What is Specialty Coffee?

Let’s break down what this really means.

First of all, specialty coffee is any coffee that scores from 80 to 90 points. Coffees that score above 90 are also considered specialty, but they are often referred to as “ninety plus.”

What is a Q score? It’s a score given by specially certified professionals called Q-graders. Q-graders are licensed specialists who evaluate and assign a score to a coffee sample. To determine the score, they conduct a cupping — assessing the taste, aroma, aftertaste, possible defects, and the overall impression of the coffee. That’s why you may see the letter Q along with a score on some coffees.

Second important factor — transparency. With specialty coffee you can always trace the bean from the farm to the cup. You know everything: the region, the altitude where the coffee was grown, the processing method, the Q-grader score, and sometimes even the name of the farmer.

Third factor — defects.
Allowed defect levels are:

• In a 350-gram sample of green coffee, 0 primary defects are permitted (serious ones like mold, black beans, or sour beans).
  

• No more than 5 secondary defects are allowed (minor ones like slightly damaged or broken beans). If there are more defects, the coffee cannot be considered specialty.
  

Roasting of such coffee is more delicate. Roasters usually look for a profile that best suits a particular bean, highlighting its terroir characteristics. This type of coffee is rarely roasted dark.

And of course, baristas approach preparation with care and responsibility, using professional equipment that helps unlock the full potential of the coffee.

In summary, specialty coffee is the combination of all these qualities. Only when all of them come together can a coffee truly be called “specialty.”