Coffee Glossary · Quality
SCA Score (Specialty Grade)
The 100-point cupping score under Specialty Coffee Association protocol, summing graded attributes; 80 points is specialty's threshold. Bands carry market meaning: 80–83 solid specialty, 84–86 excellent (where high-grown Bolaven Arabica typically lands), 87–89 outstanding, 90+ rare competition territory commanding auction prices. Scores travel with lots on offer sheets and anchor price expectations, though buyers ultimately trust their own cupping table over any stated number.
Related terms
Cupping
Coffee's standardized tasting protocol: coarse-ground samples steeped in bowls under strict ratios and…
Q Grader
A cupper certified by the Coffee Quality Institute to evaluate Arabica under standardized protocol — coffee's…
Micro-lot
A small, separately processed and traded parcel of coffee — a single farm's best day-lots, one variety from…
Bean Density
How much mass a coffee bean packs per volume — measured in g/L or judged by feel and appearance (tight,…
Defects (Green Coffee)
Physical faults in green coffee counted under grading systems like the SCA's: category 1 (primary) defects —…
Grading (Green Coffee)
The classification of green coffee into commercial tiers by measurable criteria — screen size, defect count,…
Reading up before buying? Volcana Coffee exports SGS-inspected specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta from the Bolaven Plateau, Laos — and we're happy to walk new importers through every term on a real offer sheet.
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