Tasting & Recording · Legacy learning tool

Legacy 2004-Style Cupping Score Calculator

Explore the historic 100-point cupping format: set ten attributes, record taints and faults, and calculate a personal reference score. This is not the current official SCA Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) standard.

Tool

Taints (cups)Noticeable but not overwhelming off-notes; 2 points each.

Faults (cups)Overwhelming off-notes that render the cup unpleasant; 4 points each.

How It Works

This calculator reproduces the retired 2004-style 100-point form: fragrance and aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, sweetness and overall are summed to a theoretical maximum of 100. It is retained here as a learning and personal-record format, not as an official grade, certification or purchasing decision.

In that historic model, uniformity, clean cup and sweetness are assessed across five cups, with two points per compliant cup. Taints subtract two points per affected cup and faults subtract four. The Specialty Coffee Association has since adopted Coffee Value Assessment standards (CVA) that supersede the old protocol. Consult the current SCA standards for professional or commercial evaluation.

Step-by-Step Usage Guide

Use this legacy format only for personal learning or for comparing records made with the same historic method.
Prepare multiple cups of the same coffee and evaluate dry fragrance, then wet aroma after pouring.
Record flavour, aftertaste, acidity, body and balance as the cups cool, revisiting them when useful.
Record taints and faults per cup, then save the output as a personal reference rather than an official quality grade.
For current professional evaluation, use the SCA CVA resources linked in Sources & Methodology below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the current SCA standard?+

No. This is a legacy 2004-style learning format. SCA CVA standards supersede the previous protocol; use the current standards for professional or commercial evaluation.

What separates a taint from a fault?+

In the historic model used here, a taint is a noticeable off-note and a fault is a dominating defect. The terms are provided to help interpret older records, not to issue a formal grade.

Should uniformity ever score below 10?+

In this legacy method, two points are deducted for each of five cups that differs noticeably from the others. Treat this as a learning convention rather than a current SCA CVA score.

Can I use this for a single cup at home?+

You can use it to structure personal notes, but uniformity and clean cup lose most of their meaning without several cups. A single score is not a professional assessment.

Applicable Scenarios

Suited to home cuppers running structured tastings, buyers comparing samples from several roasters, and hobbyists preparing for sensory certification. It also helps small roasters keep a consistent internal record when deciding which lots to keep on the menu.