Winston

Congratulations to our newest calibrated cuppers Fred Gillen and Pat Donnelly of the Coffee Department in our Waterbury, Vermont cupping lab!  When a new member of the cupping team starts cupping we ensure they are calibrated to the team before their scores are used to approve or reject coffee.  The process to be calibrated to the team takes months of practice cupping every day.  It also involves talking and learning about the coffees we buy, why we buy them, when we buy them, and how we use them.  

After studiously apprentice cupping for months, it became obvious that Fred and Pat were calibrated to the team.  At that point Lindsey Bolger invited everyone into the lab for the 'official' ceremony.  She put the official shawl on Fred and Pat, bonked each one on the shoulder with her cupping spoon, and declared them "Calibrated."  Now their scores will be included with the teams’ for approving or rejecting coffee.  Congrats Fred and Pat!