Coffee Bean Tasting Notes
A coffee tasting / cupping log — bean origin, roaster, roast date + level, brew method + dose / yield / time, tasting notes (SCA cupping form: aroma, acidity, body, balance, flavor, aftertaste, overall), score, and brew adjustments.
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COFFEE BEAN TASTING NOTES Taster: Morgan Lee Date: June 15, 2026 BEAN Roaster: Counter Culture Coffee — Durham NC Bean: Hologram Blend (Ethiopia Kochere + Honduras El Triunfo) Origin: Ethiopia Kochere Yirgacheffe · 1,900-2,200 m · washed · Heirloom varieties Roast date: June 8, 2026 Roast level: medium light BREW Method: pourover v60 Dose/yield: 18 g dose · 300 g brew water · 3:30 total time · 200°F · medium grind CUPPING NOTES (SCA-style 100-point) Aroma (dry+wet): Dry: jasmine, bergamot, ripe stone fruit. Wet: floral lift, peach, honey. Flavor: Bright Meyer-lemon acidity, peach + apricot, jasmine + black-tea finish, honey sweetness. Acidity: Bright 8/10 — clean malic / citric, no harshness Body: Light-medium silky body, juicy not syrupy. Balance/aftertaste: Excellent balance acid:sweetness:body; aftertaste long, jasmine + peach. Overall: Bright + clean + complex; clearly specialty-grade. Score: 88/100 (excellent). BREW ADJUSTMENTS FOR NEXT TIME Increase ratio to 1:17.5 (17 g / 300 g) to soften acidity slightly; try 195°F to round bitterness. SCA SCORE REFERENCE 90-100 outstanding (Coffee of the Year tier) 85-89 excellent (specialty top tier) 80-84 very good (specialty grade) <80 below specialty grade GENERAL CUPPING PROCESS (SCA) 1. Weigh 8.25 g per 150 ml water (1:18.2 ratio); medium-coarse grind. 2. Pour 200°F water, wait 4 minutes. 3. Break crust + skim with two spoons; smell intensely. 4. Wait until ~140°F to slurp + score. 5. Score on the SCA Cupping Form: fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, sweetness, overall. 6. Sum the 10 attributes; "specialty" requires 80+.
About this template
**Coffee tasting (cupping) is the SCA-codified evaluation method** that turns subjective drinking into a comparable score. The **SCA cupping form** scores ten attributes on a 100-point scale (each attribute up to 10): **fragrance / aroma** (dry grounds + wet break), **flavor**, **aftertaste**, **acidity**, **body**, **balance**, **uniformity**, **clean cup**, **sweetness**, **overall**. A score of **80+** is specialty grade; **85+** excellent; **90+** outstanding (Coffee of the Year tier). For brewed coffee outside the cupping bowl, the same vocabulary applies — **acidity** (intensity + quality: bright vs sour; citric / malic / phosphoric / quinic), **body** (light / medium / full; silky / syrupy / juicy), **flavor** (origin: floral / fruit / nut / chocolate / spice), **aftertaste** (length + quality). The **brew variables** are the controllable inputs: **ratio** (gold-cup 1:16 to 1:18 by weight for pour-over; 1:2 espresso; 1:15-17 immersion), **grind size** (finer for espresso, medium for pour-over, coarser for immersion), **water temperature** (195-205°F window — hotter brings more bitterness + extraction, cooler reduces both), **time** (pour-over 2:30-4:00, French press 4:00, espresso 25-32 seconds, AeroPress 1:00-2:30), **water chemistry** (TDS 150-200 ppm, slightly mineral, not distilled, not heavy-bicarbonate). **Roast date** is the freshness counter — beans peak 4-14 days post-roast for filter, 7-21 days for espresso (depending on roast level — darker peaks sooner). Beyond ~30 days past roast, aromatic volatiles fade and oils may go rancid; light-roast specialty is sometimes drinkable to 6-8 weeks if vacuum-sealed. **Origin notes** belong on the log — country, region, farm or co-op, altitude (high-grown 1,500+ m generally brighter + more acidic), processing (washed / natural / honey / anaerobic), varieties (Bourbon, Typica, Geisha, SL28, Heirloom). **Brew-adjustment loop** is the practical value: the tasting note suggests the change, the next brew tests it. Most home brewers learn fast by changing one variable per session (ratio, then grind, then temp, then time), logging the result.
When to use it
- Personal cupping / tasting log for a new bean.
- Brew-recipe development for pour-over or espresso.
- Side-by-side comparison of origins or roasters.
- Roaster Q-grading practice using the SCA form.
- Café staff training reference.
What to include
- Taster + tasting date.
- Roaster + bean + origin + roast date + roast level.
- Brew method + dose / yield / time / temp / grind.
- Aroma, flavor, acidity, body, balance, overall.
- Score (SCA 100-point).
- Brew adjustments for next time.