What is specialty coffee?

Specialty coffee refers to particularly high-quality green coffee characterized by unique flavors and superior quality. The term has been established since the late 1970s, and the high standards of this "gourmet coffee" are protected by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Professional tasters (so-called Q-graders) analyze and evaluate the coffee based on 10 criteria. Only when a coffee achieves a score of at least 80 points (on a scale of 100) can it be called specialty coffee.

Besides the growing conditions, the care taken during harvesting has the greatest influence on the final coffee flavor. Neither green nor overripe black cherries may be picked for high-quality coffee. Both would negatively impact the taste of the final product. This complex harvesting process is the essential basis for specialty coffee. But it's not just the harvest that is important for flavor development; several other important steps must be observed before the coffee brew is prepared. There are generally two methods for separating the harvested coffee beans from the cherry pulp. The first method is separation by sun drying (natural), the second method is washing the fruit (washed). After the pulp has been removed, the coffee beans are carefully sorted. Only the best coffee beans remain, which are now ready to be refined in the drum roaster.