Recap

• The Cup of Excellence (COE) started in 1999 in Brazil.
• COE scoresheet evaluates each scoring element out of a possible 8 instead of 10. 
• The subtotal of the eight scoring elements has 36 points added on at the end to bring the total to a grade out of 100. 
• The COE scoresheet had several ‘firsts’ for coffee: most notably, it introduced a quality score for sweetness
• The WBC scoring system ranges from 0–6 and, like the SCA Arabica Cupping Form and the COE scoresheets, the numerical system corresponds with a series of adjectives that help judges work out their response to the different elements of the scoresheet.
• The World Barista Championships started in 2000 in Monte Carlo.
• The WBC scoresheet used to allocate 12 points for visuals, i.e., whether the crema was thick and unbroken with no large bubbles. 
• The 2020 WBC scoresheet now puts the strongest points allocation on the tactile properties of espresso. 
• Espresso is scored on the basis of its weight, texture, and finish. 
• The SCA Arabica Cupping Form was developed in 1984. 
• It was the first 100-point based system for coffee. 
• The SCA defines specialty coffee as scoring above 80 points out of a possible 100.

New Words

Green Grading  A system of grading coffee by the number of defective coffee beans found in a certain weight of coffee — usually 300 or 350 grams. It was first developed by the New York Cocoa and Coffee Exchange in 1882.

Afterfeel  The mouthfeel equivalent of aftertaste. The tactile properties of a coffee seconds and minutes after it has been tasted. If a coffee begins with a smooth texture but several seconds later the afterfeel becomes astringent, lower scores are usually awarded.

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