SCA (Specialty Coffee Association)
also: Specialty Coffee Association, SCAA/SCAE
The trade body behind the cupping protocol, flavor wheel, and brewing standards cited across specialty coffee.
SCA, the Specialty Coffee Association, is the nonprofit trade body that sets and publishes much of the shared language and many of the standards used in specialty coffee. It was formed in 2017 from the merger of the American (SCAA) and European (SCAE) associations.
Why it matters: when people cite “the standard” for a brew ratio, a cupping procedure, or a quality threshold, they usually mean an SCA protocol. The association also runs education and certification programs and supports the Q grading system through partner organizations.
What it covers: the SCA maintains the cupping protocol, publishes the coffee flavor wheel (a shared vocabulary for tasting notes), defines water and brewing parameters, and certifies brewers and equipment. Across this site, when we reference conventional figures for ratios, water, or scoring, those defaults trace back to SCA guidance. Treat its standards as a common reference point, not the only valid way to brew.