Live trees have bright red coffee beans.

Coffee samples are stored in tins at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury.

Green, unroasted beans.

Beans tumble out of the roaster.

Stacy Bosker, in the coffee lab, explains that a lighter than normal roast is used for cupping.

Samples are identified by their country of origin but otherwise left anonymous.

Ten cups of each type of coffee are arranged at a rotating table.

Lindsey Bolger, Director of Coffee, carefully smells each cup.

When water is added the grinds and oils float to the top, making a foam. This is smelled by the cuppers as well.

Before sampling, all the oils are removed from the cups.

Rafael Valenzuela, a producer from Colombia, finally samples the coffee.

Cuppers are advised not to swallow what they taste. Cuppers can sample as many as 120 cups of coffee a day.

After everyone has completed their evaluations, they get together to discuss each of the cofffees.

Helgar Zelada from Peru explains what's on his evaluation.

Coffees are evaluated on many characteristics--body, acidity, and flavor, for example. Evaulations are conducted in both Spanish and English.

Rafael Valenzuela, an expert cupper, talks about his favorites.

In order to be certified as a cupper, you must be able to identify the common scents associated with coffee.

Common coffee characteristics.