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Specialty Coffee
Only The Best!
Specialty coffee is the term commonly used to refer to "gourmet" or
"premium" coffee. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), coffee which scores 80 points or above on a 100-point scale is graded "specialty". Ideally, Specialty Coffees are grown in particular and ideal climates, and are distinctive because of their "full cup" taste and because they have few or no defects (black beans, broken beans, etc.). The unique and concentrated flavors are a result of the special characteristics of the plants. the composition of the soils in which they are produced, and the care with which they are picked and processed.
Coffee industry sources suggest that only 1-5% of all coffee grown worldwide rate as Specialty Grade.
The term "Specialty coffee" was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal to describe beans of the best flavor which are produced in special microclimates.