THE NEW SCA COFFEE VALUE ASSESSMENT: BEYOND THE 100-POINT CUPPING SCORE
Understanding the SCA Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) and how it's revolutionizing coffee quality evaluation beyond the traditional 100-point cupping scale
Dec 08, 2025
For decades, the specialty coffee industry has relied on a single number to define excellence: the 100-point cupping score. A coffee scoring 85+ points earned the coveted "specialty grade" designation. But as the industry has matured, so has our understanding of what makes coffee truly valuable.
Enter the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) the Specialty Coffee Association's next-generation evaluation system that's fundamentally changing how we measure, communicate, and understand coffee quality. Officially advancing to its next phase in June 2024, the CVA represents the most significant update to coffee evaluation protocols in a generation.
Key Insight: The CVA doesn't replace the traditional cupping form it expands it. This is about adding dimensions to how we evaluate coffee, giving buyers, roasters, and producers a much richer language to describe what makes a coffee special.
Why Change Was Needed: Limitations of the Traditional System
The SCA Cupping Form, introduced in the early 2000s, revolutionized coffee quality assessment by establishing objective, repeatable standards. However, over 20+ years, several limitations became apparent:
- Single-dimensional scoring: A final score of 87.5 tells you the coffee is "very good," but it doesn't tell you why or what makes it unique
- Loss of detail: Reducing 10+ sensory attributes to one aggregate number obscures what makes each coffee distinctive
- Limited descriptive vocabulary: Traditional forms don't capture the full complexity of flavor profiles emerging from experimental processing methods
- Ignores context and story: The traditional form doesn't account for traceability, sustainability practices, or producer relationships all things buyers increasingly value
- Calibration challenges: Even experienced Q Graders can score the same coffee differently, creating confusion in the supply chain
The CVA addresses these issues by separating assessment into multiple, complementary components that provide a "high-resolution" picture of coffee quality and value.
The Four Pillars of the Coffee Value Assessment
The CVA system is built on four distinct yet interconnected assessment types. Each serves a specific purpose and can be used independently or together:
Sample Preparation Protocol (CVA 102)
Purpose: Standardize how coffee samples are prepared for evaluation, ensuring consistency and repeatability.
This protocol establishes exact parameters for roasting, grinding, water temperature, brew ratio, and timing. When everyone prepares samples the same way, results become comparable across different labs, roasteries, and countries. This is the foundation that makes all other assessments reliable.
Descriptive Assessment (CVA 103)
Purpose: Objectively describe what sensory characteristics are present in the coffee, without judgment of quality.
This is where trained tasters identify and quantify specific flavors, aromas, textures, and aftertastes. Instead of saying "this is good citrus," descriptive assessment asks "how much lemon? how much orange? how much grapefruit?" The result is a detailed flavor map that captures what makes the coffee unique.
Key Innovation:
Uses the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon a scientifically validated vocabulary of 110+ flavor and aroma attributes. This gives evaluators a shared language that's far more precise than subjective descriptors.
Affective Assessment (CVA 104)
Purpose: Evaluate how much you like or value specific sensory attributes.
This is the quality judgment component. After describing what's in the cup, affective assessment asks: "Do I find this acidity pleasant? Is this body desirable? Does this flavor profile meet my needs?" It separates "what is there" from "how good is it."
Why This Matters:
Different buyers value different things. A Nordic roaster might prize bright, tea-like acidity that an Italian roaster would find unbalanced. The CVA allows both assessments to coexist the coffee is objectively described, then subjectively evaluated based on intended use.
Extrinsic Assessment (Beta)
Purpose: Record non-sensory information that influences a coffee's value story, sustainability, traceability, impact.
This groundbreaking component recognizes that coffee value extends beyond the cup. It captures information about farm practices, processing innovations, producer relationships, certifications, carbon footprint, and social impact. Released in beta in 2024, it's the most innovative aspect of the CVA.
Examples of Extrinsic Value:
- Direct trade relationship with transparent pricing
- Regenerative agriculture practices
- First-time experimental processing by a producer
- Women-led cooperative
- Rare or heritage coffee variety preservation
How the CVA Works in Practice
Unlike the traditional cupping form that generates a single score, the CVA produces a comprehensive profile. Here's a simplified workflow:
CVA Evaluation Process:
- Step 1:Sample Preparation – Follow CVA 102 protocol to prepare the coffee using standardized roasting, grinding, and brewing parameters
- Step 2:Descriptive Assessment – Trained panel identifies and quantifies specific sensory attributes (sweetness intensity, acidity type, body weight, flavor notes)
- Step 3:Affective Assessment – Evaluators rate how desirable they find each attribute and the coffee overall for their specific context
- Step 4:Extrinsic Documentation – Record relevant non-sensory information about origin, processing, sustainability, and story
- Step 5:Comprehensive Profile – The result is a multi-dimensional assessment that captures what the coffee is, how it tastes, why it's valued, and its broader context
What This Means for Ethiopian Coffee Exporters
Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, produces some of the world's most distinctive and sought-after coffees. The CVA system presents both opportunities and considerations for Ethiopian exporters:
Opportunities
- Better storytelling: Ethiopian coffees often have incredible stories ancient varieties, traditional processing, specific terroir. The extrinsic assessment finally gives these stories a formal place in quality evaluation.
- Differentiation beyond score: Instead of competing solely on an 86 vs. 87 point score, Ethiopian coffees can be differentiated by their unique descriptive profiles and origin narratives.
- Premium justification: When buyers can see the complete value picture exceptional cup quality plus sustainable practices plus rare variety preservation they're more likely to pay premium prices.
- Experimental processing recognition: Ethiopia's growing innovation in processing (anaerobic, carbonic maceration, extended fermentation) produces complex flavor profiles that the CVA's detailed descriptive system can capture better than traditional cupping.
Considerations
- Training requirements: The CVA requires more specialized training than traditional cupping. Exporters need access to CVA education programs.
- ECX compatibility: The Ethiopia Commodity Exchange still uses traditional grading (G1, G2, G3). Exporters need to navigate both systems.
- Investment in documentation: To leverage the extrinsic assessment, exporters need robust systems to track and verify sustainability, traceability, and impact data.
What Importers and Roasters Need to Know
If you're buying Ethiopian coffee (or any specialty coffee), here's what the CVA means for your sourcing decisions:
Practical Implications for Buyers:
- More informed decisions: Instead of relying on a single score, you'll have detailed flavor profiles that help you predict how the coffee will perform as espresso, filter, or cold brew.
- Better communication with suppliers: When you can describe exactly what flavor attributes you're looking for (using the Sensory Lexicon), suppliers can match you with appropriate lots.
- Value transparency: The extrinsic assessment helps you verify sustainability claims and understand the full story behind the coffee you're buying.
- Quality consistency: Standardized sample preparation means when your supplier sends you a CVA evaluation, you can trust the results will be repeatable when you receive the shipment.
CVA vs. Traditional Cupping: Can They Coexist?
An important clarification: The CVA is not replacing traditional cupping or Q Grading. Both systems will coexist, serving different purposes:
| Aspect | Traditional Cupping (100-pt) | Coffee Value Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Output | Single aggregate score | Multi-dimensional profile |
| Best Use Case | Quick quality screening, pass/fail decisions | Deep quality understanding, differentiation, storytelling |
| Time Required | 15-20 minutes per session | 30-60 minutes for complete assessment |
| Training Level | Q Grader certification | CVA for Cuppers course |
| Industry Adoption | Universal standard since early 2000s | Growing adoption, 800+ early adopters |
Many coffee professionals are adopting a hybrid approach: using traditional cupping for initial screening and lot selection, then applying CVA for premium lots that require detailed documentation and communication.
Timeline and Adoption Status
The Coffee Value Assessment has been in development since the early 2020s, with a phased rollout:
As of February 2026, the CVA is in active use by over 800 businesses globally, with more joining as training becomes available. The system has been tested extensively through the Early Adopter program and refined based on real-world feedback from roasters, importers, producers, and Q Graders.
How to Get Started with CVA
Whether you're an exporter, importer, roaster, or coffee professional, here's how to engage with the Coffee Value Assessment:
Steps to CVA Adoption:
- Education: Take the "CVA for Cuppers" course offered through SCA Authorized Trainers. This provides hands-on training with all four assessment components.
- Access Resources: Download the official protocols, forms, and supporting documentation from sca.coffee/value-assessment
- Start with Descriptive: Most practitioners begin with the descriptive assessment (CVA 103) as it requires the least radical change from traditional cupping.
- Build Gradually: You don't need to implement all four pillars at once. Start with one or two that align with your immediate needs.
- Join the Community: Connect with other CVA users to share best practices and calibration experiences.
The Future of Coffee Quality Assessment
The Coffee Value Assessment represents a philosophical shift in how the specialty coffee industry thinks about quality. Rather than reducing coffee to a single number, it acknowledges that:
- Value is multi-dimensional
- What we measure shapes what we reward
- Different coffees can be excellent in different ways
- The story behind the coffee matters as much as what's in the cup
- Transparency and detail create more efficient markets
For Ethiopian coffee with its unmatched diversity of flavors, processing traditions, and cultural significance this shift could not come at a better time. The CVA finally provides a framework that can capture what makes Ethiopian coffee truly special.
Bottom Line for Ethiopian Coffee Stakeholders
The Coffee Value Assessment isn't just a new form it's a new language for communicating coffee quality and value. For Ethiopian exporters, it's an opportunity to differentiate beyond basic grades and tell the full story of your coffees. For importers and roasters, it's a tool for making more informed sourcing decisions and building stronger producer relationships.
The CVA won't replace traditional cupping overnight, but it represents where the industry is heading: toward more transparency, more detail, and more recognition of everything that makes great coffee great.
Key Takeaways
The CVA is a multi-dimensional assessment system that complements (not replaces) traditional cupping
It consists of four components: Sample Preparation, Descriptive Assessment, Affective Assessment, and Extrinsic Assessment
Over 800 businesses globally have adopted the CVA as early adopters since 2023
The system officially advanced to its next phase in June 2024, with core standards expected for official adoption in 2024-2025
For Ethiopian coffee, the CVA provides better tools to communicate unique qualities, processing innovations, and origin stories
Training is available through SCA's "CVA for Cuppers" course
Related Resources:
- • Official SCA Coffee Value Assessment Page
- • Understanding the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX)
- • Green Coffee Quality Control: Defects, Grading Systems & What Importers Should Inspect
- • World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon
- • CQI Q Grader Program
This article is based on official SCA documentation and announcements as of February 2026. The Coffee Value Assessment continues to evolve based on industry feedback and research. For the most current information, visit the SCA's official website.