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Coffee Market · Coffee Quality · SCA Cupping · Specialty Coffee
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) 100-point cupping score system establishes the global standard for specialty coffee quality, with Bold Bean Coffee Co.
utilizing these benchmarks to inform green coffee purchasing, roast profiling, and pricing decisions, where scores above 80 points define specialty status and 90+ points are exceptionally rare, commanding significant premiums like the 2023 Best of Panama champion's $10,000/kg green price for a 96.5-point Gesha. Cupping is the industry-standard method for evaluating coffee's sensory attributes in a controlled environment.
The SCA's non-linear scale means incremental score increases, especially past 85 points, represent exponential increases in labor, precision, and intentionality from farm to roastery. Bold Bean's internal standards require a minimum of 83 points for blends and 86 points for single origins, with 88+ scores indicating an outlier that prompts immediate purchasing consideration.
The article clarifies that commercial review platforms often publish inflated scores (frequently 95+) that do not align with SCA methodology and should not be directly compared. This rigorous scoring system ensures transparency and quality communication across the supply chain, from producers to consumers, justifying higher price points for exceptional coffees.
