In the world of coffee, cupping is more than a technical exercise, it is a shared language. Whether at the farm level, in an exporter’s warehouse, or in our own lab in Zaandam, cupping allows producers, traders, and roasters across the globe to talk about the same cup with clarity and precision.

Why We Cup

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has set internationally recognized standards for cupping. Following these guidelines ensures that coffee can be assessed and compared in a consistent way, no matter where in the world they are tasted.

At its core, cupping serves three main purposes:

• To identify sensory differences between samples

• To describe the flavor of coffee

• To determine preferences or quality levels

By breaking down a coffee into measurable attributes – such as aroma, acidity, body, and aftertaste – cuppers can evaluate its character and classify its quality. Coffees that reach 80 points or higher on the SCA scale are considered “specialty,” a benchmark that guides much of the trade in high-quality coffee.

The Standard Procedure

The process follows a rhythm. Coffees are roasted to a light, standard profile and allowed to rest for one day before cupping. Ground samples are then steeped in hot water, forming a crust on the surface. After a few minutes, the crust is broken, releasing an intense wave of aroma that marks the start of the sensory evaluation.

Cuppers then slurp the coffee at different stages as it cools: hot, warm, and nearly at room temperature. This allows them to evaluate how flavor, acidity, sweetness, and mouthfeel develop over time. Attributes are scored on a structured form, while any defects are noted separately. The result is both a numeric score and a descriptive profile that together tell the story of the coffee in the cup.

Cupping at Daarnhouwer

In our coffee lab in Zaandam, cupping is part of the daily rhythm. As our Manager for Coffee Quality and Arabica Q Grader, Hans Zevenhek explains:

“Cupping is testing the flavor of coffee in basic rhythm. You can do it on a type sample, a pre-shipment, or when coffee goes into the container. And of course, we always check the arrival sample when the coffee reaches port. That way we can compare pre-shipment against arrival, even weeks later, to ensure quality has been maintained.”

Before the flavor is assessed, green coffee is examined for its physical preparation: bean size, color, cleanliness, and defect count. Only after roasting can its true flavor be revealed.

“It’s about the prep first, the green coffee, the color, the size, how clean it is, the defect count. The moment you want to say something about the flavor, you have to roast it. That’s when the real story of the coffee begins.”

In our lab, roasting follows SCA standards, and cupping usually takes place the next day. Timing is essential.

“We know from experience that the perfect points to taste are 18 minutes for hot, 28 minutes for mid-temperature, and 40 minutes for cooling. At each stage you get something different – the acidity might show better hot, the sweetness may come out as it cools.”

The coffees are then scored using the SCA cupping form, which captures ten key attributes such as aroma, flavor, aftertaste, balance, sweetness, and uniformity. Licensed Q Graders like our team in Zaandam are qualified to assign official scores, ensuring objectivity.

With four licensed Q Graders on our team, Daarnhouwer brings expertise and consensus into every evaluation. Coffees are always cupped by more than one professional, ensuring that quality is assessed with both precision and care.

The World of Flavors in Coffee

One of the most fascinating aspects of cupping is the sheer diversity of flavors a coffee can reveal. A single cup can carry a whole landscape of aromas: from delicate florals like tea rose, jasmine, or coffee blossom, to bright fruit notes such as crisp apple, juicy apricot, or zesty lemon. Some origins express themselves in herbal tones – fresh cucumber, green tea, or garden peas – while others are rooted in the warmth of sugar browning: caramel, roasted nuts, dark chocolate, or even a hint of molasses.

It is this variety that makes coffee so endlessly captivating. No two lots are ever truly the same, and no two tasters experience them in exactly the same way. Flavors are shaped by soil, altitude, processing, and climate – and cupping is the moment when all those influences come alive in the cup.

“You don’t just taste ‘coffee.’ You discover layers – sometimes it’s floral and delicate, other times rich and nutty, or even surprisingly herbal. Cupping gives us the vocabulary to describe what farmers have created and what roasters can expect.”

By learning to recognize these flavors, cupping turns coffee into a shared language. It connects people across continents – farmers, traders, and roasters – through a mutual understanding of quality and character, all expressed in the sensory experience of a single sip.

A Daily Commitment

At Daarnhouwer, cupping is not an occasional check but a daily commitment to quality. Each session is a way to safeguard the integrity of the coffees we trade, from the moment they leave origin until they reach our partners around the world. By putting every lot through this process, we make sure that the hard work of farmers is honored and that roasters can rely on the consistency, character, and quality of every cup.