Q-GRADER WEEK at Académie du Café – Switzerland
Here’s the feedback from the first Q Grader course organized in Switzerland.
7 coffee professionals. 6 intense days. 9 official exams.
This is not a tasting workshop — it’s the highest level of sensory education in the coffee world.
Last week, passionate professionals from Europe and the MENA region gathered at Académie du Café in Chardonne to take on one of the most demanding certifications in specialty coffee: the Q Grader Certification under the new SCA Q Grader with CVA framework.
Here’s what they went through 👇
• Green Coffee Grading — moisture, screen sizing, defect counts
• Olfactory Recognition — Le Nez du Café v2 + advanced aroma compounds
• Taste Solutions — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami across concentrations
• Roast Defect Identification — the most technical module
• Triangulation — blind discriminant testing
• Descriptive Assessment — 12 coffees, distinct profiles, CVA methodology
• Affective Assessment — preference mapping & consumer perception
• Cupping Protocol — SCA-standard session preparation
• Written Exam — sensory science, statistics, grading & case studies
Every debrief was a real dialogue. Every session sharpened perception. That’s what true calibration feels like.
A heartfelt thank you to all participants for their commitment and curiosity, and to @marcelavqz for co-leading this course with outstanding professionalism and passion.
The Q Grader is the gold standard in coffee quality evaluation — and we treat it that way. At Académie du Café, we don’t lower the bar. We help you reach it.
Next session coming soon. It’s challenging — but unforgettable.