What is Specialty Coffee and Why is it so Good?

Everything you need to know about speciality coffee.

Batch Coffee Club showcases the best specialty coffee in the UK in our specialty coffee subscription.

But what exactly is specialty coffee and why is it so good?

Specialty coffee is a term that hasn’t been around for too long and to be honest a l don’t think there are many people who would be able to define what it is without just ‘better quality coffee’.

So here is what the official accepted definition of specialty coffee is:

“A coffee that scores over 80 points out of 100 on the Specialty Coffee Association cupping form.”

This to the vast majority of people however is pretty irrelevant.

So here’s how I would describe specialty coffee:

Coffee that is classed as ‘Specialty’ is grown under a set of specific conditions and then harvested and processed in a certain way. The raw coffee at this stage is then roasted to best highlight the coffee's natural flavour notes. So, specialty coffee is meticulously cared for from origin to cup which produces unique flavour profiles that can only be achieved under this level of control.

Let’s have a look at each part of the specialty coffee journey.

What Makes Coffee Speciality Coffee?

Specialty Coffee Origin

Coffee starts its life as a fruit on on a coffee plant. Firstly the coffee tree will flower and the flower turns into a fruit which is referred to a cherry. Inside each cherry there usually exists 2 seeds that are the raw form of a coffee bean.

There are 4 types of coffee plant: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Exelca.

Arabica makes up around 60% of the worlds coffee production with Robusta around 30%.

Pretty much all specialty coffee is Arabica.

Each type of coffee has many varieties of plant, called varietals. There are Arabica varietals that are deemed as higher quality coffee such as Geisha coffee.

This plays into the end cup and can be a reason a specific coffee is classed as specialty.

The farm and the farmer have a big role in classifying specialty coffee. Coffee grown at higher altitudes generally are higher quality, the tougher conditions produce less yield but higher sugar content in the coffee seeds which produces more complex flavour profiles.

The farmer then needs to properly care for the coffee plants up until the harvest.

Speciality Coffee Processing

The coffee is harvested in various ways either by hand or by machine. The process starting from the moment the coffee cherry is picked through to the dried raw coffee beans leaving the farm or processing station is another key role in specialty coffee.

You may see the processing method displayed on the back of a coffee bag like washed or natural.

Once picked the coffee cherry is either stripped of its fruit and mucilage and left to dry (washed coffee) or dried with its fruit intact and later stripped (natural), there are many other processing methods in between these two main ones like honey processing.

The care given during processing the coffee is an attribute of specialty coffee alongside the sorting of the raw coffee at various stages of processing.

The coffee is usually exported and arrives in coffee consuming countries throughout the world. Now it’s time to roast the coffee and transform the raw coffee into the roasted coffee beans that we know.

Speciality Coffee Roasting

Coffee roasting is also another factor that comes into play when deciding whether a coffee is specialty.

Coffee roasting is essentially heating coffee up in a huge revolving drum and trying to control the many factors that are incredibly hard to predict during the process. The coffee roaster will already have a roast profile that is predetermined that highlights the natural flavour notes of the coffee.

Specialty coffee is roasted with a similar level of care and meticulous attention that the coffee is grown at origin.

The coffee is then rested post-roast before brewing.

Speciality Coffee Brewing

Brewing coffee can be also seen as an attribute of specialty coffee. Although coffee is sold as specialty coffee before it is even brewed, if you are purchasing coffee from a cafe or making coffee at home, specialty coffee follows certain practices.

The practices include properly measuring the coffees dose and grind size while trying to control the many variables of brewing coffee to best achieve the optimal coffee.

Speciality Coffee Ethics

When looking at the blogger picture of specialty coffee, the ethics of the coffee from the farm to cup is also a player of specialty coffee. This is something that is becoming more of a factor as we strive for fair pay and sustainable practices throughout the supply chain.

FAQs

How much does speciality coffee cost?

Speciality coffee varies in price. From almost above commodity grade through to thousands of dollars/pounds. With specialty coffee, you get what you pay for and the more expensive the coffee the higher quality the coffee is. If you are in the market for a coffee club, check out how much a specialty coffee subscription costs.

Is Specialty Coffee Whole Beans?

Specialty coffee will start as whole beans (which every coffee does) and is eventually ground. Whether it is ground by your self or preground the coffee is still specialty. Checkout our guide on ground speciality coffee subscriptions.