There's a lot of debate about Robusta. And it starts with the name itself. Precisely, the plant is called Coffea Canephora and, like Coffee Arabica, is subdivided into different varieties/clones. Canephora is diploid and self-sterile and happily intermingles in the field. It is actually quite complex to keep different varieties cleanly separated. However, this article is not about that.
No, this is about the quality of Robusta and a sensory evaluation and assessment. Along with Conilon and Ugandea, Robusta is the most commercially widespread Coffea Canephora variety.
In 2019, I completed the Q Robusta Grader course. This course, offered by the Coffee Quality Institute, spans a week and requires passing 20 sensory tests over three days to successfully complete it. Q Robusta Graders calibrate among themselves to assess the quality of Robusta or Canephora.
From October 2025, there will be a new evaluation format for both Arabica and Robusta. We have discussed the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) in detail here.
Overall thoughts on Robusta
It makes sense to engage with Robusta! We can clear up our own prejudices, learn about a coffee species that serves approximately 1/3 of the world market and will become increasingly important in the future due to climatic changes and changing growing conditions. And by the way, Robusta is getting better and better! Robusta is no longer just Robusta and tastes like the next highway exit. Robusta is diverse, elegant, complex, sweet, fruity and sometimes tastes better than many Arabicas. However, the Q Robusta Grader is not about comparability to Arabica. Instead, the goal is to cup Robusta alongside Robusta and to learn to measure and assess its qualities. What achieves 80 points and more is called "fine" Robusta. Quality in the cup also leads to better prices for Robusta, from which the producer benefits. Qualitative feedback leads to a better product.
Fifty years ago, I wasn't out with my cupping spoon. But ask the veterans of the trade what Arabica used to taste like.
Robusta Fine Coffee Cupping Form
In this article, I won't go into all the subtleties of the cupping protocol that we also have in the Arabica protocol. We will write about that in a separate article on the Arabica protocol used by the Coffee Quality Institute. Here's a look at the differences to Arabica.
Fragrance/Aroma:
The typical notes we find in Robustas sometimes differ greatly from Arabicas. At the beginning of 2025, the first Flavor Wheel for Robusta was published. Here we can find inspiration regarding various aromas. In addition to enzymatic notes such as honey, lemon, tea rose, stone fruits, we particularly encounter notes of potato, pea, and cabbage in lower qualities. Sugar browning provides us with a medley of nuts, vanilla, cocoa, chocolate, caramel, but also toast, peanut, and various dry distillation off-roast notes of burnt pulp such as malt, cedar, tobacco, cinnamon, pepper, etc. Additionally, there are storage notes of earth, rubber, coffee pulp, straw, and more.
Flavor:
Indeed, good Robustas have a lot to offer in terms of taste. The combination of gustatory and retronasal impressions is rated here. We look at intensity, quality, and complexity and rate high with appropriate transparency. Typical notes of Robustas are various fruits, such as cherries, raisins, berries, and especially dried stone fruits. In addition, of course, the entire range of nuts, as well as sometimes spicy and floral notes of clove, cedar, pepper, coriander, etc. The less fine Robustas, on the other hand, outdo themselves in notes of grassy, hay, cereal, vegetal, rubbery, potato flavor, chemical, medicinal, mushroom, phenolic, etc.
Aftertaste:
This is where the wheat is quickly separated from the chaff. "Fine" Robustas impress with clarity and a long aftertaste that continues the positive flavor attributes. "Commercial" Robustas are earthy, astringent, soapy, chalky, bitter.
Salt/Acid and Bitter/Sweet Ratio
Now it gets interesting! Because here the Robusta Cupping Form is fundamentally different from the Arabica Cupping Form. As most of you have already noticed when tasting Robusta, it generally has a higher bitterness than Arabica. This is due to the higher content of chlorogenic acids, quinic acid, and partly also the higher caffeine content. However, Robusta actually also has more potassium and therefore tastes slightly salty. Saltiness leads to an unclean, harsh taste if pronounced, whereas a qualitative acidity balances the coffee and gives it structure and vibrancy. So we rate low saltiness positively and the presence of acidity likewise.
Bitterness is similar to saltiness. Less is more, and that benefits the cup. If a pleasant sweetness is added, a Robusta quickly becomes truly balanced.
This also benefits the texture, which ideally not only impresses with fullness, as often seen with Robustas, but also by being round and soft. No defects or irregularities complete the picture – then you have a truly fine Robusta – a "fine" Robusta, that is.
"fine" Robusta Classification
The classification by total score is as follows:
- 90-100 Outstanding Very Fine
- 80-90 Fine Fine
- 70-80 Very Good Premium
- 60-70 Average Usual Good Quality
- 50-60 Fair Usual Good Quality
- 40-50 Fair Commercial
- < 40 Exchange Grade
- < 30 Below Grade
- < 20 Off Grade
- < 10 Triage
In addition to the sensory evaluation, 350g of green coffee are classified per sample.
More on the topic of Robusta can be found in our overview article. Philipp Schallberger's series on communicating specialty coffee is worth reading on the topic of sensory analysis.
