There's a lot of controversy surrounding Robusta . And it starts with the name. The plant is actually called Coffea Canephora, and like Coffee Arabica, it's divided into different varieties/clones. Canephora is diploid and self-sterile, happily intermingling in the field. It's actually quite laborious to keep different varieties neatly side by side. However, that's not what this article is about.
No, it's about the quality of Robusta and a sensory evaluation. Along with Conilon and Uganda, Robusta is the most commercially available Coffea Canephora variety.
I completed the Q Robusta Grader course in 2019. This course offered by the Coffee Quality Institute runs over a week and requires successful completion of 20 sensory tests spread over three days. Q Robusta Graders calibrate the quality of Robusta and Canephora coffees among themselves.
Starting in October 2025, a new evaluation method will be in place for both Arabica and Robusta coffees. We discussed the Coffee Value Assessment, or CVA for short, in detail here .
Overall thoughts on Robusta
It makes sense to get to grips with Robusta! We can put our own preconceptions to rest and learn about a coffee variety that serves around one-third of the world market and will become increasingly important in the future due to climate change and changing growing conditions. And by the way, Robusta is getting better and better! Robusta is no longer the same as Robusta and tastes like the next motorway exit. Robusta is diverse, elegant, complex, sweet, fruity and in some cases tastes better than many Arabicas. But the Q Robusta Grader is not about comparability to Arabica. Instead, the goal is to cup Robusta next to Robusta and to measure and learn to assess the qualities. Anything that achieves 80 points or 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 an improved product.
I wasn't around with my cupping spoon 50 years ago. But just ask the veterans of the trade what Arabica tasted like back then.
Robusta Fine Coffee Cupping Mold
In this article, I won't go into all the intricacies of the cupping protocol that we also have with the Arabica protocol. We'll cover that in a separate article on the Arabica protocol used by the Coffee Quality Institute. Here's a look at the differences compared to Arabica.
Fragrance/Aroma:
The typical notes found in Robustas differ considerably from those of Arabicas. The first flavor wheel for Robusta was published in early 2025. This provides inspiration for various aromas. In addition to enzymatic notes such as honey, lemon, tea rose, and stone fruits, we encounter notes of potato, pea, and cabbage, especially in lower qualities. Sugar browning provides a smorgasbord of nuts, vanilla, cocoa, chocolate, caramel, as well as toast, peanut, and various dry distillation off-roast notes of burnt pulp, malt, cedar, tobacco, cinnamon, pepper, etc. Added to this are storage notes of earth, rubber, coffee pulp, straw, and more.
Flavor:
Indeed, good Robustas have a lot to offer in terms of flavor. The scoring is based on the combination of gustatory and retronasal impressions. We look at intensity, quality, and complexity, and give high marks for appropriate transparency. Typical Robusta notes include various fruits, such as cherries, raisins, berries, and especially dried stone fruits. Also present, of course, are the full range of nuts, as well as spicy and floral notes of clove, cedar, pepper, coriander, etc. Less refined Robustas, on the other hand, excel in notes of grass, hay, grain, vegetable, rubbery, potato, chemical, medicinal, mushroom, phenolic, etc.
Anal taste:
This is where the wheat is quickly separated from the chaff. "Fine" Robustas impress with their clarity and a long aftertaste that continues the positive flavor attributes. "Commercial" Robustas are earthy, astringent, soapy, chalky, and bitter.
Salt/Acid and Bitter/Sweet Ratio
Now it gets interesting! Robusta cupping form is fundamentally different from Arabica cupping form. As most of you have already noticed when trying Robusta, it generally has a higher bitterness than Arabica. This is due to the higher chlorogenic acid content, quinic acid, and also, to some extent, the higher caffeine content. In fact, Robusta also has more potassium and therefore tastes slightly salty. Saltiness, when pronounced, leads to an unclean, harsh flavor, whereas quality acidity balances the coffee and adds structure and vibrancy. We therefore view a low saltiness as a positive, as well as the presence of acidity.
Bitterness is like saltiness. Less is more, and that's beneficial to the cup. Adding a nice sweetness to the mix quickly balances a Robusta.
This also benefits the texture, which ideally impresses not only with its fullness, as is often the case with Robustas, but also with its roundness and softness. No flaws or irregularities complete the picture – then this results in a truly fine Rousta – a "fine" Robusta, in other words.
«fine» Robusta classification
The classification according to the overall 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 per sample is classified.
You can find more on the topic of Robusta in our overview article. Philipp Schallberger's series on communicating specialty coffee is worth reading on the topic of sensory perception.
