CQI Robusta Cupping Form: Understanding the 10 Scoring Criteria for Fine Robusta

Short answer: The 2019 Coffee Quality Institute and Uganda Coffee Development Authority Fine Robusta protocol recorded ten sensory attributes: fragrance/aroma, flavour, aftertaste, salt/acid aspect ratio, bitter/sweet aspect ratio, mouthfeel, balance, uniform cups, clean cups and overall. Defects were recorded separately. This is a guide to reading an older form, not a claim that every 2026 assessment uses it. CQI stopped receiving new grading samples in September 2025 and the updated Q Grader programme moved to the Specialty Coffee Association in October 2025.

Why the form needs a date

A historical cupping sheet may remain useful for understanding what graders observed and how they scored a particular sample. It cannot be presented as the current universal definition of specialty coffee, nor can a score for an old sample certify a new harvest. Ask for the protocol edition, sample identity, evaluator, evaluation date and complete sheet. The ten headings make sense only together with the procedure used to produce the observations.

The current SCA Coffee Value Assessment divides a coffee's value evidence into physical, descriptive, affective and extrinsic dimensions. Those are not simply ten old category boxes with new names. The proper comparison is between fully identified methods rather than between isolated totals from different forms.

1. Fragrance and aroma

Fragrance generally concerns the smell of dry ground coffee, while aroma addresses the wet coffee at relevant stages. Evaluators describe and judge quality within the historical method. Note any taints and the conditions under which they appeared. Aromatic intensity alone is not proof of quality. A strong unpleasant odour can be intense but defective, and a delicate aroma may still be precise and pleasant.

2. Flavour

Flavour combines taste and retronasal aromatic impressions during tasting. The grader should describe what is perceived rather than simply write 'typical Robusta'. Cocoa-like, nutty, fruity or spicy descriptions require an actual sensory observation from the sample. They cannot be assigned automatically to Cambodia or to the species.

3. Aftertaste

Aftertaste concerns what remains after the coffee leaves the mouth. Its quality matters alongside duration: a persistent harsh or dirty finish is not made desirable by lasting longer. Describe the character and the moment of assessment. The same coffee can feel different as temperature changes.

4. Salt/acid aspect ratio

This historical Robusta-specific field describes the perceived relationship between salt-associated and acid-associated sensations under the form's definitions. It is a sensory judgement, not a direct potassium concentration test. Do not convert the score into a laboratory mineral reading or assume that all acidity is desirable. Refer to the actual document when explaining how the scoring axes were combined.

5. Bitter/sweet aspect ratio

Bitterness and sweetness are not mutually exclusive. This field addressed their perceived balance under the historical protocol. It did not declare that more bitterness is always better or that every Robusta should taste sweet. A buyer should read the descriptive notes and overall cup context; a numeric field alone cannot specify whether a coffee suits a milk drink or a filter release.

6. Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel describes tactile sensation, including perceived body and texture. A thick cup may be attractive in one application but undesirable in another. Mouthfeel is distinct from aroma, flavour, extraction strength and crema volume. Avoid converting a high mouthfeel mark into a blanket claim that a species has inherently superior quality.

7. Balance

Balance concerns whether the perceived attributes work together coherently. This is not a mathematical average of every other category that can be calculated without following the form. A coffee may have striking individual notes while feeling disjointed; another may be less dramatic but coherent. Evaluation should consider the whole experience rather than chase the highest individual subscore.

8. Uniform cups

Uniformity evaluates consistency across the prepared bowls under the historical method. An unexpectedly different bowl may indicate sample variation, handling problems or contamination. Investigate and record the condition instead of quietly replacing the result with a better one. A lot-level judgement requires representative sampling; a uniform laboratory sample does not automatically guarantee an entire shipment.

9. Clean cups

Cleanliness concerns the absence of objectionable taints in the cups. It should not be confused with weak flavour, low intensity or no bitterness. A full-bodied coffee can be clean. If a negative note appears, describe it and verify whether it persists across bowls and a repeated preparation. Clean-cup results and physical green-bean defects answer related but separate questions.

10. Overall

Overall is the cupper's holistic appraisal under the historical protocol. It reflects the entire sensory experience and should not be promoted as a substitute for the specific observations. The total score must be read with any negative defect adjustments and the exact scoring instructions in the applicable form. A commercial buyer should still decide whether the flavour works for the intended product.

How to handle defects and totals

The historical form included separate recording of taints or faults. A screenshot showing ten positive category numbers may omit the defect treatment that affects the final result. Request the complete original assessment and verify arithmetic only against its actual scoring instructions. Do not assume that ten attributes are each equivalent measurements or that a decimal total is an objective chemical characteristic.

A score is attached to a sample; it is not attached permanently to a country, producer or marketing label. When evaluating a new Cambodian lot, use a current applicable methodology and retain its actual data. The registered Fine Robusta grading owner addresses overall grading and the standards owner covers physical protocol context. This page is limited to reading the ten boxes on the historical form.

Frequently asked questions

Are these ten boxes the current SCA CVA form? No. They describe a historical CQI/UCDA method.

Does a high mouthfeel score prove a coffee is Fine Robusta? No. The full documented method and relevant criteria must be considered.

Does clean cup mean no defects of any kind? No. Sensory cleanliness does not replace physical inspection.

Can an old certificate follow next year's harvest? No. Verify a new lot independently.

For current Cambodian origin context, visit Fine Robusta Cambodia. Commercial inquiries belong to OCC Wholesale Coffee Supply once current evidence is available.

Source documents

• 2019 CQI Fine Robusta Standards and Protocols, archived copy: https://www.scith.coffee/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Fine-Robusta-Standards-Protocols.pdf
• CQI historic coffee database closure notice: https://database.coffeeinstitute.org/coffees
• SCA current CVA: https://sca.coffee/value-assessment

_Research checked 20 September 2026. This article makes no OCC score or certification claim._