to enjoy each sip and discover your favorite coffee.
