Requirements for Promotional Use of Reviews and Medallions

All materials published on CoffeeReview.com (including but not limited to reviews, ratings, tasting reports, articles, scoring medallions, and Top 30 medallions) are protected by copyright, and owned or controlled by The Coffee Review, LLC. Coffee Review content is intended for personal, non-commercial use. The commercial use of Coffee Review content by others is prohibited.

Promotional Use of Reviews by Smaller Retail Roasters

Coffee Review generally permits small retail roasters to quote from or cite their own reviews for informational and promotional purposes.  Wholesale roasters are not permitted to transfer ratings and reviews to retail customers. Keep in mind, the primary purpose of displaying Coffee Review content and medallions is to provide consumers with accurate, up-to-date, objective third-party information to assist with their immediate purchasing decisions.

Retail roasters must strictly adhere to the following common-sense requirements for quoting or citing reviews and displaying medallions:

• Reviews, ratings, and medallions must not be altered.
• Reviews should not be selectively quoted in such a way as to change the accuracy or spirit of a review.
• Roasters should display the entire “blind assessment” or “bottom line” section rather than any single phrase or part. An ellipsis (i.e. “…”) should be used to indicate an intentional omission of content.
• Roasters must provide a link from citations on their website to the associated detailed review page on CoffeeReview.com so readers can conveniently access a complete review.
• All quotes or citations must include the date of a review because older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee.
• Quotes, citations, or scores of coffees reviewed over 12 months in the past should not be applied to current versions of the same coffee or blend. Coffee is a seasonal beverage.
• Reviews that are more than twelve months old are not considered up-to-date nor accurate and may not be used to directly merchandise a current version of the same coffee. We encourage roasters to resubmit the latest version of a regularly offered coffee for an updated review at least every 12 months.
• Attribute quotes to Kenneth Davids and Coffee Review.  Include the month and year in which a review was published (for example: “Kenneth Davids, Coffee Review, May 2020.”)
• Ratings and reviews may be cited for coffees that were tested from publicly available retail packaging.
• Please do not apply ratings or reviews to other, similar but not identical coffees you offer for sale.
• Please do not reference Coffee Review ratings of identical green coffees roasted by other companies.

Promotional Use of Coffee Review Medallions by Retail Roasters

Coffee Review generally permits small retail roasters to display Coffee Review scoring medallions and Top 30 medallions for coffees they have roasted.  Wholesale roasters are not permitted to transfer ratings, reviews, or medallions to retail customers.

Roasters must adhere to the following requirements for displaying medallions:

• Coffee Review scoring medallions may be displayed in association with the current version of a reviewed coffee.
• Medallions should not be displayed in a way that suggests Coffee Review’s rating of a particular coffee applies broadly to a company or to coffees that have not specifically been reviewed.
• Medallions that are more than twelve months old are not considered up-to-date nor accurate and should not be used to directly merchandise a current version of the same coffee. We encourage roasters to resubmit the latest version of a regularly offered coffee for an updated review at least every 12 months.
• Coffee Review medallions may be applied as stickers to retail bags of coffee. However, stickers referencing coffees or blends that were reviewed over 12 months in the past should not be applied to current versions of the same coffee or blend.
• Coffee Review scoring medallions and Top 30 medallions may not be altered in any way.  The color may not be changed. The year may not be changed or eliminated.
• Roasters may not create original medallions or artwork that contain the Coffee Review name, logo, medallions, or rankings.
• Roasters are not permitted to display Coffee Review’s company logo without written permission.

If a retail roaster wishes to receive a digital version of a Coffee Review scoring medallion or Top 30 medallion, please email  [email protected].

 

Promotional Use of Green Coffee Ratings, Reviews, and Medallions

Coffee Review generally permits green coffee producers and their affiliates to quote from or cite their own reviews for informational and promotional purposes. Coffee Review generally permits green coffee producers and traders to display Coffee Review ratings and special green coffee scoring medallions for coffees they produce and sell. Green coffee ratings and reviews can be quoted for public use following the same guidelines for reviews published in association with roasted coffees.

Green reviews are meant to help commercial roasters, home roasters, and other industry professionals source superior quality green coffees, while directly recognizing and rewarding the farmers and growers who produce the coffees. Coffee Review performs basic due diligence on the green coffee samples it evaluates. However, we rely on the submitter of a green coffee sample for the authenticity of the sample and accuracy of the sample description. Coffee Review does not independently confirm the information provided and accepts no responsibility for the authenticity of samples reviewed. Companies or individuals using Coffee Review ratings or reviews as the basis for purchasing green coffees should conduct their own due diligence, including additional sample testing, to make sure the coffees they buy are the same coffees that we reviewed.

Green coffee ratings are on the Coffee Review scale, judging the coffee from the point of view of potential consumer acceptance of the coffee as a finished product at a medium roast. These scores are NOT equivalent to Q or industry scores, which are typically lower for a similar coffee. Green coffee medallions are different from roasted coffee medallions (see below). Note: Roasters should not use green reviews to promote their roasted version of the same coffee. The roasted version of coffees may achieve a higher or lower score than the green version.

If a green coffee producer wishes to receive a digital version of a Coffee Review green coffee scoring medallion, please email  [email protected].

 

Licensing Agreements for Promotional Use of Reviews by Wholesale Roasters, Larger Retail Companies and Chains. On occasion, larger companies with more extensive wholesale and/or retail reach wish to use Coffee Review ratings, reviews, and scoring medallions to promote coffees that represent regular, ongoing offerings. These coffees, often espressos, usually blends, are frequently offered under the same name for a multi-year period, over a large geographic area, via multiple channels, and in numerous retail locations.  In these cases, Coffee Review offers an annual renewable licensing agreement that provides for a broader and longer use of ratings, reviews, and medallions.  For such agreements, Coffee Review performs periodic quality control monitoring of the coffee(s) covered by the agreement to assure that coffee quality and characteristics remain consistent with published reviews. Please contact Ron Walters at R[email protected] for more information.

[Updated August 2022]