CoE Cupping Form Has Eight Scoring Categories | Clean Cup, Sweetness, Acidity, Mouthfeel, Aftertaste, Balance, and More

The Eight Scoring Categories of the CoE Rating Sheet: How Are Cleanliness, Sweetness, Acidity, Mouthfeel, Aftertaste, and Balance Scored?

You often hear specialty coffee honored with the title of "COE specialty coffee." "COE" serves as proof of quality. So what is the history and origin of COE? In the highly competitive world of premium coffee competitions, what are the standards for winning among so many estates? Here we've gathered the basic judging criteria and content to share.

What Is Cup of Excellence (COE)?

COE stands for Cup of Excellence, meaning "a perfect cup of coffee," also known as the "Cup of Excellence."

It was first held in Brazil in 1999 by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) and is currently the most renowned, credible, and authoritative specialty coffee competition in the world.

The competition is generally held annually and judged by international judges. Final winning estates must pass six stages of screening. Typically, from 500 estates, fewer than 30 remain in the final selection.

How Did Cup of Excellence Come Into Being?

As international coffee market prices kept falling, the United Nations launched a program to promote economic independence in developing countries, known as the "United Nations Premium Coffee Project (1997-2000)." The purpose was to test whether high-quality coffee could be produced, encouraging countries to take part in the experiment and sell at reasonable prices.

Surprisingly, Brazil—previously considered the country least likely to produce "specialty coffee"—turned out to be the standout performer. In the 1999 Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) competition, the finest beans were selected from Brazil and awarded the title of "King of Brazil." Later, this was incorporated into online auction bidding. In 2000, the competition expanded further, with the top-ranked beans being awarded the "Cup of Excellence COE" title.

The Impact of COE

Coffee awarded the COE title can be traded at high prices in specialty coffee auctions.

Influenced by those attractive selling prices, growers who previously focused only on quantity began to invest in quality.

This system not only boosts the production motivation of estates but also improves their evaluation and reputation, raising coffee trading volume. Before Cup of Excellence emerged, most beans were processed as mixed batches, and the unique flavors of different coffees could not be highlighted.

How Does COE Work?

Ten white coffee cups, each containing 11.5 grams of fresh coffee, distinguished only by numbers.

To ensure fair results, no one knows a coffee's origin, processing method, or roasting style.

These are the specialty coffees that have made it to the COE semi-finals. They are evaluated through eight scoring criteria: Cleanliness, Sweetness, Acidity, Mouthfeel, Flavor, Aftertaste, Balance, and Overall Impression.

COE Cupping Scoring Standards

"Aroma" is the first item evaluated at the start of cupping:

First: smell the dry powder aroma in the cup at the beginning of cupping.

Second: smell the wet aroma on the surface after adding water.

Third: smell the aroma of the broken crust on the coffee surface.

Clean Cup: Cleanliness means no defective flavors or tainted tastes.

Sweetness: Coffee generally contains sweetness, so as long as sweetness is perceived, it receives a high score.

Acidity: Higher-quality acids receive higher scores, such as bright, lively citrus fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel: This item assesses mouth sensations rather than taste—the substances and textures felt in the mouth, such as oiliness or viscosity. Think of the difference between milk and water.

Flavor: Various tastes, the aromas perceived by the nasal cavity, and mouth sensations all belong to this item.

Aftertaste: The tastes or sensations that remain in the mouth after sipping. If they linger and even spread in the mouth, the score is higher; if there is no aftertaste or it's too short, the score is lower.

Balance: For example, although the acidity is bright, does it still transition to sweetness? Is it viscous but not astringent? Are the various flavors of the coffee in harmony?

Overall:

• The CoE scoring sheet has eight evaluation items, each with a maximum of 8 points (8x8=64 points), a minimum of 0 points, and a weighted 36 points, for a total score of 100 points.
• 6 points means the item meets COE competition-level standards and counts as good quality (fine). 0 points (unacceptable) means completely unacceptable. Ordinary quality receives 4 points (Poor). If it's exceptionally excellent and perfect, it receives 8 points (great).

What Are COE's Standards?

A total score of 69 or below belongs to slightly inferior commercial beans or industrial-grade beans.

A total score between 70-74 points belongs to general commercial beans.

A total score between 75-79 points belongs to superior commercial beans, also known as premium commercial beans.

A total score between 80-84 points belongs to specialty coffee.

A total score of 85 or above belongs to COE competition level, the winning coffee of Cup of Excellence, currently recognized as the highest standard in the international coffee community.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90 degrees Celsius

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, 15g of coffee grounds. First pour: 25g of water for a 25s bloom. Second pour: continue to 120g, then stop pouring. When the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: The three-stage brewing method clearly distinguishes the flavors in the front, middle, and end of the cup. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour helps extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Brazil was where Cup of Excellence began, so it's a fitting origin to taste. FrontStreet Coffee suggests these.

FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon

A classic Brazilian single-origin from the well-known Cerrado region, grown from the red Bourbon variety common to South America. Roasted medium, it shows rich aromas of creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut, with a rounded body, low acidity, and a lightly bitter finish. It suits pour-over, moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon, and French press alike.

FrontStreet Brazil Queen's Estate Yellow Bourbon

From Mogiana near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the fruit absorb abundant nutrients and develop a full aroma. This rare yellow Bourbon—a natural mutation of red Bourbon—has a cleaner fruit character and, whether brewed pour-over, in a moka pot, or on a home machine, delivers a sugarcane sweetness and fruit and chocolate flavors that other regions don't offer.

FrontStreet Classic Blend

Brazil's low-acid, balanced profile and friendly price have made it the backbone of many espresso recipes. This blend's Brazilian component supplies chocolate and cream aromas plus a soft sweet-sour-bitter balance that keeps extraction stable—ideal as the base for Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas.