About this Event
SCA Sensory Skills Intensive
Foundation + Intermediate
2 Levels · 2 Certificates · 1 Intensive Course
COFFEENØW, in collaboration with Flow Float, is excited to welcome Neo Cheung from for a special SCA Sensory Skills Foundation + Intermediate Intensive Course.
This 3-day intensive program is designed for those who want to build a structured understanding of coffee sensory evaluation — from the fundamentals of how we perceive taste and aroma to more advanced sensory analysis, calibration and professional application.
Instead of taking Foundation and Intermediate separately, participants will progress through both levels in one focused learning experience and work toward two SCA certificates.
COURSE INFORMATION
Dates: October 12–14, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily
Location: COFFEENØW
Unit 12, 185 Riviera Dr, Markham, Ontario
Course: SCA Sensory Skills — Foundation + Intermediate
Format: 3-Day Intensive Program
Course Fee: CAD $1,980
WHAT IS SENSORY SKILLS?
Great coffee evaluation goes beyond simply saying, “I like it” or “I don't like it.”
Sensory skills give coffee professionals a structured way to understand, evaluate and communicate what they experience in a cup.
Throughout this intensive program, participants will explore how our senses influence coffee perception and learn how to identify, differentiate and communicate sensory characteristics with greater accuracy and consistency.
The course combines theory, tasting, cupping, sensory exercises and practical calibration.
FOUNDATION — BUILD YOUR SENSORY FOUNDATION
The Foundation level introduces the essential concepts behind sensory evaluation.
Participants will begin developing a structured approach to tasting coffee and understanding how our sensory system responds to different stimuli.
Topics and exercises may include:
- Introduction to sensory analysis
- Understanding taste, aroma and flavour
- Basic sensory physiology
- Sweetness, acidity, bitterness and other taste perceptions
- Aroma recognition
- Coffee flavour vocabulary
- Introduction to professional coffee tasting
- Identifying differences between coffees
- Basic sensory testing and practical exercises
- Communicating sensory experiences more clearly
The goal is to move from simply drinking coffee toward understanding why a coffee tastes the way it does.
INTERMEDIATE — GO DEEPER
After establishing the fundamentals, participants will progress into SCA Sensory Skills Intermediate.
This level develops greater accuracy, consistency and confidence in sensory evaluation, with more emphasis on practical application within the coffee industry.
Participants will explore areas such as:
- Sensory perception in greater depth
- Taste and aroma identification
- Sensory thresholds
- Discrimination testing
- Triangulation exercises
- Sensory calibration
- Descriptive sensory analysis
- Understanding bias in sensory evaluation
- Building consistency between evaluations
- Cupping and coffee comparison
- Communicating coffee quality
- Applying sensory skills to professional coffee environments
Participants will repeatedly taste, compare, discuss and calibrate, helping transform sensory theory into practical skills.
MEET YOUR TRAINER — NEO CHEUNG 張仲銘
Joining us from Hong Kong, Neo Cheung is a specialty coffee educator, sensory professional, competition judge, coach and competitor with extensive experience in coffee education and professional certification.
His credentials include:
- SCAA CQI Q-Grader Certification
- SCAA CQI R-Grader Certification
- SCAE Authorized Trainer
- SCAE Barista Certification Certifier
- SCAE Grinding & Brewing Certification Certifier
- SCAE Cupping & Sensory Certification Certifier
- SCAE Green Bean Certification Certifier
- SCAE Roasting Certification Certifier
Neo also brings extensive competition experience as both a competitor and judge.
His career highlights include becoming the 2024 China Coffee Cupping Competition – Hong Kong Champion and 2025–26 Hong Kong Runner-up, alongside judging and coaching experience across barista, sensory, AeroPress, siphon, latte art and other coffee competitions.
His combination of education + sensory + competition experience brings a practical perspective to the classroom beyond theory alone.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This intensive program is ideal for people who want to develop a more professional and systematic approach to tasting coffee, including baristas, roasters, café owners and managers, coffee buyers, QC professionals, competitors and coaches, and serious coffee enthusiasts.
You don't need to be a competition-level coffee professional to start developing better sensory skills. The program begins with Foundation concepts before progressing into Intermediate material.
WHY TAKE FOUNDATION + INTERMEDIATE TOGETHER?
Sensory development works best through repetition.
By completing both levels within one intensive program, participants can immediately build upon the concepts introduced at Foundation level and apply them through more challenging Intermediate exercises.
Rather than stopping after the basics and returning to Intermediate months later, this format creates a continuous learning journey:
Learn → Taste → Compare → Calibrate → Apply
Three focused days dedicated to understanding coffee through your senses.
2 LEVELS. 2 CERTIFICATES. 1 INTENSIVE COURSE.
October 12–14, 2026
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 COFFEENØW
Unit 12, 185 Riviera Dr
Markham, Ontario
CAD $2,200 (email us and pay via e-transfer enjoy a 10% off)
Limited seats are available to maintain an effective environment for tasting, sensory exercises and calibration.
Same coffee. Deeper understanding.
Event venue & nearby stays
185 Riviera Dr unit 12, 185 Riviera Drive, Markham, Canada
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