On the cupping table in front of me right now, there are five bowls from the same offer sample. The coffee scored well. Then we weighed out 300 grams of the same green, spread it on a black tray, and counted the defects. The tray told a slightly different story than the cup did. That gap, between what a sample tastes like and what a lot actually is, is the whole reason this article exists.
Here is the short answer. To request green coffee samples before a bulk order, ask your supplier for a named lot with the current crop year, the full two-step process, moisture and defect data, and a Q-grader cupping score. Then evaluate it in two passes: a physical green grade first, then a roast-and-cup under SCA protocol. The sample sets your baseline. The job after that is making the container match it.
This guide covers the sample types you can actually ask for, how to request one without wasting a week, how to evaluate it properly, and the step almost every first-time buyer skips.
Last updated: July 2026
What Kinds of Green Coffee Samples Can You Request?
There are four green coffee samples worth knowing by name: an offer sample, a type sample, a stocklot sample, and a pre-shipment sample. An offer sample represents coffee for sale right now. A type sample shows a quality level or past lot as a reference, not a specific parcel. A stocklot sample represents a real, specified quantity sitting in a warehouse. A pre-shipment sample (PSS) is drawn from the finished, milled lot just before it ships.
Why does the distinction matter? Because each one carries a different promise. A type sample is the loosest: it says “our Grade 1 Gayo usually cups like this,” not “this exact coffee will.” An offer sample is tied to a lot that may still sell out before you commit. A stocklot sample points at beans you can buy today. And the pre-shipment sample is the one that legally and practically matters most, because it is drawn from the actual coffee about to leave the port.
Most first-time buyers only ever ask for “a sample” and get whatever the supplier has on hand. That is usually a type or offer sample. Useful for a first impression, but do not confuse it with the coffee that lands in your warehouse.
| Sample type | What it represents | What it promises |
|---|---|---|
| Type sample | A quality level or past lot, as a reference | A profile to expect, not a specific parcel |
| Offer sample | Coffee currently for sale | This lot, if it is still available when you commit |
| Stocklot sample | A specified quantity in a named warehouse | Real beans you can buy now |
| Pre-shipment sample (PSS) | The finished, milled lot before export | The exact coffee about to ship to you |
How to Request a Green Coffee Sample the Right Way
To request a green coffee sample well, tell the supplier three things: the origin and profile you are chasing, the volume you are actually planning to buy, and how you intend to roast it. Ask in return for the crop year, the two-step process, moisture and water activity, a defect count, and a recent cupping score. A vague request gets a vague sample.
Be specific about volume up front. There is a real difference between a roaster wanting 60 kilograms and an importer scoping a 9-ton container, and a good supplier will match the sample and the conversation to that. Naming your roast intent helps too. If you are pulling espresso, say so, because a lot that shines as filter can sit flat and heavy under nine bars of pressure.
A serious supplier sends back more than beans. You should receive a 350-gram sample, enough to roast and cup more than once, along with Q-grader cupping notes and, for green beans crossing a border, phytosanitary and quarantine paperwork. If the export documents are missing, your customs broker will remind you the hard way.
One honest note on cost, because buyers always ask. Some suppliers ship samples free to known partners and charge new buyers a small creditable deposit that comes back off the first contract. At ISC, existing and verified buyers sample free; new buyers place a USD 100 deposit for a 350-gram sample with shipping included, and that deposit is deducted from the first order. A deposit is not a red flag. It filters out tire-kickers and covers real freight, and when it credits against your order the sample effectively costs nothing.
How to Evaluate a Sample: Two Passes, Not One
Evaluate every green coffee sample in two passes: a physical green grade first, then a sensory cupping. The green grade tells you how the coffee was sorted and stored. The cup tells you how it tastes. Buyers who skip straight to the cup miss half the picture, because a lot can taste fine in one careful roast and still be full of the defects that will haunt a production batch.
Pass one: the physical green grade
Weigh out 300 grams, spread the green on a flat tray, and count. You are looking for full black beans, sour beans, insect damage, sticks, and stones. Grade 1 under the Indonesian coffee grading standard means a defect value of 11 or fewer per 300 grams. Check moisture too. Properly dried and stored green coffee sits around 10 to 12.5 percent moisture, and water activity below about 0.60 tells you it will hold in storage rather than fade or go moldy.
Watch for quakers, the pale beans that never developed sugar and stay tan after roasting. They do not show in the green as obviously as a black bean, but they flatten a cup fast. This is where wet-hulled Sumatra earns its reputation: the parchment is stripped while the bean is still soft and wet at 35 to 40 percent moisture (wet-hulling, or Giling Basah), which is gentle on flavor and rough on bean uniformity (more on Indonesia’s wet-hulled process). Expect more visual variation than a washed Colombian. That is the process, not a defect.
Pass two: the cupping
Roast the sample to a light-to-medium cupping roast and rest it, then cup within 24 hours of roasting. SCA protocol is 8.25 grams of coffee per 150 milliliters of water at about 93°C. Cup it blind against something you know, break the crust, and score fragrance, flavor, acidity, body, and aftertaste. If you have not run a formal session before, our guide to preparing a cupping session walks through the setup. Cup it more than once if you have the beans, because a single bowl on a bad morning is not evidence.
Do not treat the score as the whole verdict. An 84 that is clean-cupped, sweet, and consistent across five bowls is worth more to a production roaster than an 86 with one gorgeous bowl and one muddy one. Consistency is the thing you are actually buying when you buy a container.
The Step Everyone Skips: Make the Shipment Match the Sample
Here is the position this whole article is built on: the sample is not the decision; whether the container matches the sample is the decision. A 350-gram sample is one roast of a tiny fraction of a lot that might run several tons. It cannot fully predict the container, and any supplier who swears it can is selling you confidence they do not actually have.
So protect yourself in writing. Agree that the coffee ships against the approved sample, and that the pre-shipment sample from the finished lot must match the sample you signed off on. This is the “ship against approved sample” agreement, and it is the difference between a documented claim and a shrug when the container underdelivers. It belongs in your contract alongside the Incoterms that govern the shipment. Keep your approved sample sealed and labeled until the shipment clears, so you have something to cup the arrival against.
Then plan for honest drift. Green coffee is alive, and it moves. A lot that leaves Belawan at 12 percent moisture and spends weeks in a container across the equator can arrive tasting a little quieter than the sample did in Medan. On a clean-cup scale, a wet-hulled Sumatra will lose to a washed Guatemala every time, and it will vary more bag to bag. That is not what you buy it for. You buy it for a body and an earthy depth no washed coffee can fake. The sample cannot erase that variation, but a matched pre-shipment sample and a clear agreement keep it inside a range you agreed to, instead of a surprise you eat.
What This Means for You as a Buyer
Your sampling process should scale with your order. A small roaster, an importer, and a container buyer are protecting different amounts of money, and the sample workflow should reflect that. The table below is how we would size it.
| If you are a… | Buying roughly… | Sampling priority |
|---|---|---|
| Small roaster | 60 kg microlot | Cup for profile fit; confirm crop year and moisture |
| Importer or distributor | 350 kg to a pallet | Green-grade and cup; get a PSS before shipping |
| Container buyer | 9 MT or more | Written ship-against-sample terms; PSS must match approval sample; sealed retained sample |
If you are a small roaster, your risk is buying a profile that does not fit your menu, so cup hard for fit, lean on a beginner’s guide to buying green coffee, and do not over-engineer the paperwork. If you are moving a container, your risk is a five-figure mismatch, so the written agreement and the retained sample matter more than one extra point on the score sheet. Match the effort to the exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much green coffee is in a sample?
A standard green coffee sample is around 350 grams, sometimes 8 to 12 ounces. That is enough to roast and cup at least twice, which you need, because one roast on one morning is not enough to judge a lot you plan to buy by the ton. Ask for more if you run multiple roast profiles.
Are green coffee samples free?
It depends on the supplier and your relationship. Many charge new buyers a small creditable deposit and sample free for known or verified partners. At ISC, verified buyers sample free and new buyers pay a USD 100 deposit that is deducted from the first contract. A creditable deposit is normal and covers real freight and paperwork.
How long does a green coffee sample take to arrive?
Plan for one to three weeks internationally, depending on origin, courier, and customs. Green beans need phytosanitary and quarantine documents to clear the border, so a sample that ships without paperwork can sit longer than one that ships with it. Factor sampling time into your buying calendar before the crop sells out.
What is a pre-shipment sample?
A pre-shipment sample, or PSS, is drawn from the finished, milled lot right before it ships. It is the most important sample you can cup, because it represents the exact coffee leaving the port. Always compare the PSS against the sample you originally approved before you release payment.
Can I trust the cupping score on a sample?
Trust it as one data point, not the verdict. A cupping score reflects one roast of a small sample under good conditions. Check consistency across multiple bowls, confirm the physical green grade, and make sure the shipped coffee is contractually tied to the sample you approved. A score without a matched shipment is just a hopeful number.
Requesting Samples From Indonesia: Where to Start
Whatever supplier you use, ask for the current crop year, the full two-step process, a recent cupping score, and a written agreement that the coffee ships against your approved sample. Keep your approved sample sealed until the container clears so you have something to cup the arrival against. If you want to start with Indonesian green coffee, Indonesia Specialty Coffee ships 350-gram Q-grader-cupped samples with full export documents from our Medan warehouse: request a sample or review the current pricelist.
