Understanding SCA Cupping Scores: What 83+ Really Means

Specialty coffee lives and dies by its cupping score. When we say a lot is "83+ SCA", we're referencing the scoring protocol developed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) — the same framework used by cuppers, importers, and roasters worldwide to describe quality on a single, comparable scale.

A certified Q Grader evaluates a coffee across ten categories: fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, sweetness, and overall impression. Each category is scored out of 10, and the totals combine into a final score out of 100. Coffee scoring 80 points or above is classified as "specialty grade" — anything below that threshold is considered commercial or standard grade, regardless of how it tastes.

We set our own internal bar higher, at 83 points, because the gap between 80 and 83 is usually where a coffee's character becomes distinct rather than merely clean. A lot at 80–82 can be well-processed and free of defects; a lot at 83 or above typically shows a more defined sensory profile — a specific fruit note, a particular finish, a body that holds up as the cup cools. It's the difference between a coffee that passes the bar and one that has something to say.

Every lot on our site lists both the score and the cup profile behind it — aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and aftertaste — broken down individually, not just as a single number. That's deliberate: two coffees can share the same 84-point total and taste completely different depending on where those points come from. A buyer choosing between a bright, floral natural and a heavier, chocolate-forward pulped natural should be comparing the profile, not just the headline score.

If you're building a buying decision around a specific score range, cup profile, or processing method, tell us what you're looking for — we can point you toward the lot in our current offering that matches, or let you know when the next harvest is likely to bring something closer to it.