Cup of Excellence Introduces Online Sensory Training in Two New Events

Cup of Excellence courtesy photo.

After a year of leaning more heavily on the internet to deliver its flagship competitions and auctions, the nonprofit Cup of Excellence is offering some new coffee sensory training to the public at large through online events.

Two new education- and calibration-focused programs are forthcoming from COE, and both refer to the group’s in-house Sensory Education Training (SET) program. From May 7-22, COE is hosting its first ever virtual SET calibration course connecting learners throughout the globe with the COE’s network of education hubs.

“This unique event will allow students to evaluate their cupping scores in comparison with those of a global community of coffee professionals,” the group said in an announcement of the online programming this week.

Designed to train people to evaluate coffees more consistently and confidently, the virtual calibration course will include instructional webinars, office hours, samples of 24 coffees, a brewer from Origami, a COE-produced pocket guide to quality, Brewler from Kruve, and a limited-edition W.Wright cupping spoon.

Priced at $325 for members of COE sister nonprofit the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and $400 for non-members, the course will be led by COE Head Judge Scott Conary. A certificate will be provided upon completion of the course. Registration and additional information can be found here.

Luis Pedro Zelaya Zamora, who will be helping to lead the fireside chat on April 16. Cup of Excellence courtesy photo.

The second event is a “Fireside Farmer Chat” with Guatemalan coffee producer Luis Pedro Zelaya Zamora. Hosts and participants will be brewing and drinking the 2020 Guatemalan Cup of Excellence-winning coffee from Antigua Buena Vista Y Anexos.

The event is scheduled to take place Friday, April 16, and the $25 (United States) or $60 (international) ticket includes access to the live event, a 4-ounce bag of the roasted COE-winning coffee, and a 32-page introductory pocket guide to coffee quality. Guests of that event would receive $25 off May’s SET calibration course.