Qualify the coffee

[coffeefreak]

I was wondering if it's possible to make a list to qualify the coffee we all drink. Not that I want to make a list of brands or specific coffee types, but like they do with other products.

VSOP: Very superior old pale a quality for cognacs
FTGFOP1: Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe a quality for tea

for coffe we can think of:

PQC = Poor Quality Coffee
C = Coffee
GC = Gourmet Coffee
SC = Specialty Coffee

Are there more of those terms we can use in coffee or do you have other suggestions in how to rate coffee ?

Please only serious reply to this subject.

[Styles]

I think that the number (or points) system used on cupping forms already has this pretty well covered off.

How did you propose to qualify each of your appellations?

[mattmills]

This has been covered by the different origins, for example:

FAQ - Fair Average Quality
HB, SHB, FANCY

Also this matter has also been addressed by the SCAA cupping and the recent CQI program, but in essence each of the origin countries has this in place.

[kingseven]

I think this could turn into an interesting discussion on types of classification - SHG/SHB are technically very different to Speciality prep, or a quality/defects graded cert/class.

Anyone have the chart for number of defects/type of defects relating to a class? The SCAA do it but I never bought those posters.

[coffeefreak]

yes, to all above writers. We coffee geeks know this, but what about regular coffee drinkers.

It will take a few years before this will be known (if we ever qualify the coffee), but in the tea business everybody knows first flush, second flush, bop, op and so on.

I think kingseven is right when he is telling;

I think this could turn into an interesting discussion on types of classification - SHG/SHB are technically very different to Speciality prep, or a quality/defects graded cert/class.

so please think about something regular customers can understand.

Jan

[mattmills]

Part of the problem with the coffee industry is the processes it has to go through, including the wet mill, dry mill etc, but where we really differ from Tea and Wine is the roasting aspect. I am sure many of us remember the legal case between origin and Italian roasters, regarding what has a a greater effect.

We have seen time and time again, a great origin coffee buggered up at the roasting stage and then at the shop stage, or on in home products the effect of ageing.
I have to admit i quite like the Q Grade system for this issue although think it should be applied to the finished product.

It is a very interesting topic indeed

[Steve]

I think here Jim were in a different place to what you suggest, where we are saying yay lets give it a label and make it simple as normal people wont understand what they are tasting


Dumbing down is always the answer for the stupid people. Or how about we raise education of what is good and bad without the need for labels but substance in the cup