CoLab: Antwerp: "World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon" | Emma Sage (SCAA)

One of the best things about Barista Guild of Europe’s CoLab: Antwerp programmingwas undoubtedly the Wednesday morning session with SCAA’s Science Manager, EmmaSage, who lead attendees through a taste-buds-on deep dive of the World CoffeeResearch Sensory Lexicon. Whilst technology hasn’t developed to the point wherewe can share sensorial experiences via the technowebs, we can share with youEmma’s introduction to World Coffee Research, the International Multi-LocationVariety Trial, and the sensory lexicon they’ve developed to be able to be ableto objectively measure—and thus improve—desirable coffee qualities in a worldof climate change and increasing disease.

World Coffee Research—and the important work they undertake—is atestament to the positive power of collaboration. We hope you are inspired byEmma’s talk to continue to collaborate, whether at events like BGE’s CoLab orwithin the new unified specialty coffee organisation!

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Emma Sage is theScience Manager at the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), whereshe promotes research, acts as the primary liaison between science andindustry, and serves as a scientific interpreter for coffee professionals. Inthis position, she has also investigated a variety of scientific topicsrelevant to the specialty coffee industry by way of original research projects,content for pathway classes, invited lectures, special reports and literaturereviews, and regular contributions to the SCAA Magazine. She also serves as theWorld Coffee Research Industry Liaison. She holds a M.S. in Botany from theUniversity of Wyoming, a B.A. in Ecology, and holds a post-graduate certificatefrom the Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program at theUniversity of California, Davis. She has experience with a variety oflaboratory and field research projects in plant physiology, biology, ecology,enology, and climate change science which has given her a solid foundation toapply to coffee. She has always been committed to science education and isdedicated to acting as an effective resource for the specialty coffee industry.