Coffee cupping scores explained: 80+ specialty, 85, 90 and the SCA's new CVA

A cupping score is the single number buyers ask for first. On the familiar 100-point scale, 80 points is the line most of the trade uses for specialty coffee, and every point above it can move the price. But a score is one taster's judgement of one sample, and since 2024 the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has a new system that looks beyond the single number. This guide explains what scores mean and how to use them in a deal.

Updated November 1, 2026 · 5 sources

The short answer

On the 100-point cupping scale used by the SCA and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), a coffee scoring 80 or more is generally called specialty. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) collected the definitions used around the world in 2025: CQI, the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association and the national rules of El Salvador, Indonesia and the DR Congo all use "80 points or more" in a sensory (cupping) analysis.

What the score bands mean in practice

There is no single official table of bands, but the trade uses the numbers roughly like this. The descriptions follow a 2026 explainer by Royal Coffee, a US green coffee importer:

Score	How the trade usually treats it
Below 70	Clearly defective coffee
70 to 79.75	Commercial or commodity quality
80 to 84	Specialty, often used in blends
85 to 89	Distinctive coffees, often sold as single origins
90 and above	Rare coffees that command premium prices

Some origins publish their own tiers. Rwanda's definition, as reported by the ICO, calls fully washed arabica scoring 80 to 90 points "specialty" and 90 to 100 "super specialty". Colombia's coffee federation (FNC) uses tiers of SCA 83+, 84+, 85+ and 87+ for its premium coffee categories.

A score is not the whole grade

Specialty grade is also about the green beans. The SCA definition reported by the ICO allows 0 to 5 defects in 350 g (12 ounces) of milled coffee. The DR Congo rule adds zero category 1 (primary) defects and no more than 5 category 2 defects in the same 350 g sample. Rwanda adds a moisture range of 10% to 12.5%. So ask for three things together: the cup score, the defect count and the moisture. Our grading guide explains how national grades such as Kenya AA or Ethiopia Grade 1 fit in.

The SCA's new Coffee Value Assessment (CVA)

In 2024 the SCA adopted three new standards that replace the 2004 cupping protocol and form: SCA 102-2024 (sample preparation and tasting), SCA 103-2024 (descriptive assessment) and SCA 104-2024 (affective assessment). Together with physical and extrinsic assessments they make up the Coffee Value Assessment:

Physical: the green coffee itself, such as colour, defects, moisture and bean size.
Descriptive: what the coffee tastes like. Tasters rate the intensity of each attribute on a 15-point scale and tick descriptors, with no total score.
Affective: how much the taster likes it. Fragrance, aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel and overall are each rated on a 9-point scale, and the result is converted to a 100-point score.
Extrinsic: information about the coffee, such as origin, process, certifications and the producer's story.

For buyers, the practical change is that a CVA report can tell you much more than one number: what the coffee tastes like and how intense it is, separately from how much one taster liked it. Many companies still use the 2004 form or their own versions of it, so always ask which protocol produced a score.

How to use scores in a deal

Ask who cupped the coffee and how: a licensed Q grader, a national laboratory or the seller's own team, and whether the 2004 form or the CVA was used.
Ask for the date and the lot number. A score belongs to one sample of one lot, and green coffee changes with age and storage.
Cup it yourself. Request an offer or pre-shipment sample and score it with your own team before you sign, as explained in how to buy green coffee directly.
Write the quality into the contract: minimum score, maximum defects and moisture, and that the sale is subject to approval of sample.
Remember that price follows the score. Higher-scoring lots usually trade at larger differentials; see how coffee prices work.

Scores on Coffee Parchment

Sellers can add a cup score and notes to each lot. Treat it as the seller's claim: ask for a sample and check it before you agree a price.

Frequently asked questions

What cupping score makes a coffee specialty?

80 points or more on the 100-point scale is the threshold most of the trade uses, including the Coffee Quality Institute and several producing countries. Specialty grade also requires few green-bean defects: the SCA allows 0 to 5 defects in 350 g.

Is an 85-point coffee much better than an 80-point coffee?

Usually it is noticeably more distinctive. In the trade, 80 to 84 points is often used for blends, while 85 and above is typically sold as a single origin at a higher price.

What replaced the SCA cupping form?

In 2024 the SCA adopted the Coffee Value Assessment standards (SCA 102, 103 and 104-2024), which replace the 2004 cupping protocol and form. They separate what a coffee tastes like (descriptive) from how much the taster likes it (affective).

Can I trust the score in a coffee offer?

Use it as a starting point. Ask who cupped it, with which protocol and when, then cup a sample yourself before you buy.

Sources

Checked on November 1, 2026. Laws, rules and prices change: always check the official source before you trade. This guide is general information, not legal advice.