We are incredibly excited to announce the publication of the new Coffee Sensory and Cupping Handbook by Dr. Mario R. Fernández-Alduenda, Technical Officer at the Specialty Coffee Association, and Peter Giuliano, Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation and Chief Research Officer of the Specialty Coffee Association.

The handbook brings together 30 years of scientific advancements in the field of sensory science—which seeks to understand human perceptions of smell, taste, and mouthfeel—and combines these with cupping practices developed by the SCA and new advances in flavor language exemplified by the recent revision of the Coffee Tasters’ Flavor Wheel. It is the most complete and well-researched work on this topic to date, and is intended to provide an approachable and practical guide to the complexity of coffee and sensory science, to any and every coffee professional.

“It is no exaggeration to say the specialty coffee industry is founded on the concept of flavor. And since flavor is perceived by the senses of smell and taste, the concept of sensory evaluation, communication, and understanding is critical to the skill set of any coffee professional and is essential to any coffee business.”

The SCA Systems Map arose from the systems change thinking and methodologies that guided the work of the SCA’s Price Crisis Response Initiative. A systems approach shifts the focus from the individual parts of a system to how the parts are organized, recognizing that the interactions of the parts are not static, but dynamic and fluid. This approach also acknowledges that change is non-linear and happens at multiple levels over multiple time scales.

This map outlines the relationships between key actors and actions in the specialty coffee industry, thereby illustrating the complexity of this global value-generating ecosystem, while recognizing previously invisible actors and telling multiple stories.

The central column of the map depicts the most recognizable activities of a specialty coffee value chain. Each activity corresponds to a primary actor, the (English) names of which often mirror the verb–farming is done by farmers, roasting by roasters–but may also involve other actors. Sometimes the same actor is involved in multiple activities.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

The Flavor Perception in Coffee Series, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. The WCR Lexicon is the largest collaborative research project on coffee’s flavors and aromas ever done. Created at the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University, the lexicon identifies 110 flavor, aroma, and texture attributes present in coffee, and provides references for measuring their intensity. These new posters expand on the popular Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel by including the WCR Lexicon attributes and their references.

Green Arabica Coffee Classification System, also referred to as the Green Defect Poster. Use this as a resource to show your employees or your customers the image samples of the defects that might be present in green coffee and how they affect the grade of coffee.

The aim of this handbook is to provide a practical resource for the specialty coffee community while contributing to the body of scientific evidence on coffee freshness of roasted coffee.

In the first part of this handbook, we explore relevant studies in the field of coffee science and recent research conducted by the Coffee Excellence Center at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). Their pioneering research sheds further light on identifying physical changes that can be used to quantify freshness. We then move to a complementary set of experimental studies on sensory perception of freshness and subsequent staling in roasted coffee over time. In this illuminating member-driven experiment conducted by the Roasters Guild, we learn about the sensory impacts of packaging and aging coffee.