Q Grader Day 2 in Bangkok: From Green Coffee Assessment to Sensory Language

Day 2 of our Q Grader +plus course in Bangkok began with a physical assessment attempt. The group, training together on 8–13 December 2025, examined green coffee by screen size, shape, colour and density. Students who needed more practice had guided feedback and further attempts to help them build confidence.

We then moved to the cupping table. Students practised slurping and considered how to describe aroma, flavour, aftertaste and body. The CVA Descriptive Form and Check-All-That-Apply, or CATA, gave them a structured way to record the attributes they perceived.

Le Nez du Café 2.0 aroma references helped connect familiar sensory impressions with words. We also shared the SCA’s olfactory examples resource for continued practice beyond the classroom. Comparing references and discussing observations helped the group develop a clearer common language.

The conversation extended to customers and markets: a coffee can be described carefully while still appealing differently to different people. Learning to communicate those characteristics was part of the day’s work, alongside physical assessment and cupping practice.