Cupping a Defect
You are cupping a new crop of Costa Rican coffee. The samples were roasted 24 hours prior to cupping, and you are using the SCA cupping protocol: 8.25g coffee to 150ml water at 93°C, 4-minute steep, then break. The cupping table has 5 cups of the same sample. During the break, you notice a distinct medicinal, phenolic aroma from one cup. Upon tasting, that cup has a strong, lingering medicinal flavor, while the other four cups taste clean and sweet. The water used is filtered and has a TDS of 150 ppm. The grinder was cleaned before grinding. The cupping bowls were rinsed with hot water and dried. The sample was stored in a sealed bag and ground just before cupping. The defect is only in one cup.
1. What is the most likely cause of the medicinal defect in one cup, and how would you proceed to evaluate the sample?
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The defect is likely due to a localized issue: either a defective bean in that particular cup (e.g., a bean with phenolic defect from processing or storage) or contamination. Since only one cup is affected, it's probably a single defective bean or a small cluster. The medicinal/phenolic flavor is characteristic of defects like phenol (from over-fermentation or contamination) or possibly a chemical contaminant. I would first check the grounds in that cup for visible defects (e.g., dark or discolored beans). If found, it confirms a bean defect. To evaluate the sample overall, I would cup additional cups from the same sample, ensuring random sampling. If the defect appears again, it may be more widespread. I would also check the cupping bowls and water for contamination. Since the other cups are clean, the sample likely has a low incidence of defective beans. According to SCA cupping protocol, if a defect is found in one cup, it may be noted but the overall sample score may not be heavily penalized if it's an isolated bean. However, for quality assessment, I would note the defect and possibly re-cup to confirm.
2. How would you score this coffee according to SCA cupping standards, and what actions would you take regarding the lot?
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In SCA cupping, defects are noted in the 'defects' section. A single defective cup with a medicinal flavor would be recorded as a defect (e.g., phenolic). The score for that cup would be lower, but the final score is an average of all cups. If only one cup out of five has a defect, the average may still be high, but the presence of a defect may affect the 'clean cup' attribute. The 'clean cup' score might be reduced if the defect is perceived. I would score the coffee based on the average of the four clean cups, but note the defect. The final score might be in the specialty range (80+) if the defect is isolated. However, for purchasing, I would request a larger sample or a re-cup to determine the defect rate. If the defect is confirmed at a low rate (e.g., <5% of beans), it might be acceptable with sorting. If higher, I would reject the lot or negotiate a lower price. I would also communicate with the producer about the defect to prevent future occurrences.