Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee refers to the highest quality coffee beans, known for their exceptional flavor, origin, and careful production methods. The term was popularized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which created a scoring system to rate coffee based on attributes like acidity, sweetness, body, balance, and aftertaste. For coffee to be considered “specialty,” it must score 80 points or higher out of 100 during a formal cupping process performed by certified Q-graders.

What makes specialty coffee unique is the attention to detail throughout its entire production chain, from the way it’s cultivated to how it’s roasted and brewed. These beans often come from specific single-origin farms or curated lots, where factors such as soil, climate, and altitude are carefully managed to bring out the best characteristics of the coffee. This traceability helps consumers know exactly where their coffee comes from and how it was grown, creating a deeper connection to the source.

The beans are usually harvested by hand, ensuring only the ripest cherries are selected. After harvesting, they are processed using methods like washed, natural, or honey processing, each bringing out different flavors in the coffee. Roasting is typically done in small batches with an emphasis on lighter or medium roasts, which help to highlight the coffee’s natural qualities, rather than overshadowing them with a dark roast.

In cafés, specialty coffee is treated with great care. Brewing methods like pour-over, Chemex, and siphon are popular choices, with baristas carefully controlling variables such as grind size, water temperature, and extraction time. The aim is to fully unlock the coffee’s potential, resulting in a cup that’s rich in complexity, with distinct flavor notes like floral, fruity, or chocolatey tones.