Kenya Coffee School Cupping Laboratory

Professional Coffee Quality Evaluation Report

Institution: Kenya Coffee School
Evaluation Protocol: Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) + Kenya Coffee School ABCVA™ Sensory Framework
Cupping Date: 4 March 2026
Location: Kenya Coffee School Cupping Lab
Lead Cupper: Alfred Gitau Mwaura
Contact: +254707503647 / +254704375390

Coffee Quality Evaluation Report

Gatunyu Kigio FCS & Muchai Factory Samples

1. Executive Summary

On 4 March 2026, the Kenya Coffee School cupping laboratory evaluated five coffee samples originating from Gatunyu Kigio Farmers Cooperative Society and Muchai Factory.

The cupping followed the SCA standard cupping protocol integrated with the Kenya Coffee School ABCVA™ sensory framework, which focuses on:

A — Aroma
B — Balance
C — Complexity
V — Vibrancy (Acidity Expression)
A — Aftertaste

Key Observation

A surprising but important quality outcome emerged:

AB grades performed better than AA grades in this evaluation.

This indicates that bean size (screen grading) does not necessarily correlate with cup quality when fermentation control, drying consistency, and roast development vary.

Highest Scoring Samples

2. Sample Cupping Results

Sample 1 — DFD34Q

Factory: Gatunyu Kigio FCS
Grade: AB
Final Score: 84

Sensory Notes

• Aroma: Sweet citrus blossom
• Acidity: Bright phosphoric acidity
• Flavor: Lemon candy, sugarcane sweetness
• Aftertaste: Medium sweet finish
• Body: Light-medium
• Balance: Slightly sharp acidity dominates

ABCVA™ Evaluation

ABCVA™ Interpretation

Strong vibrancy and acidity clarity, but balance is slightly compromised due to dominant phosphoric brightness.

Potential: With improved fermentation and roasting balance this coffee could reach 85+ specialty grade.

Sample 2 — TGFF35

Factory: Muchai Factory
Grade: AB
Final Score: 83

Sensory Notes

• Aroma: Floral, caramel
• Acidity: Citric-malic balance
• Flavor: Honey, stone fruit, mild black tea
• Aftertaste: Clean and lingering
• Body: Medium

ABCVA™ Evaluation

ABCVA™ Interpretation

This is the most structurally balanced cup among the five samples.

The coffee demonstrates good integration of sweetness, acidity, and body.

Sample 3 — FHFG24

Factory: Muchai
Grade: AA
Final Score: 79

Sensory Notes

• Aroma: Smoky medicinal note
• Flavor: Phenolic / medicinal
• Acidity: Muted
• Aftertaste: Slight bitterness

Defect Diagnosis

Phenolic character indicates potential causes:

• Fermentation contamination
• Poor sanitation in fermentation tanks
• Over-fermentation
• Water contamination

ABCVA™ Breakdown

Sample 4 — FFT684

Final Score: 77

Diagnosis

Primary defect identified:

Underdeveloped roasting

Indicators:

• Grainy taste
• Peanut-like flavor
• Flat sweetness
• Hollow body

Root Cause

Roast profile likely failed to reach sufficient Maillard development.

ABCVA™ Breakdown

Sample 5 — FFY737

Grade: AA
Final Score: 75

Sensory Notes

• Slight sour fermentation
• Uneven sweetness
• Short aftertaste

Diagnosis

Fermentation imbalance

Possible causes:

• Over fermentation
• Uneven mucilage removal
• Poor fermentation monitoring
• Inconsistent washing

ABCVA™ Breakdown

3. Filled SCA Cupping Score Sheets

Sample DFD34Q (84)

Total: 84

Sample TGFF35 (83)

Total: 83

Sample FHFG24 (79)

Total: 79

Sample FFT684

Total Score: 77

Sample FFY737

Total Score: 75

4. Why AB Outperformed AA

Key factors explaining this anomaly:

1 Bean Size vs Cup Quality

AA grading is screen size, not flavor quality.

2 Fermentation Consistency

AB lots may have undergone more stable fermentation.

3 Drying Uniformity

AA often dries unevenly due to larger seed density.

4 Sorting Errors

AA lots can contain hidden defects or fermentation contamination.

5. Recommendations to Reach 85+ Specialty Grade

1 Fermentation Control

Factories should implement:

Fermentation monitoring logs

Target parameters:

2 Sanitation Protocol

Phenolic defects indicate poor hygiene.

Factories must:

• Wash fermentation tanks daily
• Use clean water
• Avoid fermentation carryover contamination

3 Drying Optimization

Recommended:

• Raised African drying beds
• Drying duration 12–18 days
• Target moisture 10.5–11%

4 Roast Calibration

Roasters should ensure:

• Proper Maillard development
• Avoid underdevelopment
• Development time ratio 18–22%

5 ABCVA™ Quality Framework Implementation

Factories should adopt Kenya Coffee School ABCVA™ evaluation system:

Aroma
Balance
Complexity
Vibrancy
Aftertaste

This ensures farm-to-cup quality traceability.

6 Strategic Recommendation for Gatunyu & Muchai

Kenya Coffee School recommends:

1. Factory fermentation training
2. ABCVA™ sensory calibration workshops
3. Quality control cupping labs
4. Producer sensory training

These interventions can elevate coffees to:

85 – 88 SCA specialty grade

7 Conclusion

The cupping session demonstrated that AB grade coffees from Gatunyu and Muchai show strong specialty potential, outperforming AA lots in several cases.

However, fermentation defects, roast underdevelopment, and balance inconsistencies remain barriers to achieving premium specialty scores above 85.

With improved post-harvest control, sanitation, and roast calibration, these factories can produce high-value specialty coffees suitable for premium global markets.

Official Report

Prepared by:
Alfred Gitau Mwaura

Institution:
Kenya Coffee School
Kenya Coffee School Cupping Laboratory

Contact:
+254707503647
+254704375390

Date:
4 March 2026

Interpreting the ABCVA™ vs SCA Score Correlation Chart

The chart compares two different but related quality measurements used in the cupping session conducted at the Kenya Coffee School.

• X-Axis: ABCVA™ Average Score
• Y-Axis: SCA Final Score from the Specialty Coffee Association cupping protocol

Each point represents one coffee sample evaluated by Alfred Gitau Mwaura on 4 March 2026.

1. What the Chart Measures

The chart shows that Kenya Coffee School ABCVA™ sensory structure aligns with global SCA scoring.

ABCVA™ evaluates 5 structural qualities:

The ABCVA average summarizes how structurally strong the cup is.

2. Understanding the Position of Each Sample

Top Right = Highest Quality

Points in the upper-right area represent coffees with:

• strong ABCVA structure
• high SCA scores

Example:

DFD34Q (Gatunyu AB)
ABCVA: 8.10
SCA: 84

Interpretation:

• strong vibrancy
• good sweetness
• minor balance issue

This coffee is very close to 85+ specialty grade.

Upper Middle = Balanced Specialty

TGFF35 (Muchai AB)
ABCVA: 8.05
SCA: 83

Interpretation:

• well-balanced cup
• clean sweetness
• moderate acidity vibrancy

This coffee is structurally strong but slightly softer in acidity.

Mid Zone = Processing Problems

FHFG24 (Muchai AA)
ABCVA: 7.10
SCA: 79

Interpretation:

• phenolic defect
• reduced balance
• suppressed complexity

This confirms fermentation contamination likely occurred.

Lower Zone = Defect Impact

FFT684 (Underdeveloped Roast)
ABCVA: 7.00
SCA: 77

Interpretation:

• roast defect reduced complexity
• sweetness not fully developed

The coffee itself may be better than the roast result suggests.

Bottom = Processing Failure

FFY737 (AA)
ABCVA: 6.70
SCA: 75

Interpretation:

• fermentation imbalance
• weak sweetness
• short finish

This sample lost quality during processing.

3. What the Correlation Shows

The chart reveals a clear positive relationship:

Higher ABCVA structure → Higher SCA score

This means:

• coffees with better aroma, balance, complexity, vibrancy, and aftertaste
• consistently achieve higher global cupping scores

This validates the ABCVA™ system as a predictive sensory tool.

4. Important Insight from Your Cupping

A key discovery from the chart:

AB coffees outperform AA coffees

Interpretation:

Bean size does not guarantee quality.

Quality is determined by:

1. Fermentation control
2. Washing sanitation
3. Drying uniformity
4. Roast development

5. What an Ideal 85+ Coffee Would Look Like on the Chart

An 85+ specialty coffee would appear further right and higher:

Typical Kenyan flavor profile at this level:

• blackcurrant
• citrus brightness
• honey sweetness
• long sweet aftertaste

6. What This Chart Tells Gatunyu & Muchai

To move the coffees toward the top-right (85+) zone, factories must improve:

Fermentation monitoring

12–18 hours with clean water.

Sanitation

Prevent phenolic contamination.

Drying consistency

10.5–11% moisture target.

Roast calibration

Avoid underdevelopment.

7. Strategic Value of This Chart

This visualization is powerful because it:

• explains quality differences clearly
• shows processing failures
• predicts auction performance
• helps train farmers and factory managers

For a training institution like the Kenya Coffee School, this becomes a very powerful education and quality control tool.

✅ If you’d like, I can also create the most powerful visualization for your report:

The ABCVA™ Coffee Quality Ladder (75–90 scoring system)

It visually shows how Kenyan coffees move from:

75 → commercial
80 → specialty
85 → premium specialty
88+ → auction elite