Specialty Coffee, Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), Q Grader, Coffee Cupping, and Coffee Industry Innovation

History of Specialty Coffee Evaluation

In the 1800’s, Clarence E. Bickford put his coffees on a table and created a process called coffee cupping, a sensory evaluation technique used to taste and score coffee. This was an improvement on the previously used method that only evaluated coffee visually. Later, B.D. Balart improved the cupping test by including a structured evaluation process with formal categories similar to the standardized coffee cupping and scoring we use today.

Since then, Specialty Coffee has been defined by a cupping score given by calibrated tasters. Technically, a specialty coffee must have no primary green coffee defects and must score 80+ points in an official cupping environment. This traditional definition is both limited and limiting. It is a feature of the system, not a flaw; however, it does not take into consideration many other aspects of coffee that bring value. It also does not fully support innovations in coffee fermentation, processing, roasting advancements, and modern brewing science. The system needed to grow, evolve, and better represent new focuses, methods, and people throughout the value chain.

The New Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) System

This year, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) formally adopted the new CVA forms—Coffee Value Assessment. The process of completing these forms is called the Value Discovery Process. The SCA has also taken ownership of the Q Grader licensing from the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), which previously managed standardized cupping and sensory scoring tools worldwide. The buyout ensures that there is no competition between evaluation systems.

All Q Graders, including myself, have been invited to train on the CVA process as it relates to the Q Grader license and to be re-licensed by the SCA. I have chosen to re-license and currently hold a CQI Q Grader license as well as the SCA Evolved Q Grader license.

What CVA Means for Specialty Coffee Quality and Traceability

The new Value Discovery process considers far more than flavor and green quality alone. It includes attributes such as origin, farm location, processing method, certifications, farmer name, producer, importer, environmental practices, and more. All of this becomes measurable value. Attributes matter differently depending on the audience: one attribute may be prized in Japan or the UAE, while another may hold more value in the United States.

This expanded evaluation system highlights the human story behind coffee production, recognizing the struggles and victories of farmers, and encouraging buyers to choose coffees that are fully traceable, ethical, and outside large industrial commodity systems.

How This Affects Cupping Scores at Half Mile Coffee

We continue to score coffee based on flavor and sensory attributes using the new CVA form, allowing us to evaluate more authentically. The calculation is done through the SCA online scoring app, reducing backward-engineering and increasing transparency. The scale remains 100 points, and defects are still measured. The sensory section is hedonic—based on how much you like what you perceive.

Try the official cupping score calculator here:

https://sca.coffee/cuppingscore

It is designed for professional cupping but can be used to explore and compare your daily brew.

Sharing Farmers’ Stories and Coffee Origins

We are committed to sharing the stories behind the coffees we roast:

• Pepe Jijón, with a small farm in Ecuador, employs women in crisis and preserves native forest land.

• El Socorro in Guatemala is an award-winning farm with generations of excellence.

• Our partners in Nicaragua belong to a co-op providing education, healthcare, and fair pricing for organic coffee.

The Future of Specialty Coffee

Bottom line: The Specialty Coffee industry is moving forward, working to include and celebrate innovation, sustainable farming, processing, and the work of everyone along the coffee value chain, from the farmer planting seeds to the barista serving the final cup.