Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee represents the highest quality beans, carefully grown, roasted, and brewed.

Definition: Coffee scoring 80+ points on a 100-point scale by certified tasters.

Quality control: Emphasises traceability, freshness, and skilled roasting.

Farming standards: Typically grown in ideal climates with careful harvesting methods.

Flavour profile: Complex, distinctive, and expressive of origin.

Industry role: Central to the Third Wave Coffee movement.

Why it matters: Highlights coffee as a craft product rather than a commodity.

Related terms: Third Wave Coffee, Single-Origin, Coffee Terroir, Cupping, Arabica.