What is Specialty Coffee?
Only 10% of all coffee ever reaches "specialty" status, and here's why...
These days, it’s not uncommon to come across a myriad of catchy buzzwords and accreditations when you purchase a bag of beans from your favorite coffee provider…
From “gourmet,” “craft,” “organic,” and “specialty” labels attached to any given roast, the average coffee consumer often only wants to know the answer to a very simple and important question prior to purchase… Is this coffee good enough to drink black?
Although many small and big batch roasters use terms like “gourmet” or “craft” to help sell the taste of their coffee, there isn’t any real authentication or merit to these claims.
In fact, only 10% of all coffee produced in the world can classify their coffee as good enough to be “specialty” quality, and that’s because “specialty” status requires the approval of the highest authorities in the coffee world—the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and Coffee Quality Institute (QCI).
In this week’s Alma-nac Blog, we’ll be breaking down what specialty coffee actually is, how coffee earns the “specialty” title through rigorous evaluation, how each step in a coffee cherry’s farm to cup journey affects the outcome of a coffee’s specialty status, and how you can easily find and verify specialty grade coffee from wherever you are!
So, brew up a fresh cup, sit back, subscribe to our email newsletter, and get ready to enjoy the most straight-forward breakdown of specialty coffee you’ll likely find on the internet.
💌 Subscribe 💌
Our email newsletter isn't your typical marketing ploy: sign up now and get notified when our latest blog posts publish, new coffee roasts debut, and other exciting coffee social & video content drops!
What is the textbook definition of "specialty" coffee?
According to the SCA's 2022 guidelines, “specialty” status can only occur when a coffee achieves a score of 80 or higher out of 100 on a standardized score sheet from an unbiased panel of expert coffee testers, commonly referred as Q Graders.
Before it can even make it to a Q Grader panel, however, coffee must be roasted no more than 24 hours prior to evaluation, can only spend 8-12 minutes in a roaster, and must achieve a certain roast profile and final coloration that the SCA outlines in detail here.
Then, to perform this standardized scoring process, Q graders evaluate coffee in a process called “cupping," which is intended to extract flavors from coffee in the most raw, replicable, and sensory-focused manner possible.
Q graders will evaluate a coffee through cuppings to look for specific tasting notes, fragrance/aroma, mouthfeel, uniformity, acidity, etc., and then score the coffee across a wide array of sensory and quality focused criteria before finishing their evaluation (see the specifics of their grading system here).
After all of these individual scores are totaled and averaged by a panel of Q Graders, coffee that scores higher than 80 is officially deemed “specialty” coffee by the SCA and QCI and anything scoring below is considered “commodity” coffee.
In short, “specialty” status is not exactly easy to obtain, which is why only 10% of all coffee produced falls into this criteria.
To achieve the official specialty grading, many processes need to go right from the moment a coffee seed is planted to the time it is roasted, and one single mishap in the coffee supply chain could mean the difference between a specialty or commodity status…
From farm to cup: What’s so special about specialty coffee?
On the farming level, specialty coffee *literally* stems from farmers who dedicate their entire livelihoods to understanding, adapting, and optimizing their farmlands for producing extraordinary coffee, often with a heavy focus on sustainable practices.
In our own Honduran family coffee farms, for instance, we recently covered the many permaculture practices our farming team commits to in a full-length blog, and these practices directly contribute to the quality and consistency of our final roasted coffee.
However, even with the best farming practices in place, attention to quality during the processing of raw coffee after harvest is a crucial step farmers dedicated to achieving specialty status must take before exporting their beans to a specialty focused roaster.
From sorting, washing, and eliminating defects at every possible step, coffee processing ensures the highest quality beans are selected to be roasted and, eventually, graded by a panel of Q graders, meaning the consistency of a final roast fully depends on the many hands involved in farming/processing beforehand.
After being grown under sustainably focused conditions and meticulously checked for quality during processing, unroasted (“green bean”) coffee makes its way to a specialty focused roaster who then works to bring the most ideal tasting notes during roasting and into the final cup.
If all goes well, and the final roasted coffee is deemed “specialty” status by highly trained Q Graders, that coffee then makes its way to your cup.
Nevertheless, even if a bean is rated as “specialty” grade by the SCA, the next challenge in a long supply chain for coffee roasters wishing to sell their high-quality coffee to caffeine lovers like yourself happens at the café or online storefront, and that’s why it’s important to know…
More Coffee Blogs for You
The Great Coffee Waves: What are the First, Second, and Third Coffee Waves?
Feb 24, 2021
Trending Articles
What is Coffee Processing?
Feb 21, 2022
Arabica v. Robusta
Oct 02,2021
Which has more caffeine, Light or Dark roasts?
April 12, 2021
How to know what is and isn’t QCI-graded specialty coffee
If you’ve read this far, you might be asking yourself the same question listed in the heading above… how do I find and/or verify specialty grade coffee before purchase?
As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, there are a lot of industry buzzwords meant to sound similar if not better than “specialty” coffee to the untrained consumer, which is why it’s important to understand the difference between specialty coffee and anything else.
Although “gourmet” or “craft” coffees could still be tasty brews, the processes, checks, and standardized scoring behind SCA-rated specialty coffees are intended to guarantee you, the coffee consumer, of the bean’s quality status compared to nearly 90% of the normal “commodity” coffee market.
To help those interested in finding specialty graded coffee beans, we put together a few quick tips to determine the SCA or QCI specialty status of any coffee.
Ask the roaster or coffee provider before purchase
Don’t see any information about the specialty status of a coffee on the label or online description? That doesn’t always mean it isn’t a specialty grade coffee!
If you’re genuinely seeking to purchase specialty coffee, don’t be afraid to directly ask the coffee roaster in-person or via email if their coffee is SCA/QCI specialty rated.
If a roaster says they aren’t specialty grade, remember just how difficult it is to achieve specialty recognition OR that their coffee could still be an AMAZING for your own taste preferences; but, if they say the coffee is specialty status, be sure ask them an important question...
What did a Q Grader rate this coffee?
Like we mentioned, specialty grade coffee is any coffee scored 80 or higher by an unbiased panel of Q Graders, and any roaster who achieves this should have proof in the form of SCA or Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) certifications.
Of course, revealing this information to the public is entirely voluntary, but at the very least a roaster claiming specialty coffee status should be able to explain their Q Grader grading in a good amount of detail to anyone who asks.
The final verdict? Find yourself some specialty coffee and experience just how tasty it is for yourself!
We hope this blog answered many of the questions you might have about what specialty coffee is and where it comes from: if you liked this blog post and want to start getting content like it every other week, subscribe to our email list and get notified when the latest blog post publishes.
Our marketing team dedicates a LOT of time to researching coffee history, science, and trends to give you the most accurate and entertaining written breakdowns, so your subscription tells us we’re doing something right to share our passion for coffee!
Written by: Kelley Bostian
428 comments
Email: Franciscohack @ qualityservice.com
WhatsApp +4 4 7 5 6 1 1 6 9 0 4 3
Telegram @Franciscohack
Email: FRANCISCOHACK @ QUALITYSERVICE.COM
I am a blockchain developer, and I recently faced one of the most challenging experiences of my career. I was scammed out of AUD 500,000, a significant amount that had been invested in what I believed to be a legitimate opportunity. It was a devastating blow, both financially and emotionally. I found myself at my wit’s end, feeling lost and overwhelmed as I tried to navigate the complex world of crypto scams and recover my funds. The scam was sophisticated and convincing. I had invested in a project that seemed credible, complete with a professional-looking website and reassuring communications. However, it turned out to be a well-orchestrated fraud. The scammers vanished with my money, leaving me with nothing but a sinking feeling and a growing sense of urgency. I tried various approaches to reclaim my funds, including contacting authorities and seeking advice from other professionals in the blockchain community. However, the process was slow, and the results were far from promising. I was about to lose hope when I discovered FRANCISCO HACK. FRANCISCO HACK came highly recommended by a colleague who had faced a similar situation. Their reputation for handling complex recovery cases and their track record of success were impressive. Skeptical but desperate, I decided to reach out to them for assistance. From the moment I contacted FRANCISCO HACK, I was met with professionalism and empathy. The team immediately took action, leveraging their expertise and resources to trace the stolen funds. They meticulously analyzed the transaction patterns and engaged with various financial institutions and blockchain networks to track the scam’s trail. One of the aspects that stood out about FRANCISCO HACK was their transparent communication. They kept me informed at every step of the process, providing updates on their progress and explaining the strategies they were employing. This level of transparency helped alleviate some of my anxieties and kept me hopeful. The efficiency of their approach was nothing short of remarkable. Within a relatively short period, FRANCISCO HACK was able to recover the full amount of my lost funds. Their expertise and dedication made a significant difference, turning what seemed like a hopeless situation into a successful recovery. If you find yourself in a similar predicament, dealing with a blockchain scam or any other type of financial fraud, I strongly recommend contacting FRANCISCO HACK. Their team is not only skilled and knowledgeable but also genuinely committed to helping clients recover their lost assets. They restored not only my financial resources but also my faith in the possibility of justice and recovery in the face of fraud. FRANCISCO HACK was instrumental in reclaiming my AUD 500,000, and their exceptional service has provided me with a renewed sense of security. If you’re navigating a challenging situation involving financial losses or scams, don’t hesitate to reach out to them. Their expertise and dedication could make all the difference in your recovery journey.
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-VOSTFR-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-Film-Complet-Streaming-VF-En-Fran-ais
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-FILM-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-en-Streaming-Complet-VF-VO-en-Fran-ais-2024
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-VOIR-le-film-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-en-Streaming-VF-FR-Complet-HD
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-.VOIR-FILM.-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-Streaming-VF-Gratuit-en-Fran-ais-VO
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-VOIR-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-FILMS-Streaming-VF-Complet-en-Fran-ais
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-FILM-COMPLET-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-Complet-FR-en-Streaming-VF
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-FILMs-Voir-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-Streaming-VF-en-Fran-ais-VOSTFR
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-VOIR-FilmS-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-EN-STREAMING-VF-et-VostFR-Complet
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-VOIR-FILMs-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-Streaming-en-VF-VOSTFR-Gratuit
https://github.com/JIGORNYOS/-VOIR-Ni-cha-nes-ni-ma-tres-2024-en-Streaming-VF-Fran-ais-
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-VOSTFR-Week-end-Taipei-2024-Film-Complet-Streaming-VF-En-Fran-ais
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-FILM-Week-end-Taipei-en-Streaming-Complet-VF-VO-en-Fran-ais-2024
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-VOIR-le-film-Week-end-Taipei-en-Streaming-VF-FR-Complet-HD
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-.VOIR-FILM.-Week-end-Taipei-2024-Streaming-VF-Gratuit-en-Fran-ais-VO
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-VOIR-Week-end-Taipei-2024-FILMS-Streaming-VF-Complet-en-Fran-ais
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-FILM-COMPLET-Week-end-Taipei-2024-Complet-FR-en-Streaming-VF
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-FILMs-Voir-Week-end-Taipei-Streaming-VF-en-Fran-ais-VOSTFR
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-VOIR-FilmS-Week-end-Taipei-2024-EN-STREAMING-VF-et-VostFR-Complet
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-VOIR-FILMs-Week-end-Taipei-2024-Streaming-en-VF-VOSTFR-Gratuit
https://github.com/DOLAYTECH/-VOIR-Week-end-Taipei-2024-en-Streaming-VF-Fran-ais-
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-VOSTFR-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-Film-Complet-Streaming-VF-En-Fran-ais
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-FILM-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-en-Streaming-Complet-VF-VO-en-Fran-ais-2024
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-VOIR-le-film-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-en-Streaming-VF-FR-Complet-HD
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-.VOIR-FILM.-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-Streaming-VF-Gratuit-en-Fran-ais-VO
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-VOIR-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-FILMS-Streaming-VF-Complet-en-Fran-ais
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-FILM-COMPLET-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-Complet-FR-en-Streaming-VF
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-FILMs-Voir-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-Streaming-VF-en-Fran-ais-VOSTFR
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-VOIR-FilmS-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-EN-STREAMING-VF-et-VostFR-Complet
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-VOIR-FILMs-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-Streaming-en-VF-VOSTFR-Gratuit
https://github.com/SOFTGIRLS/-VOIR-Venom-3-The-Last-Dance-2024-en-Streaming-VF-Fran-ais-
https://www.honor.com/mea-ar/club/topicdetail/topicid-3623007580880897/
https://www.honor.com/mea-ar/club/topicdetail/topicid-3623007715131393/
https://www.honor.com/mea-ar/club/topicdetail/topicid-3623007668928512/
https://www.honor.com/globalgm/club/topicdetail/topicid-3623008224739328/
https://www.honor.com/globalgm/club/topicdetail/topicid-3623008277102593/
https://www.honor.com/globalgm/club/topicdetail/topicid-3623008402931712/
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/86
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/80
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/68
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/74
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/87
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/81
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/69
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/75
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/84
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/78
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/66
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/72
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/85
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/79
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/67
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/73
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/83
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/88
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/77
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/82
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/65
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/70
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/71
https://www.nexusmods.com/edopro/articles/76
https://www.facebook.com/events/1250528002750263
https://www.facebook.com/events/822286616737715
https://www.facebook.com/events/496252523319183
https://www.facebook.com/events/2447422668779850
https://www.facebook.com/events/382760084889119
https://www.facebook.com/events/924830496142756
https://www.facebook.com/events/1534947207129341
https://www.facebook.com/events/1534487250575882
https://www.facebook.com/events/1508954990500896
https://www.facebook.com/events/1242892240355968
https://www.facebook.com/events/1202178230871791
https://www.facebook.com/events/1046818106715202
https://www.facebook.com/events/1044946640188336
https://www.facebook.com/events/509049835263588
https://www.facebook.com/events/1452396135342325
https://www.facebook.com/events/813780154001053
https://www.facebook.com/events/881269416914059
https://www.facebook.com/events/835763918758404
https://www.facebook.com/events/1089596436058785
https://www.facebook.com/events/3929534390603109
https://www.facebook.com/events/889162559332504
https://www.facebook.com/events/1437447306889247
https://www.facebook.com/events/884054893299948
https://www.facebook.com/events/1237427904063403
https://www.facebook.com/events/1768417943896360
https://www.facebook.com/events/1059721592219762
https://www.facebook.com/events/1253236369196087
https://www.facebook.com/events/565131265940385
https://www.facebook.com/events/1592514954951082
https://www.facebook.com/events/842747211329202
https://www.facebook.com/events/1177572246678889
https://www.facebook.com/events/522811687021822
https://www.facebook.com/events/1095241105361874
https://www.facebook.com/events/497198526615289
https://www.facebook.com/events/2891492091029429
https://www.facebook.com/events/3713098892240958
https://www.facebook.com/events/1082722716523004
https://www.facebook.com/events/1341221836852877
https://www.facebook.com/events/1624496821615225
https://www.facebook.com/events/398336843130851
https://www.facebook.com/events/915706277070839
https://www.facebook.com/events/1060230879138081
https://www.facebook.com/events/889746205997795
https://www.facebook.com/events/2170977816622445
https://www.facebook.com/events/884023503272863
https://www.facebook.com/events/8510841708972827
https://www.facebook.com/events/1052440452686454
https://www.facebook.com/events/876294854442110
https://www.facebook.com/events/522124710454787
https://www.facebook.com/events/430362746300247
https://www.facebook.com/events/1073387590863396
https://www.facebook.com/events/1524400948467698
https://www.facebook.com/events/2161805114190359
https://www.facebook.com/events/2006597813137769
https://www.facebook.com/events/858722716365132
https://www.facebook.com/events/2518572748334329
https://www.facebook.com/events/1063296358710152
https://www.facebook.com/events/1055445112900456
https://www.facebook.com/events/881321580232700
https://www.facebook.com/events/1723405088502292
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/39
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/38
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/37
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/36
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/35
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/34
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/33
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/32
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/31
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/30
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/29
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/28
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/27
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/26
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/25
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/24
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/20
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/21
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/22
https://www.nexusmods.com/yugiohlegacyoftheduelistlinkevolution/articles/23
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/17
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/28
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/22
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/29
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/18
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/23
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/25
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/30
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/24
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/15
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/19
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/26
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/21
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/16
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/27
https://www.nexusmods.com/fableIII/articles/20
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/16
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/15
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/14
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/13
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/12
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/11
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/10
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/9
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/8
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/7
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/6
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/5
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/4
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/3
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/2
https://www.nexusmods.com/scarsabove/articles/1
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/40
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/39
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/38
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/37
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/36
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/35
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/34
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/33
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/32
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/31
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/30
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/29
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/28
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/27
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/26
https://www.nexusmods.com/greenhell/articles/25