SCA Sensory Skills course · Downtown Los Angeles What you taste, and why.
Sensory Skills is a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) course in sensory evaluation: how we perceive what we taste, how to evaluate a coffee’s natural characteristics, and how to put that to work in a business. Practical and interactive, it runs at Foundation (7 hours), Intermediate (14 hours) and Professional (21 hours) level at Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd in downtown Los Angeles — in English or Korean, taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor.
At a glance
- Levels
- Foundation, Intermediate and Professional
- Length
- 7, 14 or 21 hours, by level
- Exams
- Written and practical, audited by the SCA
- Certificate
- An SCA certificate for each level you pass
- Diplomas
- Foundation counts toward all four SCA Skills Diplomas — Café, Roastery, Coffee Trade and Sustainable Coffee. Intermediate and Professional count toward the Roastery and Coffee Trade Diplomas.
- Taught by
- Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor
- Language
- English or Korean
- Where
- Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd, downtown Los Angeles
Three levels
One palate, three depths.
Foundation needs no experience. Intermediate and Professional are for people who already work in coffee.
01
Foundation
A first taste of sensory evaluation, and a good way to decide whether to go further. No experience needed.
- Counts toward all four SCA Skills Diplomas
02
Intermediate
For people already working in coffee who have the basic skills down.
- Counts toward the Roastery and Coffee Trade Diplomas
03
Professional
Specialist knowledge at a high level. The SCA’s outcomes for this level:
- Lead professional cuppings
- Design evaluation programs
- Train tasters
- Counts toward the Roastery and Coffee Trade Diplomas
Questions
Good to know
Do I need tasting experience?
Not for Foundation — no experience needed. Intermediate and Professional are for people who already work in coffee and have the basic skills down.
How long is each level?
Foundation is 7 hours, Intermediate is 14 hours and Professional is 21 hours — the SCA’s set length for each level.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Each level ends with written and practical exams, assessed by your Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and audited by the SCA. Pass them and you receive an SCA certificate for that level.
Which SCA diplomas does Sensory Skills count toward?
Sensory Skills Foundation counts toward all four SCA Skills Diplomas: Café, Roastery, Coffee Trade and Sustainable Coffee. Sensory Skills Intermediate and Professional count toward the Roastery and Coffee Trade Diplomas. The diplomas are cumulative — you earn them by combining certificates across courses and levels.
Does Sensory Skills help me prepare for the Q Grader course?
The SCA lists Sensory Skills Foundation and Intermediate among its suggested preparation for the Q Grader course, along with CVA for Cuppers and Green Coffee Foundation or Intermediate. We also teach the SCA Q Grader course at Soro.
Can I take the course in Korean?
Yes. Classes are taught in English or Korean. For details in Korean, see our Korean-language page (한국어).
Where is the class held, and who teaches it?
At Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017, in downtown Los Angeles. Every class is taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor.
Next step
Ask about the next class
Send an inquiry and we’ll get back to you by email. Class dates are set based on demand. Or email education@sorocoffee.com.
More SCA courses at Soro