This intensive 4-day course is meticulously designed to transform aspiring coffee professionals into skilled sensory experts, equipping them with the advanced physiological and psychological understanding required for professional coffee evaluation. Our comprehensive training goes beyond traditional approaches, offering an immersive experience that prepares participants for the challenging Q Grader certification exam and professional coffee assessment.
Deep dive into the physiological and psychological aspects of taste, providing a scientific approach to coffee evaluation. Participants will explore the intricate mechanisms of human perception, understanding how our sensory systems interpret flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel. This foundational knowledge creates a robust framework for understanding the complexity of coffee tasting beyond simple gustatory experiences.
Comprehensive training on the SCA legacy cupping form, precise scoring methodologies, and score calibration techniques. Students will learn the standardized protocols used by professional coffee evaluators, mastering the art of consistent and objective assessment. Through guided practice and expert instruction, participants will develop the skills to create reliable and repeatable cupping evaluations.
Coffee defect detection is a critical skill that separates professional tasters from casual enthusiasts. Our training focuses on the nuanced identification of complex sensory imperfections that can dramatically impact coffee quality. Three particularly challenging defects—phenolic contamination, mold, and over-fermentation—represent the pinnacle of sensory detective work in coffee evaluation.
This advanced technique challenges participants to identify subtle differences between coffee samples, focusing primarily on distinguishing coffees from diverse origins with exceptional precision. While exploring multiple triangulation approaches, we'll also introduce Roast ID techniques to detect nuanced roast degree variations. More than just a tasting method, triangulation is a comprehensive sensory discipline that develops cognitive flexibility, enhances sensory memory, and cultivates the acute perception essential for professional coffee evaluation.
Train your palate with solutions of salt, sour, and sweet at varying intensities, gaining a deeper understanding of how these sensory modalities interact and shape your tasting experience. This hands-on practice not only sharpens your ability to detect specific flavors but also builds the confidence to evaluate coffee with greater precision and consistency. By mastering these sensory skills, you’ll develop the expertise to tackle real-world tastings and excel in any professional setting.
This is more than just a training—it's your gateway to becoming a confident, skilled coffee taster. Designed with your success in mind, this course focuses on the most challenging and transformative aspects of coffee evaluation. You’ll gain the skills, precision, and confidence needed to navigate even the toughest tasting scenarios, whether in an exam setting or in your professional journey.
Through intensive practice, expert guidance, and a supportive learning environment, you’ll discover what you’re truly capable of. Whether your goal is to pass the Q Grader exam or simply to refine your abilities, this course empowers you to taste with clarity, evaluate with confidence, and stand out in the coffee industry.
Come spend a fun, hands-on day exploring the world of coffee—from its origins to the cup in your hands. We’ll taste, learn, and uncover what makes coffee special. By the end, you’ll know where your coffee comes from, how to tell specialty coffee from the rest, brew it better, and finally understand what all the buzz is about.
I’m Valerian, and I’ve been passionate about coffee since 2001. I started Green Plantation Coffee to share amazing single-origin coffees in Slovakia, and I’ve spent over 15 years teaching, tasting, and living coffee. You might have heard me chatting about coffee on the Coffeeis.ME podcast. Let’s discover the story behind your favorite cup together!
