6682
Academy Course
Sensory Skills Foundation
Taste with intention: the vocabulary, structure, and protocol behind every professional cupping.
Format
In person · Online
Duration
1 Day
Level
Foundation
Next Cohort
19 September 2026
What You'll Learn
Eight core competencies to master in this course.
1
Recognise the five basic tastes and how they appear in coffee.
2
Identify aroma categories using a structured framework.
3
Follow the SCA cupping protocol from setup to scoring.
4
Build a working vocabulary for describing what you taste.
5
Distinguish acidity, body, and sweetness as separate sensations.
6
Cup confidently alongside experienced tasters.
7
Recognise common defects by smell and taste.
8
Leave with the sensory foundation the rest of the Sensory track builds on.
Who It's For
- Anyone new to structured coffee tasting.
- Baristas who want to describe coffee, not just serve it.
- Coffee enthusiasts curious about the language professionals use.
- Anyone preparing for Sensory Skills Intermediate.
Prerequisites
- No prior cupping experience required.
- Introduction to Coffee recommended but not required.
The Instructor
Maryam Tabatabaei
Authorized SCA Premier Trainer · Q-Arabica GraderTaught by Maryam.
Maryam is an Authorized SCA Premier Trainer and a Q-Arabica Grader certified under the SCA Q Coffee System (formerly the Coffee Quality Institute) — one of the few practitioners in the United Arab Emirates who holds both credentials at once.
She placed fourth at the HB Best Batch Roasting Championship (Feb 2026), judged the UAE National Roasting Championship (Jan 2026), and presented at Gulfood 2026’s Specialty Coffee Stage. Cohorts in her studio are kept to six learners — closer to a master class than a campus.
“I will not teach you what to think about coffee. I will teach you how to taste it for yourself.”
SCA Authorized TrainerQ-Arabica Grader · SCAUAE Roasting Championship Judge4th · HB Best Batch RoastingGulfood 2026 · Specialty Stage
Frequently Asked
Do I need a trained palate already?
No. Foundation is built specifically for first-time tasters — the whole day is designed to train your palate, not test it.
Is this the same as Coffee Value Assessment (CVA)?
No. CVA is a separate, more advanced scoring framework. This course builds the sensory basics that CVA and Sensory Intermediate later build on.
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