New Sensory Training Kit - March 2026 Release

Train Sensory Skills - Explore Specialty Coffee WITH ME,

I specifically designed this coffee sensory kit as an accompaniment to the SCA Introduction to Coffee course which instructed the high-level differences between:

1. Coffee Species: Arabica vs. Robusta Canephora

2. Coffee Grades: Commercial Grade vs. Specialty Grade (80+ points)

3. Coffee Processing Methods: Wet-Washed vs. Natural Dry Process

4. Roast Levels: Lighter vs. Darker Roasting

This is a really fun coffee tasting kits with 4 pairs of the coffee listed for both coffee fans looking for a new tastebud experience and for coffee professionals who seek to continue growing. It’s a great way to distinguish between subtleties of fragrance, aroma, body, acidity, mouthfeel and overall coffee quality in a controlled manner.

Coffees are roasted on the same machine, same day, same roast master, and with similar methods to ensure that you get the highest quality scientifically traceable sensory experience in your cupping, brewing and tasting.

Coffee sourced from friends like: Royal Crown Jewels, Genuine Origin, Cuatro Vientos and Victory Java.

included in the march 2026 release are the following coffees

Be sure and checkout the accompanying brew/taste videos too!

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4 Contrasting A-B Pairs:

• YouTube Tasting Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUc-OWKLsBk&t=2s

  • SP1 - Arabica Species Indonesia, West Java, Blue Batavia G1 TP Semi-Washed Giling Basah Process with classic chocolate lush herbal aromatics, mild acidity, full round body and clean smooth finish.

  • SP2 - Robusta Canephora Species Vietnam, Altura - High Grown, Natural Process with heavy aromatics of roasted grain, brown spice, and fresh rubber (tire shop) big heavy chewy body with no acidity and heightened bitterness.

• YouTube Tasting Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlLWANQlZcg&t=34s

  • GR1 - Grade / Quality Score Higher Specialty Kenya, Ngomano AB, Washed Process with strong tropical mango lime fruit, big sweetness and syrupy body that lingers long.

  • GR2 - Grade / Quality Score Lower Past-Crop Colombia, Gesha Variety, Honey Process with floral and sweet qualities, but mixed with papery notes and disappearing finish hollowed body.

• YouTube Tasting Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tKeQV0maI

  • PR1 - Washed-Wet Process Papua New Guinea, Organic Lahamenegu, Washed Process with bright citrus and pine notes, medium acidity and body with classic chocolate finish (note the lack of red-fruit).

  • PR2 - Natural-Dry Process Colombia, Pink Bourbon, Juliana Guevara and Wbeimar Lasso, Fermented Natural Process with big fruit hibiscus and cherry lemonade, deep sweetness, syrupy body and long lasting chocolate finish (this is a special process so there is heightened acidity).

• YouTube Tasting Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_EGdErzC0

  • RO1 - Lighter Roasted Arabica Coffee Colombia, Santa Maria Collective, Washed Process - well balanced medium acidity, full body, apple, citrus, chocolate with sweet clean aftertaste.

  • RO2 - Darker Roasted Arabica Coffee Colombia, Santa Maria Collective, Washed Process - acidity muted by roasty, spicy, dark chocolate. Some body may be compromised, but mouthfeel is full with lingering dry aftertaste from roast level.

Four A-B cupping placemats and coffee flavor wheel printouts also included. All coffees are Arabica species unless otherwise specified and will be packaged as ~4oz or ~100g - post roast weight.

Download additional A-B Tasting Placemats below.

Perspectives in Coffee with Ryo Mikami of Roast Design

Today we are pleased to hear from Ryo Mikami a Coffee Consultant & Roast Competition Trainer.

Ryo is the Owner Operator at Roast Design Coffee - Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo where he roasts coffee and sell microlots to customers. Author of “The Coffee Fanatic” shares about his entry into the coffee industry from a wine industry background.

Joining a green coffee importer and starting a specialty microlot coffee roastery with his wife called Roast Design Coffee. Explore the journey of specialty coffee in Japan as he shares about the environment there, popular coffees (fruity clean coffees vs. traditional roasting methods) and moving into coffee roasting competitions especially on the Stronghold Coffee Roaster.

Previously from the wine industry, but lacking some of the maturity and development compared to the wine industry Ryo was convicted that the Japanese coffee industry lacked some of the access to teaching and training materials especially for roasting and brewing specialty coffee.

Now at Roast Design Coffee he procures green coffee, roasts coffee and acts as a coffee trainer and consultant with his wife in business. Learn more and follow from his social media channels in either English at COFFEE FANATICS : https://cf.roast-design-coffee.com/ Ryo Mikami has a diverse background that includes working in major coffee chain, micro-roastery, and wine shop.

He joined Wataru Co., Ltd., a specialized coffee green  bean importing company, where he held roles in sales, sourcing from coffee-producing countries, market exploration, seminars, and coaching for competitions. Ryo is also involved as a Cup of Excellence judge and has actively concerned in global coffee competitions. He notably served as the Japanese representative coach for the World Roasting Championship multiple times. In July 2019, he co-founded Roast Design Coffee, a roastery and café, alongside his wife, Hitomi Mikami.

His responsibilities encompass green bean procurement, quality design, product development, and extensive coffee consulting activities. Ryo shares his insights under the pen name "Coffee Fanatic Mikami" and contributes to various platforms, including:   

• Roast Design Coffee  https://roastdesigncoffee.com/  

• Roast Design Coffee Blog  https://coffeefanatics.jp/  

• COFFEE FANATICS  https://cf.roast-design-coffee.com/  

• CAMPFIRE Online Salon  https://community.camp-fire.jp/projec...  

• Facebook    / ryo.mikami.714    

• Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/coffeefanat...  

• Twitter    / ryomikami_cf

WHAT IS THE CVA BY THE SCA - COFFEE VALUE ASSESSMENT - PART 2

This is the 2nd part in our series on the Coffee Value Assessment by the Specialty Coffee Association, complete with resources and links for you to learn, download, practice and provide your feedback.

Source Links for the Coffee Value Assessment CVA by the Specialty Coffee Association SCA.

Introducing the CVA: https://sca.coffee/value-assessment

Download and Read about the CVA: PDF CVA Full Link

Printer friendly version of the CVA: PDF CVA Printable Link

Physical Affective Form CVA: PDF CVA Physical Affective Link

The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers: PDF SCA Perspectives Roles Professional Competencies

Descriptive Form CVA: PDF CVA Descriptive Link

SCA White Paper: PDF Towards a Definition of Specialty Coffee

CVA SCA White Paper “Towards a Definition of Specialty Coffee” https://sca.coffee/sca-news/just-released-new-sca-white-paper-towards-a-definition-of-specialty-coffee

CVA SCA White Paper “The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers” https://sca.coffee/sca-news/just-released-the-value-of-specialty-coffee-cuppers-sca-white-paper

SCA YouTube Playlist on “Theory of the SCA Coffee Value Assessment” https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ5Na-9NWGIrHQ8M4H9_i_5lDZnTvcUAe&si=hF1FY_oeTOGlKrVb

Re’co Specialty Coffee Symposium article by Peter Giuliano “The Power of the Extrinsic” https://sca.coffee/sca-news/watch/video/the-power-of-the-extrinsic

Understanding Value in Coffee from the Green Coffee Summit 2022 YouTube Recording: https://youtu.be/eq_XkGqJdIo?si=ASomY1eXP4ThTnIv

SCA Article 25 Magazine Issue 18 “How Do Cuppers Cup?” https://sca.coffee/sca-news/25/issue-18/how-do-cuppers-cup-evaluating-and-evolving-elements-of-the-sca-cupping-protocol

SCA Article 25 Magazine Issue 18 “All in the Mind: How External Cues Impact Brain Activity and Preference” https://sca.coffee/sca-news/25/issue-18/all-in-the-mind-how-external-cues-impact-brain-activity-and-preference

SCA Article 25 Magazine Issue 19 “From Value to Values: Determining the Worth of Coffee” https://sca.coffee/sca-news/25/issue-19/from-value-to-values-determining-the-worth-of-coffee

What is the CVA by the SCA - Coffee Value Assessment

It’s time to dive into the CVA by the SCA.

This multi-part series has long been waiting, in the making. We need to unpack the great research and thought that the Specialty Coffee Association has put into the Coffee Value Assessment tool. With white papers and research examining coffee cupper value assessments, cupping scores, green coffee scores and more - we will seek to understand how the SCA CVA was created and how coffee professionals can use it in their coffee purchasing and roasting decisions.

Please let us know what questions you have and if this information is helpful. Thank you!

New 2024 Coffee Sensory Training Kit

New 2024 Coffee Sensory Training Kit
Cup These 8 Coffees - Grow in 2024!

This is the latest, featured Limited Edition, 2024 release of our popular Sensory Training Kit. Enjoy the videos below and be sure to follow along with your own coffees available at: Training Kits

Featuring 8 Unique Coffees
for 4 Paired Exercises
+ 2 CUSTOM CUPPING SPOONS:

SP1 Arabica Species Papua New Guinea Baroida Estate Wet/Washed Coffee

• SP2 Robusta Canephora Species Java Gambung Pulp-Natural Coffee

• GR1 Specialty Grade Sumatra Organic Aceh Bukit Wet-Hulled Giling Basah Arabica Coffee

• GR2 Commercial Grade India Araku Valley Timor, Tafarikela, Catimor Dry/Natural Arabica Coffee

• PR1 Washed Wet Process Ethiopia Guji Goro Bedessa Arabica Coffee

• PR2 Natural Dry Process Ethiopia Guji Buno Dambi Uddo Coffee

• RO1 Lighter Roasted Colombia Alto Occidente Wet/Washed Arabica Coffee

• RO2 Darker Roasted Colombia Alto Occidente Wet/Washed Arabica Coffee

• Four x2 Cup A-B Cupping Placemats

• x2 Bonus Cupping Spoons!

Enjoy!

Cup These 8 Coffees

July Sensory Training Kit - Cup These 8 Coffees

Listed below are the coffees featured in the Limited Edition, July release of our popular Sensory Training Kit. Enjoy the video below and follow along with your own coffees available at: https://sca.training/shop-offers/sensory-training-kit-july2023

Featuring 8 Unique Coffees for 4 Paired Exercises:

An Arabica Mexico Chiapas Sierra Mariscal wet/washed coffee with a Robusta Canephora Java Gambung pulp natural for species comparison.

• Mexico Chiapas Cupping Notes: Whole bean fragrance starts very herbal, mint-like which carries through in the grounds that turn to a subtle green apple note on the wet aroma. The coffee is clean and bright with a simple high acidity which is pleasant in balance with a medium-full body and smooth finish.

• Java Gambung Cupping Notes: Whole bean fragrance jumps with brown spices, malty and pungent. When ground a roasted grain, corn and basmati rice comes through. The body is immediately huge and chewy in the mouth. It’s rough which is an aspect of big bitterness on top of the huge body. A bittersweet chocolate with animal-leather tones follow. Note: long after the cupping a tobacco flavor lingered in the air and in my mouth. Wow!

A specialty higher grade Kenya Nyeri Rukira wet/washed coffee paired with a lower scoring (not commercial) grade Brazil Fazenda Furnas dry/natural.

• Kenya Nyeri Kukira Cupping Notes: The whole bean fragrance has a luscious red currant, floral and tropical fruit character. Once ground those notes give place to mango and cherry tomatoes… both of which carry through into the wet aroma. The coffee is clean, complex in acidity like layers of juice tropical, bright, and high acidity which pairs nicely with the big body and sticky mouthfeel. Aftertaste is of grapefruit bitters and lemon rind.

• Brazil Fazenda Furnas Cupping Notes: The whole bean was simple like brown spices and chocolate, but once ground a subtle sweetness of fruit and especially peach came forth. The peach and chocolate carried into the wet aroma. The coffee is clean with strong earthy and bittersweet chocolate character. Creamy big body.

A pair of washed/wet processed Ethiopia Kecho Anderecha coffee and a natural/dry process Ethiopia Senna Kaffa Mountain.

• Kecho Anderecha Cupping Notes: Whole bean fragrance starts with coffee or orange blossoms. Once ground a white grape sweetness emerges which carries through in the wet aroma. The coffee sparkles with bright acidity (like white grape juice) and has a medium-light body. There is a slight astringency like green tea.

• Senna Kaffa Cupping Notes: Whole bean fragrance has soft raspberry tones but with cereal grain like character also in the grounds. The aroma is soft vanilla again with raspberry. It was more syrupy with sweet mouth coating feeling for body and texture. It finishes with an earthy lingering sweetness.

Finally, a lighter roasted Colombia Alto Occidente wet/washed with the same darker roasted Colombia Alto Occidente coffee.

• Light Roasted Alto Occidente Cupping Notes: Whole is herbal like green pepper with milk chocolate. Once ground apple emerges which when wet turns to honey and walnut. The body is full and very smooth to drink with a balanced cup profile and lingering milk chocolate finish.

• Dark Roasted Alto Occidente Cupping Notes: Whole bean has a rich hazelnut vanilla which ground yields to dark cherry. Dark cherry carries through the wet aroma which continues sweet like molasses and maple syrup. The roasty note of soft smoke and dark chocolate blend with full body for a bitter cherry dry mouth finish.

This is comes in whole bean unless requested medium-cupping grind with four x2 Cup A-B Cupping Placemats.

Enjoy!