The Complete Guide To Specialty Coffee by Jollymaccoffee.com
Top Ten Reasons Why Specialty Coffee is… Specialty
What is Specialty Coffee?
Specialty coffee emerged in the late 20th century as a movement to elevate coffee quality, focusing on beans with exceptional flavor, distinct origins, and meticulous production. The term was coined in 1974 by Erna Knutsen, a Norwegian-American coffee trader, in a Tea & Coffee Trade Journal article. She described "specialty coffee" as beans from specific microclimates with unique taste profiles, contrasting with mass-produced commercial coffee.
The movement grew in the 1980s and 1990s, driven by pioneers like George Howell and the Specialty Coffee Association (founded 1982), emphasizing single-origin beans, sustainable farming, and direct trade. Third-wave coffee culture, starting in the early 2000s, further refined this focus, prioritizing artisanal roasting, precise brewing, and traceability. Today, specialty coffee represents beans scoring 80+ on a 100-point scale, as defined by the Specialty Coffee Association, with an emphasis on ethical sourcing and craftsmanship.
Who is the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)?
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the largest global coffee trade association dedicated to making coffee better by fostering a global coffee community and supporting activities to make specialty coffee a thriving, equitable, and sustainable endeavor for the entire value chain.
What Are The Key Characteristics of Specialty Coffee?
High Quality:
Specialty coffee is made from premium "specialty-grade" beans grown in ideal conditions and with careful attention to detail.
Quality Assessment:
Coffee is evaluated by Q-Graders, who use the "cupping method" (grinding, brewing, and tasting) to assess aroma, flavor, acidity, sweetness, and aftertaste.
Traceability:
Specialty coffee often emphasizes the origin, variety, processing, and harvest year of the beans, allowing consumers to understand the coffee's journey.
Distinct Flavor Profiles:
Specialty coffee aims to showcase the unique and complex flavors of the beans, which can vary based on origin, processing, and roasting.
SCA Standards:
The SCA sets standards for specialty coffee, promoting excellence, transparency, and innovation throughout the coffee value chain.
Economic Benefits:
Specialty coffee can create economic opportunities for producers by ensuring they are paid fairly for high-quality coffee.
Consumer Experience:
Specialty coffee aims to elevate the consumer experience, providing a more nuanced and enjoyable coffee journey.
Roasting Expertise:
Skilled roasters play a crucial role in developing roast profiles that highlight the unique characteristics of specialty coffee beans.
Brewing Techniques:
Specialty coffee often benefits from careful brewing techniques that are tailored to the specific characteristics of the beans.
Why Does Specialty Coffee Cost More than Regular Coffee?
Specialty coffee costs more than regular coffee due to higher production costs, including labor-intensive processes like hand-picking, specialized processing, and skilled roasting, as well as the focus on quality, unique flavor profiles, and ethical sourcing. Specialty coffee starts with superior beans - we’re talking the top 1% of Arabica coffee beans grown worldwide. These elite beans are graded by Q Graders (think coffee sommeliers) who meticulously hand-select them for attributes like size, color, and optimum ripeness. This careful sorting process ensures that only the highest grade beans will do.
What makes Coffee “Specialty Coffee”?
Specialty coffee is defined as any coffee that scores above 80 points on a 100-point scale. Typically, specialty coffee is grown at high altitudes, with much care and attention from the farmer. From there, it is sold at a premium to coffee traders, or direct to roasters.
How Is Specialty Coffee Roasted?
Specialty coffee roasting involves carefully controlling temperature and duration to optimize caramelization and develop unique flavor profiles, often using drum or hot-air roasters, and focusing on light to medium roasts to preserve subtle flavor notes.
How Is Specialty Coffee Brewed?
To fully appreciate specialty coffee’s nuances requires brewing that extracts the optimal flavors and aromas. Proper brewing considers:
- Grind size - Fineness of grounds affects extraction and should match brew method. Too fine over extracts, too coarse under extracts.
- Water quality - Clean, filtered water allows flavors to shine. Hard water imparts off tastes.
- Water temperature - Water too hot burns coffee, too cold weakens it. Around 200°F is ideal.
- Turbulence - Agitating/stirring ensures even saturation and extraction.
- Coffee to water ratio - 1:15-17 ratio highlights flavors without over/under extracting.
- Time - Extraction time depends on brew method, with 3-4 minutes typical.
Brewing specialty coffee is a science, using the right parameters for that particular coffee. High-end cafes use brewing equipment like Hario V60, Kalita, Aeropress, and Chemex which allow greater control compared to drip machines. Espresso is also its own meticulous art applying 9+ bars of pressure to coffee in precise ways. When crafted by a skilled barista on professional equipment, the results are restaurant quality coffee.
What Are The Health Benefits of Drinking Specialty Coffee?
- Heightened energy - The higher caffeine content in light roasts provides clean focus compared to jittery energy drinks. A better “brain boost” than regular coffee.
- Antioxidants - Coffee boasts more antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranates, and broccoli. These combat cell damage which could lead to disease.
- Lower mortality - Studies show coffee drinkers have significantly lower risk of death. Both longevity and heart health are improved.
- Liver protection - Coffee consumption lowers the risk of liver cancer, cirrhosis, and liver disease.
- Memory improvement - Studies show that coffee can help to ward off cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s as well as improve memory recall.
- Performance enhancement - Pre-exercise caffeine improves athletic performance and endurance.
Where Can I Buy Specialty Coffee?
If you're looking to try some exceptional specialty coffee, we have some amazing options available right now at Jollymaccoffee.com. Our team meticulously selects and roasts only the top specialty grade coffee beans grown by farms committed to quality and sustainability. We offer light, medium and dark roast single origin coffees from prized regions around the world like Ethiopia and Guatemala.
Always Fresh Roast To Order And delivered free to your home or business in 3 to 5 working days.
Final Thoughts On Specialty Coffee.
By understanding what constitutes Specialty Grade Coffee and all the care required in growing, harvesting, processing, roasting and brewing, you gain a profound respect for the labor involved. Savoring the complex flavors and aromas is much more enjoyable when you comprehend the journey.
Specialty coffee promises a heightened sensory experience and connections to exotic locales halfway across the globe. The additional cost contributes positively to farmers, sustainability, and your own well-being. Incredible coffee brings people together and enriches everyday moments. The proof is in the cup!