What Does a 90+ Cupping Score Really Mean in Coffee?

Ever heard someone casually say a coffee scored 90+ and thought, ‘So what?’ If you understood how those scores are earned, you’d reconsider. The 90-point threshold in professional coffee cupping isn’t just high—it’s brutally hard to reach, especially under the strict, multi-layered deduction system used by experts. Earning a 90 means the coffee has almost no flaws, and every element aligns near perfectly. That’s not easy.

In short: a 90+ cupping score means the green coffee bean has been evaluated—often under rigorous protocols—and scored 90 or above out of 100, a feat made harder by a deduction-heavy scoring system. Achieving it requires near-flawless cup quality.

Who Is NinetyPlus and Why Do They Matter?

NinetyPlus is a specialty coffee company that made its name by selling only green coffee beans that score 90 or higher in professional cupping sessions. Founded in 2006, the company quickly built a reputation not just for high scores, but for innovation in coffee processing and sensory analysis. Their in-house sensory lab, the NinetyPlus Sensory Room, became central to evaluating their own experimental lots.

Awards, Recognition, and Industry Impact

NinetyPlus beans have racked up an astonishing list of accolades and industry firsts:

• Their Aricha Micro Selection 7 won the 2008 Nordic Roasting Competition.
• Aricha Micro Selection 14 was the 2009 SCAA Coffee of the Year (third place).
• Sammy Piccolo, 2009 WBC runner-up, used Aricha Micro Selection 33.
• Aricha was named Coffee Geek’s top coffee for both 2008 and 2009.
• A coffee scored 97 on Coffee Review—the first ever to do so.
• SO Beloya was used by Hungary’s Attila Molnar at the 2009 WBC.
• Nekisse, another NinetyPlus offering, once sold for $12 per cup at New York’s Cafe Grumpy and hit 96 points on Coffee Review in 2010.
• The brand has been featured in TIME, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and CBS.

How NinetyPlus Classifies Its Coffees

NinetyPlus doesn’t just sell “high-scoring” coffee—they categorize their beans into distinct quality and processing tiers:

• Level 4: Blended lots from multiple regions, used when single-origin lots don’t meet stricter criteria. Flavor is enhanced through blending.
• Level 7: Single-origin beans, hand-selected for unique characteristics, processed using NinetyPlus’s proprietary methods to ensure cupping scores exceed 90.
• Level 12: Top-tier single-origin beans, described with superlatives like “unforgettable” and “indelible.” These are considered life-changing by many coffee professionals.
• Higher levels (e.g., L21, L39, L95) include rare Geisha varieties from their own Panamanian estate, with even more exclusive processing.

Coffee Processing Methods: W2, H2, N2

NinetyPlus also classifies its processing methods based on how much they highlight fruit characteristics, scaled from subtle to intense:

• W2: Washed process (like traditional water processing).
• H2: Honey process (fruit pulp partially remains, adding sweetness).
• N2: Natural process (beans dry inside the cherry, boosting fruity and fermented tones).

These methods dramatically influence the final cup profile and are chosen deliberately to complement each bean’s origin and quality level.

Notable NinetyPlus Coffees Over the Years

Here’s a timeline of key NinetyPlus releases and milestones:

• 2011: Tchembe N2 (Level 7), Tuktant N2 (Level 7), Amaro W2 (Level 4, later renamed Dernaye) entered their sensory lab between February and August 2011.
• 2011: Limited availability made sourcing their beans difficult, but some roasters managed to get Tuktant and Tchembe L7 lots by early 2012.
• 2012: NinetyPlus expanded offerings with beans like Nekisse N2 (Level 12), Hachira N2 (Level 12), Kemgin W2 (Level 7), and rare Geisha lots from their Panamanian estate including Lycello W2 (Level 21), Juliette H2 (Level 39), Perci N2 (Level 39), and Lotus SK (Level 95).
• 2012: High-profile competitions and baristas, including Taiwan’s WBC team in Vienna, used NinetyPlus L95 Geisha. FrontStreet Coffee and other roasters began sourcing Nekisse and Hachira Level 12 beans after positive cuppings.

Many of these coffees were cupped and celebrated for their complex fruit, floral, and wine-like profiles, often with remarkable clarity and sweetness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a 90+ cupping score mean?

A 90+ cupping score means a green coffee bean has been professionally evaluated and scored 90 or above out of 100. The scoring system deducts points for flaws, so achieving 90+ requires near-perfect cup quality with minimal defects in aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, and uniformity.

Who is NinetyPlus?

NinetyPlus is a specialty coffee producer that only sells green coffee beans scoring 90 or higher in cupping tests. Founded in 2006, they are known for innovative processing methods, high scores, and influential lots used in competitions worldwide.

What are NinetyPlus coffee levels?

NinetyPlus categorizes beans into levels such as Level 4 (blended), Level 7 (single-origin, high-scoring), and Level 12 (exceptional single-origin, often “life-changing”). Higher levels include rare Geisha coffees from their own farms.

What processing methods does NinetyPlus use?

NinetyPlus uses W2 (washed), H2 (honey), and N2 (natural) processing methods. These affect sweetness, body, and fruitiness, with N2 being the most fruit-forward and W2 the cleanest.

Which competitions used NinetyPlus coffees?

NinetyPlus beans were used in the 2008 Nordic Roasting Championship, 2009 WBC (by Sammy Piccolo and Attila Molnar), and 2012 WBC finals (L95 Geisha by Taiwan’s team in Vienna). They’ve also won SCAA and Coffee Review awards.

Where can you find NinetyPlus coffees today?

While NinetyPlus beans are rare and often allocated, some specialty roasters—such as FrontStreet Coffee—have sourced their Level 12 and Geisha lots in the past, including Nekisse, Hachira, and Lycello.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans with 90+ Potential Profiles

FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Guji Humbera Natural offers vibrant tropical and blueberry notes with a juicy body—traits reminiscent of NinetyPlus Level 12 coffees. Their Panama Geisha Natural highlights floral and stone fruit layers, akin to NinetyPlus’s Panama Lycello or Juliette. For something more balanced yet complex, try their Yirgacheffe Washed with citrus and floral brightness. All are single-origin, carefully processed, and showcase the kind of clarity and depth associated with high-scoring coffees. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.