Damn Fine Coffee Now Has Six Licensed Q Graders, The Most In Sri Lanka

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) -p:font-helvetica-medium print:mt-12">

Damn Fine Coffee says six members of its Sri Lankan team now hold Q Grader licences, a professional credential for assessing coffee. The roaster plans to use that expertise in sourcing, roasting and training.

Q Graders use a shared method to taste, describe and assess coffee. The Specialty Coffee Association issues the licence to people who complete its course and required assessments. Its current programme uses Coffee Value Assessment, a framework for recording what a coffee tastes like and evaluating its quality. The licence is renewable every three years, with continued professional development required. Q Grader - Specialty Coffee Associatio

For a roaster, sensory assessment can inform decisions before a batch is bought as well as after it is roasted. Damn Fine Coffee says its team will apply the training to green coffee selection and to tasting batches during product development. Green coffee is the unroasted product bought by roasters.

The team also plans to use the same approach when developing coffees from a single origin, selecting small lots and adjusting espresso roast profiles. Descriptions of sweetness, aroma and other characteristics can give the roaster and its suppliers a common basis for discussing the product. This is distinct from judging coffee solely on how strong it tastes when brewed.

The company also intends to use the expertise in training for staff and baristas and in work with café partners. Its plans cover the stages between selecting an unroasted coffee and serving the finished drink.

The qualification applies to individual professionals. The association describes it as relevant to people working in sourcing, roasting and quality control, where consistent assessment can help teams communicate about different batches. Q Grader - Specialty Coffee Associatio

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