Coffee is a universal language, but for some, it is a calling that demands to be answered—even if it means traveling over 7,000 kilometers.
We recently had the absolute pleasure of hosting a passionate student who traveled all the way from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to our roastery here in Tokyo. Their mission? To elevate their coffee craft by mastering the SCA Brewing Intermediate and SCA Sensory Skills Intermediate courses at Tasse Coffee Roastery.
It is always inspiring to see the global coffee community come together. Here is a look at the intensive journey they undertook to master the art and science of the brew.
☕ The Destination: Tasse Coffee Roastery, Tokyo
Why fly to Tokyo for coffee training? Japan's coffee scene is renowned worldwide for its precision, dedication to quality, and technical mastery. At Tasse Coffee, we offer SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) certified courses in multiple languages—English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Cantonese—making it a perfect hub for international students seeking world-class education.
Our student from the UAE opted for a dual-certification week, diving deep into two critical pillars of specialty coffee: Brewing and Sensory Skills.
1. Mastering the Science: SCA Brewing Intermediate
The first leg of the journey was the SCA CSP Brewing Intermediate course. While the Foundation level covers the basics, the Intermediate level is where the "art" of coffee meets the "science."
During this intensive 1-day course, our student moved beyond simple recipes and started looking at coffee through the lens of chemistry and physics.
Key Skills Learned:
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The Chemistry of Extraction: Understanding how water dissolves coffee compounds and how to manipulate this for the perfect cup.
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Grind Size & Extraction: Analyzing the relationship between particle size and flavor using scientific measurement tools.
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The Brewing Control Chart: Learning to plot brews on the industry-standard chart to visualize strength and extraction yield.
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Equipment Mastery: A deep dive into grinder maintenance and burr mechanics, ensuring consistency in every brew.
By the end of this module, they weren't just following recipes—they were designing them, capable of troubleshooting any brew to find the sweet spot of flavor.
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Course Link: SCA CSP Brewing Coffee Course
2. Refining the Palate: SCA Sensory Skills Intermediate
After mastering the equipment, it was time to master the most important tool of all: the tongue. The SCA CSP Sensory Skills Intermediate course is designed for those who want to evaluate specialty coffee professionally.
Coming from the UAE, where coffee culture is rich and historic, our student brought a unique perspective to the cupping table. This course helped calibrate that passion to international standards.
Key Skills Learned:
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Advanced Cupping Protocols: Setting up and running a professional cupping session.
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Sensory Calibration: Learning to identify and articulate specific flavor notes using the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel.
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Acid Identification: A challenging exercise in distinguishing between different organic acids (like citric, malic, and phosphoric) that give coffee its character.
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Triangulation Tasting: A test of sensory acuity to spot the "odd one out" among similar coffees.
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Defect Detection: identifying processing errors and roast defects that ruin a cup.
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Course Link: SCA CSP Sensory Skills Coffee Course
🌏 A Global Classroom
One of the most beautiful aspects of this visit was the cultural exchange. We discussed the differences between the coffee scenes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi versus Tokyo, finding common ground in our shared pursuit of excellence.
To our student from the UAE: Thank you for choosing Tasse Coffee Roastery for your professional development. You are returning home not just with certificates, but with a calibrated palate, a scientific approach to brewing, and a new coffee family in Tokyo.
Are you ready to take your coffee skills to the next level? Whether you are coming from down the street or across the globe, our doors are open.
Book your Private or Group SCA Course today: Visit Tasse Coffee Roastery
