HOW TO CUP AND EVALUATE ETHIOPIAN COFFEE SAMPLES: COMPLETE GUIDE FOR IMPORTERS
Master the art of cupping and evaluating Ethiopian coffee samples with this comprehensive guide. Learn SCA protocols, sample roasting techniques, how to identify Ethiopian flavor profiles, score specialty coffee, detect defects, and make informed purchasing decisions based on sensory evaluation.
For coffee importers, roasters, and buyers, evaluating samples is the most critical step in the sourcing process. A proper cupping session reveals the true character of Ethiopian coffee: its unique terroir, processing quality, potential defects, and whether it matches your expectations and your customers' preferences. Yet many buyers struggle with cupping Ethiopian samples because these coffees present distinctive flavor profiles and complexities that differ dramatically from other origins.
Ethiopian coffees are celebrated for their vibrant floral aromatics, complex fruit notes, and exceptional clarity. However, these same characteristics require careful evaluation techniques to properly assess. A natural-processed Guji with intense blueberry notes might be extraordinary or it might be over-fermented. A washed Yirgacheffe's bright citrus acidity could signal pristine processing or insufficient drying. The difference lies in knowing what to look for and how to evaluate it systematically.
This comprehensive guide provides importers with a practical, step-by-step approach to cupping Ethiopian coffee samples using industry-standard protocols. Whether you are evaluating pre-shipment samples, conducting quality control on arrival, or deciding between multiple Ethiopian lots, this guide will help you cup with confidence and make informed purchasing decisions.
Understanding the SCA Cupping Protocol
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cupping protocol is the global standard for evaluating specialty coffee. It provides a systematic, repeatable method that allows buyers worldwide to assess coffee quality using the same criteria. For Ethiopian coffee evaluation, adhering to SCA standards ensures consistency and allows meaningful comparison between samples.
SCA Cupping Fundamentals
- Sample Size: 8.25 grams of coffee per 150ml of water (ratio of 1:18.18)
- Grind Size: Slightly coarser than drip, approximating 70-75% passing through US #20 sieve
- Water Temperature: 200°F (93°C) at the time of pouring
- Water Quality: Clean, odor-free, TDS 125-175 ppm, pH 6.5-7.5
- Brewing Time: 4 minutes before breaking the crust
- Evaluation Temperature: Breaking at ~58-60°C, scoring at ~70°C down to 40°C
The SCA uses a 100-point scoring system that evaluates ten sensory attributes: fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, sweetness, and overall impression. For specialty-grade coffee, the minimum score is 80 points. Ethiopian specialty lots typically score between 84-92 points, with exceptional micro-lots reaching 93-95+ points.
SCA Scoring Categories
Dry fragrance and wet aroma intensity and quality
Primary flavor characteristics and complexity
Length and quality of flavor after swallowing
Brightness, liveliness, and quality of acid notes
Tactile mouthfeel, weight, and texture
How flavor, aftertaste, acidity, and body work together
Consistency across 5 cups (2 points per cup)
Freedom from defects (2 points per cup × 5 cups)
Pleasant fullness of flavor (2 points per cup × 5 cups)
Cupper's holistic evaluation and personal rating
Essential Cupping Equipment and Setup
Professional cupping requires specific equipment to ensure consistency and accuracy. While elaborate setups exist, a functional cupping lab for evaluating Ethiopian samples can be established with essential tools and proper technique.
Core Equipment
- Cupping bowls: 150-200ml ceramic or glass bowls (minimum 5 per sample)
- Cupping spoons: Deep, round bowls for proper aspiration
- Grinder: High-quality burr grinder with consistent particle size
- Scale: Accurate to 0.1g for precise dosing
- Kettle: Temperature-controlled (ideally gooseneck)
- Thermometer: For monitoring water temperature
- Timer: For tracking brew time
- Spittoon: For expectorating coffee
Supporting Materials
- Cupping forms: SCA official forms or custom templates
- Rinse water: Clean water for rinsing spoons between samples
- Sample roaster: For roasting green samples (if evaluating green coffee)
- Trays: For organizing samples
- Labels: For blind cupping identification
- Aroma standards: Reference for calibration (optional)
- Lighting: Neutral, consistent lighting (5000-6500K)
- Environment: Quiet, odor-free room
Pro Tip: Water Quality Matters
Many importers overlook water quality when cupping samples. Ethiopian coffees, with their delicate floral and fruit characteristics, are particularly sensitive to mineral content and pH. Use filtered water with TDS between 125-175 ppm. Too-soft water will produce flat, lifeless cups; too-hard water will mute acidity and create chalky mouthfeel. If in doubt, use third-wave water recipes or bottled spring water with appropriate mineral content.
Sample Roasting for Cupping Ethiopian Coffee
When evaluating green Ethiopian coffee samples, proper sample roasting is essential. The goal is to develop the coffee just enough to reveal its intrinsic characteristics without introducing roasting flavors that could mask origin qualities or defects.
SCA Sample Roasting Guidelines
- Roast Level: Light to medium-light (Agtron 58-63 for whole bean)
- Development Time: 8-12% of total roast time
- Total Roast Time: 8-12 minutes typical
- First Crack: Should occur between 6-9 minutes
- End Temperature: 195-205°C (383-401°F)
- Cooling: Rapidly cool immediately after dropping
- Resting: Allow 8-24 hours before cupping (minimum 8 hours)
For Ethiopian coffees specifically, avoid taking the roast too light, as this can emphasize grassy or vegetal notes that aren't representative of the coffee's true character. However, don't develop too far either, as Ethiopian floral and fruit characteristics diminish rapidly past medium-light. Your target is the "sweet spot" where origin character is maximized.
Properly Roasted Sample Signs
- ✓ Even color across all beans
- ✓ No scorching or tipping
- ✓ Clean, sweet aroma (no roasty notes)
- ✓ Full first crack completion
- ✓ No underdeveloped "grassy" smell
Poor Sample Roasting Red Flags
- ✗ Uneven color (mottling)
- ✗ Burned or scorched beans
- ✗ Roasty, smoky aroma
- ✗ Quakers (pale, underdeveloped beans)
- ✗ Baked character (flat, dull)
Step-by-Step Cupping Process
Follow this systematic approach when cupping Ethiopian coffee samples to ensure consistency and thorough evaluation.
Step 1: Preparation (15 minutes before)
- • Weigh 8.25g of coffee per bowl (prepare 5 bowls per sample minimum)
- • Grind each sample immediately before cupping (medium-coarse)
- • Arrange bowls on cupping table with sample codes
- • Heat water to 200°F (93°C)
- • Have cupping forms, spoons, and rinse water ready
Step 2: Dry Fragrance (0-4 minutes)
After grinding, evaluate the dry fragrance by bringing your nose close to the grounds and inhaling deeply.
- • Washed Yirgacheffe: Jasmine, bergamot, lemon zest, black tea
- • Natural Sidamo: Blueberry, strawberry, red wine, mixed berries
- • Washed Guji: Peach, apricot, floral, honey
- • Natural Guji: Tropical fruit, mango, pineapple, wine-like
Step 3: Wet Aroma (4-8 minutes)
Pour 150ml of water at 200°F over the grounds, starting your timer. Let steep for 4 minutes without disturbing.
As coffee steeps, a crust forms on top. After 4 minutes, break the crust by:
- Positioning your nose close to the bowl
- Using cupping spoon to push crust from back to front (3 times)
- Inhaling deeply as the crust breaks to capture wet aroma
- Note aroma intensity and characteristics
Step 4: Skim and Clean (8-10 minutes)
After breaking the crust, use two spoons to skim foam and floating grounds from the surface. This ensures clean aspiration without interference from particles.
Step 5: Taste and Evaluate (10-45 minutes)
Begin tasting when coffee reaches approximately 70°C (160°F). This is when flavors are most expressive.
Proper Aspiration Technique:
- Dip spoon into coffee to fill halfway
- Bring spoon to lips
- Slurp forcefully to atomize coffee across palate
- Hold coffee in mouth momentarily, noting flavors
- Spit into spittoon
- Rinse spoon in water between samples
Evaluate each cup multiple times as it cools from 70°C to 40°C. Different flavor characteristics emerge at different temperatures.
Step 6: Score and Document (Throughout)
Complete your cupping form, scoring each attribute on the 6-10 point scale (in 0.25 increments). Calculate final score and document descriptive notes for each coffee.
Understanding Ethiopian Coffee Flavor Characteristics
Ethiopian coffees present distinctive flavor profiles that differ significantly from other origins. Understanding these regional and processing-based characteristics helps you evaluate samples accurately and set appropriate quality expectations.
Washed Process Profiles
High acidity (citric, malic), floral (jasmine, bergamot), tea-like, light body, clean finish. Classic "Ethiopian" profile.
Balanced acidity, stone fruit (peach, apricot), floral, chocolate undertones, medium body. More approachable than Yirgacheffe.
Complex acidity, tropical fruit (passion fruit, guava), floral, honeyed sweetness, silky body. Rising star region.
Balanced, spicy notes, wine-like qualities, medium acidity, fuller body than Yirgacheffe.
Natural Process Profiles
Intense blueberry, strawberry, red wine, syrupy body, lower acidity than washed, complex and fruit-forward.
Mixed berries, chocolate, wine-like, jammy sweetness, heavier body, often more accessible than natural Yirgacheffe.
Tropical fruit bomb, mango, pineapple, fermented fruit, heavy body, complex and polarizing. Can be extraordinary or overwhelming.
Distinctive wild, winey character, blueberry, dark chocolate, medium-heavy body. Traditional Ethiopian natural process.
Natural Process Evaluation Caution
Natural-processed Ethiopian coffees walk a fine line between "complex fruit-forward" and "over-fermented." When cupping naturals, pay close attention to whether fruit notes are clean and defined or muddled and boozy. Desirable natural character: distinct fruit, wine-like complexity, clean finish. Defective natural character: dirty, rotten fruit, medicinal, harsh alcohol notes, muddy finish.
Identifying Common Defects in Ethiopian Coffee
Recognizing defects during cupping is essential for quality control. Ethiopian coffees can exhibit specific defects related to processing, storage, or inherent bean quality. Here are the most common issues and how to identify them.
Ferment/Sour
Cause: Over-fermentation during washed processing or uncontrolled fermentation in natural processing.
Cup Character: Vinegary, sharp acetic acid notes, rotten fruit, unpleasant sourness that lingers.
How to Detect: Distinct from clean acidity. Ferment is harsh, lingering, and unbalanced.
Phenolic/Medicinal
Cause: Improper drying, moisture re-absorption, or microbial contamination.
Cup Character: Band-aid, iodine, chemical, pharmaceutical notes.
How to Detect: Unmistakable medicinal smell and taste that dominates the cup.
Earthy/Musty
Cause: Mold development during drying, poor storage conditions, ground contact.
Cup Character: Moldy, dusty, basement-like, dirty flavors.
How to Detect: Musty aroma is evident at dry fragrance stage. Cup tastes stale and lacks clarity.
Baggy/Jute
Cause: Poor storage in low-quality bags or prolonged storage without proper conditions.
Cup Character: Burlap, canvas, jute-like flavors that mask origin characteristics.
How to Detect: Hessian or jute aroma in fragrance; cup tastes flat with fabric-like notes.
Faded/Past Crop
Cause: Old coffee that has lost its vibrancy due to age or poor storage.
Cup Character: Lack of brightness, muted flavors, woody or papery notes, dull finish.
How to Detect: Ethiopian characteristics (floral, fruit) are present but faint and lacking intensity.
Quaker
Cause: Immature or underdeveloped beans that don't roast properly.
Cup Character: Peanut-like, raw, grassy, astringent notes in otherwise clean cup.
How to Detect: Pale beans visible in roasted sample. Cup has vegetal, unripe flavors.
Defect Severity Scoring
When defects are present, adjust clean cup, uniformity, and sweetness scores accordingly:
- • Minor defect (1 cup affected): Deduct 2 points from affected category
- • Moderate defect (2-3 cups): Deduct 4-6 points from affected categories
- • Major defect (all cups): Coffee fails specialty grade (below 80 points)
Practical Tips for Cupping Ethiopian Coffee
Preparation Best Practices
- ✓ Cup blindly whenever possible to avoid bias
- ✓ Cup in the morning when palate is fresh
- ✓ Avoid strong flavors (coffee, spices) for 30 minutes before cupping
- ✓ Calibrate with colleagues using the same samples
- ✓ Use consistent water source for all samples
- ✓ Clean equipment thoroughly between sessions
Evaluation Techniques
- ✓ Cup each sample multiple times as it cools
- ✓ Take notes immediately; don't rely on memory
- ✓ Compare similar coffees side-by-side (e.g., all Yirgacheffe washed)
- ✓ Cup pre-shipment sample alongside arrival sample for verification
- ✓ Focus on detectinguniformity and clean cup first
- ✓ Reserve overall score until final circulation
Sample Size Matters
Always request sufficient sample size from your Ethiopian exporter: minimum 300-500g per lot. This allows multiple cupping sessions, roast adjustments if needed, and archiving for future reference. Many quality issues only become apparent after multiple evaluations or as samples age.
Using Cupping Results to Make Purchasing Decisions
Cupping is not just about scoring coffee. It's about understanding whether a specific Ethiopian lot aligns with your needs, your customers' preferences, and your quality standards. Here's how to translate cupping results into informed purchasing decisions.
Key Questions to Ask After Cupping
If described as "floral Yirgacheffe" but tastes earthy and muted, there's a disconnect. Request clarification or reject the lot.
Uniformity issues suggest lot blending, poor sorting, or contamination. High-value lots should show excellent uniformity.
Consider your roasting style and customer preferences. Delicate Yirgacheffe may not work in dark roasts or espresso blends.
An 86-point coffee at $4.50/lb might be excellent value; the same score at $8.50/lb requires more scrutiny.
Phenolic, ferment, or musty defects are typically non-negotiable. Clean cup defects mean walking away.
BUY
- ✓ Score meets/exceeds target
- ✓ Clean cup (10/10)
- ✓ Excellent uniformity
- ✓ Matches description
- ✓ Strong overall impression
- ✓ Fair price for quality
NEGOTIATE
- ⚠ Score below target by 1-2 points
- ⚠ Minor uniformity issues
- ⚠ Slight description mismatch
- ⚠ Good but not exceptional
- ⚠ Price too high for quality
- ⚠ Request better lot or discount
REJECT
- ✗ Score below 80 (not specialty)
- ✗ Clean cup defects present
- ✗ Poor uniformity
- ✗ Phenolic, ferment, or musty
- ✗ Doesn't match description
- ✗ Past crop / faded character
Ready to Source High-Quality Ethiopian Coffee?
At Ethio Coffee Export PLC, we provide detailed cupping notes, sample availability, and full transparency for every lot we offer. Our team cups all coffees using SCA protocols and provides honest evaluations to help importers make confident decisions.