Source: Garage Coffee Bros. – Press Release |
Author: Qahwa World |
Date: June 18, 2026

SensoCup CVA: The First Free Digital Tool for Professional Coffee Evaluation According to SCA Standards

Key Takeaways:

Garage Coffee Bros. launches SensoCup CVA, the first free digital tool for professional coffee evaluation according to the 2024/2025 Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards.
The application is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works on all devices without installation, supporting 9 languages including Arabic with RTL support.
The app integrates three official SCA protocols: Descriptive Assessment, Affective Assessment, and Extrinsic Assessment, plus a Physical protocol currently in beta testing.
The evaluation system includes over 60 sensory descriptors calibrated to SCA standards, a CVA Score calculation engine, and multi-sample session management.
The app is available free for single sessions, with paid plans for multi-sessions and advanced analytics coming soon.
The project is currently being registered with SIAE (the Italian Public Register for Copyrighted Works) to protect its intellectual property.

Garage Coffee Bros. S.r.l., a Verona-based company operating in the specialty coffee sector, has officially announced the launch of SensoCup CVA.

This Progressive Web App (PWA) is designed for professional coffee evaluation according to the latest international standards of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The launch comes at a critical time when demand for accurate, reliable tools throughout the value chain – from roastery to cup – is growing rapidly.

SensoCup CVA represents a paradigm shift in the world of sensory evaluation, offering a comprehensive solution for professionals such as Q Graders, roasters, importers, and SCA trainers, who until now were forced to work with paper forms, incomplete digital solutions, or paid software that did not support the new 2024/2025 SCA protocols.

The First Web App to Integrate All Three Evaluation Protocols in a Single Interface

SensoCup CVA fundamentally changes the landscape, being the first web application to simultaneously implement the three official SCA protocols: Descriptive Assessment (103/2024), Affective Assessment (104/2024), and Extrinsic Assessment (105/2025), plus the Physical protocol currently in beta testing. All protocols are available from any device, with no installation required.

The app integrates a CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) system featuring over 60 sensory descriptors calibrated to SCA standards, a CVA Score calculation engine, and multi-sample session management for advanced comparative evaluations. The platform is available in 9 languages – including Arabic with RTL support – to meet the demands of a global market.

Protocol	Description	Status
Descriptive Assessment (103/2024)	Detailed evaluation of coffee’s sensory properties	Released
Affective Assessment (104/2024)	Measuring the taster’s response to coffee	Released
Extrinsic Assessment (105/2025)	Evaluating external factors affecting coffee	Released
Physical Protocol	Evaluating physical properties of coffee	Beta testing

Global Vision: 9 Languages Including Arabic Support

SensoCup CVA has been developed with a global vocation built directly into its architecture. The app supports 9 languages, including Arabic with RTL support, making it instantly operational for professionals worldwide. Its web-based nature – accessible from smartphones, tablets, and desktops without downloading anything – ensures seamless accessibility across all devices.

The project is currently being registered with SIAE (the Italian Public Register for Copyrighted Works) to protect its intellectual property, with full ownership held by Garage Coffee Bros. S.r.l.

Access Model: Free Version and Professional Plans

SensoCup CVA is available immediately as a free version for single sessions. A Pro plan – featuring access to multi-sample sessions, an advanced comparator, and personal analytics – will be released in the coming weeks, alongside dedicated plans for Q Instructors and training academies.

Founder: The Tool I Wish I Had Years Ago

Davide Cobelli, Founder of Garage Coffee Bros., said: “I wanted a tool that spoke the language of coffee professionals: rigorous in its protocols, simple to use, and available anywhere. SensoCup CVA is the answer I wish I had years ago.”

Frequently Asked Questions About SensoCup CVA

Q: What is SensoCup CVA?

A: It is the first free Progressive Web App for professional coffee evaluation according to Specialty Coffee Association standards, integrating three official protocols in a single interface.

Q: Is the app free?

A: Yes, a free version is available for single sessions. Paid plans for multi-sessions and advanced analytics will be released soon.

Q: What languages does the app support?

A: The app supports 9 languages, including Arabic with RTL support.

Q: Does the app require installation?

A: No, it is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works on all devices through a browser without any download or installation.

Q: Which protocols are supported in the app?

A: The app supports Descriptive Assessment (103/2024), Affective Assessment (104/2024), Extrinsic Assessment (105/2025), plus a Physical protocol currently in beta testing.

The launch of SensoCup CVA represents a significant step toward digitizing coffee sensory evaluation, providing accurate and reliable tools for professionals worldwide. With its Arabic language support and compliance with SCA standards, the app opens new possibilities for coffee professionals in the Arab region and beyond.

Prepared and edited by: Qahwa World – Based on a press release from Garage Coffee Bros. (June 2026).

Publication date: June 18, 2026

Is This Good News or Bad News?

By Ennio Cantergiani
Owner and Managing Director, L’Académie du Café – Switzerland

For more than twenty years, we have treated a single number as the ultimate truth about coffee quality.

86.25 vs. 87.00 — as if the second coffee were objectively better.

But in sensory science, a score is not a truth. It is a measurement. And every measurement comes with uncertainty, which is almost never communicated.

In sensory science, we use statistics to validate hypotheses. Multiple measurements allow us to calculate an average, a median, and a standard deviation. A score without a standard deviation says nothing.

Why the “One-Score” Model Is Reaching Its Limits

1. Reliability Is Often Weaker Than We Admit

Different cuppers, different contexts, different expectations — different numbers.

This is not about “bad cuppers.” It is the nature of human perception:

Anchoring effects (the first sample sets the scale)

Contrast effects (coffee A changes how coffee B is perceived)

Semantic bias (words shape perception)

Fatigue and sensory adaptation

Calibration and alignment drift over time

When the measurement error is larger than the difference you are pricing, the number becomes fragile.

2. We Confuse Measurement with Value

A single score blends multiple dimensions:

Sensory performance (what is in the cup)

Preference (what I like)

Market narratives (what is trendy)

Rarity and social proof (what wins competitions)

Then we pretend this mixture represents one objective axis.

It does not.

3. Scores Influence Money at Origin — Sometimes Unfairly

This is where it becomes uncomfortable.

When price is strongly tied to a number, producers are pushed to optimize for the scoring system, not necessarily for:

Long-term agronomy

Risk management

Climate resilience

Local sensory identity

Realistic processing constraints

What Comes Next (and Why It’s Better)

We will not stop evaluating coffee quality. But we should stop pretending that a single number is the best way to do it.

The future looks like:

Multi-dimensional assessment (descriptive, affective, and functional)

Confidence ranges, not fake precision (e.g., 86 ± 1)

Clear sensory evidence with traceable data (digital tools and better training loops)

Fit-for-purpose grading (espresso vs. filter vs. blends vs. cold brew)

Contracts combining specifications and sensory profiles, instead of worshipping one score

The score will not disappear overnight, but its monopoly will. No one will continue teaching the 2004 Q form indefinitely.

Will CVA replace the scoring system? Probably — but we need one to two years of feedback from major industry players. It will also need adaptation to better reflect the reality of coffee trading.

And honestly, that would be healthier — for producers, traders, roasters, and for sensory science.

A Question for the Industry

If tomorrow we removed the 100-point score, what would you use to trade coffee fairly and transparently?

Tag: Coffee Evaluation