Flavor & Cupping
Total Score
The cumulative cupping score on a 100-point scale, calculated by summing individual attribute scores for fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, sweetness, and overall. A score of 80 or above qualifies coffee as specialty grade.
Mendalam
The maximum theoretical score is 100, though coffees above 95 are extraordinarily rare. The scoring breakdown allocates 0-10 for each of the ten attributes, with uniformity, clean cup, and sweetness scored as 2 points per cup across five cups. A final 'overall' score captures the cupper's holistic impression beyond the sum of parts. Commercial lots typically score 70-79, specialty 80-84, excellent specialty 85-89, and outstanding or auction-grade coffees 90+. Gesha lots from Panama have achieved verified scores of 97.