tags: [] - coffee/tasting - coffee/tasting/cupping aliases: - Clean cup scoring - Clean cup attribute - SCA clean cup

Clean_Cup_Scoring¶

Tags: #coffee/tasting #coffee/tasting/cupping Aliases: Clean cup scoring, Clean cup attribute, SCA clean cup Related: Cupping MOC | SCA Cupping Protocol | Cupping Form | Defect Recognition | Uniformity Scoring Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Clean Cup is one of the ten scored attributes on the SCA cupping form and functions as a quality gatekeeper: a coffee cannot achieve specialty grade (80+ points) if it contains detectable taints or defects. Clean cup evaluates the absence of any extraneous, negative sensory impression from the first taste through to the aftertaste, allowing the coffee's true character to be perceived without interference. The clean cup attribute uses a unique binary-per-cup scoring structure — unlike the other SCA attributes, it does not reward positive qualities but deducts for identified defects, with 2 points lost per defective cup from a maximum of 10.

Scoring System¶

The clean cup attribute is scored across all five cups in the cupping sample:

Cups clean	Score
5 of 5	10 points (maximum)
4 of 5	8 points
3 of 5	6 points
2 of 5	4 points
1 of 5	2 points
0 of 5	0 points

Each cup is assessed as clean or not clean — no partial credit is given per cup. This binary structure reflects the SCA's position that a cup either passes or fails the cleanliness threshold. Evaluating five cups per sample provides statistical confidence: it identifies whether a defect is consistent across the lot or present in only isolated cups (which may indicate a within-batch or processing inconsistency), complementing the Uniformity Scoring attribute which tracks consistency between cups.

Defects are evaluated across the full temperature range of the cupping session. Some defects — particularly fermentation taints and phenolic off-notes — are most apparent at warm-to-cool temperatures and may be masked by the initial heat of the cup.

What Reduces Clean Cup Score¶

Processing defects: - Fermentation taints — vinegary, acetic, over-fermented, boozy - Mould contamination — musty, mouldy, damp cardboard - Phenolic contamination — medicinal, antiseptic, band-aid, from contaminated wash water or chlorine contact

Green coffee defects: - Primary defects (full black, full sour, dried cherry, fungus damage) produce severe off-notes - Secondary defects (partial black/sour, insect damage) produce more subtle but detectable taints - Quaker beans (under-ripe, uncoloured at roast) produce peanutty, raw, astringent character

Roast defects: - Underdevelopment — grassy, vegetal, raw, harsh astringency - Scorching or tipping — acrid, burnt localised notes - Baking — flat, dull, lifeless character from excessive low-heat roasting

Storage and age defects: - Staling — cardboard, paper, oxidised notes from prolonged post-roast storage - Past-crop deterioration — woody, baggy, faded aromatics in green coffee stored poorly or held for multiple crop years

Clean Cup and Other Attributes¶

A clean cup is a prerequisite for high scores across other SCA attributes. Defects mask flavour complexity and sweetness perception, suppress the accurate evaluation of acidity type, and reduce balance. A coffee with a clean cup score of 6 or lower is unlikely to achieve a total score above 80, regardless of other attributes, because defects affect perceived quality across all sensory dimensions.

Clean cup and Uniformity Scoring are related but distinct: it is possible for a sample to have uniform defects (all five cups defective, giving a low clean cup score but maximum uniformity) or clean but variable cups (high clean cup, reduced uniformity). Both attributes must be evaluated independently.

Key Facts¶

Clean Cup is scored out of 10 on the SCA cupping form; 2 points are deducted per defective cup across five cups evaluated
Each cup is binary: clean or not clean; no partial scores per cup
A specialty-grade coffee (80+ SCA) requires a clean cup score of 8 or 10; one defective cup in a sample is the practical maximum for specialty classification
Defects must be evaluated across the full temperature range; many taints become more apparent as the cup cools
Clean cup differs from Uniformity Scoring: clean cup measures absence of defects, uniformity measures consistency between cups

Cupping MOC
SCA Cupping Protocol
Cupping Form
Defect Recognition
Uniformity Scoring
Sweetness Scoring
Processing Methods MOC

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-05-02	Compliance review: full rewrite — original had no frontmatter, no metadata block, `../` wikilinks throughout, instructional/training-guide format, numbered procedural steps, no copyright; restructured as encyclopedia article

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