In specialty coffee, there’s a set of information included on coffee packaging which has become something of a requirement. Origin, processing method, variety, and roast profile are all commonplace on coffee bags – informing the consumer about what to expect from the coffee they’re buying.

A small but growing number of brands (typically more premium roasters), however, have also started to print cup scores on their packaging. While this is certainly an indication of a coffee’s quality, do consumers take it into consideration when choosing their beans?

To find out more, I spoke to Will Corby, Director of Coffee and Social Impact at Pact Coffee, and Heather Perry, CEO of Klatch Coffee. 

You may also like our article on whether the new SCA cupping form and protocol will add value to specialty coffee.

Who uses cupping scores?

First and foremost, let’s clarify what cup scores actually are.

Industry professionals assign coffee scores during cuppings. This practice was first introduced in the 1980s by the Specialty Coffee Association as a standardised way to evaluate a coffee’s sensory characteristics – and to ultimately distinguish specialty coffee from commercial-grade beans.

Cuppings are typically carried out by Q graders, who are trained by the Coffee Quality Institute to analyse and grade coffee. During a cupping, the following categories are graded on a scale of one to ten using a dedicated form:

• Fragrance/aroma
• Flavour
• Aftertaste
• Acidity
• Body
• Uniformity
• Balance
• Cleanliness
• Sweetness
• Overall score

The scores in every category are then added together (subtracting any defects) to achieve the final cup score.

“The purpose of cup scores is to define a coffee’s intrinsic quality and, therefore, value,” Will explains. “A specialty coffee must score at least 80 points.”

Essentially, cup scores are largely used to communicate coffee quality between industry professionals – especially roasters, green buyers, and producers.

“Internally, we use cupping scores to track the progress of an individual producer’s quality over the years that we purchase their coffee,” Will tells me. “We also use this as a metric to compare coffee quality across individual countries.”

Cup scores on coffee packaging

Many consumers expect to see a certain set of information on coffee bags – including origin, variety, processing method, and even the name of the farm or producer who grew the coffee. Effectively, this information lets people know what flavours and aromas they can expect before buying it.

Considering, however, that cup score is arguably the most objective way of measuring coffee quality, a small number of roasters have started to print them on coffee bags.

Coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals are more likely to factor in cup scores when buying their coffee for personal consumption. But the question then arises: do consumers even notice when cup scores are included on packaging? And do they really mean anything to coffee drinkers?

“I think cupping scores can be confusing for consumers,” Will says. “I think this is a result of cuppers having a tendency to score specific attributes that are more commonly the preference of buyers.”

He adds that placing too much emphasis on cup score when choosing a coffee can be to “the detriment of their personal experience, as they may often choose a higher-scoring coffee over one which best matches their flavour preferences.”

Even though a score above 80 is considered specialty grade – and likely high quality – consumers may inadvertently value higher-scoring coffees over lower-scoring ones. Will, however, points out that consumers tend to have a much broader set of preferences than industry professionals.

“That can often mean coffees scoring 85 points, for example, could be significantly closer to the individual’s flavour preferences – and therefore add more value and increase enjoyment – than a coffee scoring 87 points, despite having a higher score,” he adds.

Other important factors to consider when buying coffee

When buying coffee, consumers are much more likely to look for information on packaging that they are familiar with.

“Traditionally, consumer decisions are based on origins, roast profile, and ‘strength’,” Will says.

Flavour notes also play a significant role in the decision-making process for consumers, largely because they can provide familiar and comfortable reference points.

“Blends are still some of the most popular products for all roasters (even in specialty coffee) because they allow people to repeatedly buy their favourite beans,” Heather explains. “Consumers have learnt what to care about when it comes to buying coffee, and that has never been based on scores.

“Many roasters don’t usually put cup scores on bags, primarily because the majority of coffees would score in the 80s – and that isn’t really what people want to see,” she adds. “There is so much more to a coffee, and why we buy it, than just the score.”

For more experienced coffee drinkers, detailed information on coffee bags can be helpful. However, Heather points out that many newcomers to specialty coffee could find this intimidating.

“Most specialty shops sell a lot more milk-based beverages, so when it comes to buying beans for home brewing, people usually buy coffee at a good price point that seems like it will taste good,” she says.

Additionally, sustainability has become another major purchasing factor. A 2023 Business of Sustainability Index survey found that 66% of US adults are willing to pay a higher price for a sustainable product, while 69% also take a product’s environmental impact into account – including coffee.

And ultimately, roasters must clearly communicate what consumers should be able to expect from their coffee. This information should make it easy for someone to find a coffee they love and can continue buying – or potentially try something new.

Will cup scores become more important to consumers in the future?

While cup scores could undoubtedly appear on more coffee packaging, they could have a more significant impact in the future as consumers become more educated about specialty coffee.

Will, however, believes there are better ways to generate value for consumers than cup scores. 

“I don’t think we will give consumers a product that is best for them by communicating cup scores, and this means we won’t add more value at origin,” he says.

Heather, meanwhile, tells me that cup scores can also create unnecessary bias, which could potentially have negative consequences for producers. 

“An 84-point coffee can be delicious, but people want to buy what they value themselves, so they may think they deserve a coffee with a higher score,” she tells me. “Unless someone develops a scoring method designed specifically for consumer preferences, I don’t see more cup scores being added to packaging any time soon.”

Many industry professionals use cup scores to dictate coffee quality and pricing. Beyond this, though, we don’t often see cup scores reach the end consumer – and they therefore don’t have a significant impact on their buying habits.

Nonetheless, specialty coffee roasters should provide customers with clear information to make it easier for them to find flavour profiles they will enjoy.

“Using industry-specific language only excludes consumers and potentially decreases their interest in specialty coffee,” Will concludes.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on what cupping can tell producers about their coffee.

Perfect Daily Grind

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