Method
From need to verdict.
Five steps. At each step you know what happens, what we need from you, and what you get back.
The five steps
- 1 · Confirm
We confirm the sample specification, the shipping address, and the delivery timeline — in writing. Nothing ships before this.
- 2 · Send a sample
You send a representative sample to the confirmed address (shipping at your cost). We log receipt: date, sample number, sender, sample state, roast date.
- 3 · Build the dossier
Cupping to the stated protocol (default SCA CVA), QC measurement, then the three deliverables: dossier card, verdict report, raw records pack.
- 4 · Review
The founder reviews the data and the wording before delivery.
- 5 · Deliver
Three-piece PDF set, plus one Q&A session within 48 hours.
First we understand the need, then we agree the scope, then we talk terms. One email, one purpose — we do not stack fees, data terms, and role conditions before you have asked for a concrete engagement.
The evidence index
The archive number proves nothing by itself. The chain does. Every lot gets an evidence index:
| # | Link | What is recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sample flow | Receipt date, sample number, sender, sample state (roasted / green), roast date. |
| 2 | Field sources | Every field on the dossier card traced to its source: provided by client / measured / cupped. Client-provided information is marked "not independently verified". |
| 3 | Method notes | Cupping protocol version, roast curve number, instrument models, environment conditions. |
| 4 | Raw record numbers | Sensory log number and QC record number, matching each citation in the verdict report one-to-one. |
What a verdict explains
Every verdict states three things — its basis, its conditions, and its evidence scope:
- Basis
The decisive factor: the one piece of evidence that most affects this buying decision, with the numbers behind it.
- Conditions
What must hold for the verdict to stand — e.g. price reduction, or sorting plus re-checking the sorted sample. Conditions address the specific problem found; they are not presented as removing the risk.
- Evidence scope
What was measured, what was not, and what the report does not cover. The verdict applies to the received sample lot only. It is not a purchase guarantee.
The four verdicts
| Verdict | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buy | Evidence supports buying this lot as sampled. |
| Buy with conditions | Buy only if the stated conditions are met (e.g. price, sorting + re-check). |
| Do not buy | Evidence supports passing on this lot. |
| Defer judgment | Evidence is insufficient — a key piece is missing or unverifiable. No verdict is forced, and the report says what evidence is missing. |
One page carries the conclusion. The attachments carry the proof. We do not cut necessary conditions to keep the report to one page, and we do not dress sample data up as a real client case.