Is Specialty Coffee Defined as the Premium Segment of Coffee? What Makes Coffee Premium Must Be Judged by Quality Scores

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Specialty Coffee

The Specialty Coffee Association of America defines specialty coffee beans as those scoring 80 points or above in comprehensive cupping (blind tasting). If the blind tasting score is below 80 points, they are classified as commercial beans.

In 1978, Ms. Knudsen delivered a speech to global coffee experts at the International Coffee Conference in Montreuil, France, further interpreting the concept of "specialty coffee." In 1982, Ms. Knudsen, along with Donald N. Schoenholt, head of New York's Gillies Coffee Company, and four others, co-founded the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), making "specialty coffee" a global term.

When Ms. Knudsen first proposed "specialty coffee," she emphasized the relationship between upstream growing environments and coffee quality. Today, the Specialty Coffee Association of America redefines it as: "Carefully selecting the most suitable varieties, grown at altitudes, climates and environments that best facilitate coffee flavor development. Meticulously processed through washed and natural methods, selecting only the highest-grade, defect-free green beans, with zero errors in transportation, delivered to customers. Through the skilled craftsmanship of roasters, bringing out the richest regional flavors, then brewing delicious coffee using recognized extraction standards."

Arabica coffee possesses diverse and broad premium flavors. Arabica coffee from different countries, regions, altitudes and climates typically has unique characteristics, displaying distinctly different personality flavors. Unroasted Arabica coffee smells like fresh grass, while after appropriate roasting it reveals "fruit notes" (light to medium roast) and "caramel sweetness" (dark roast). Generally, it has better aroma and flavor than Robusta beans, with lower caffeine content (typically remaining in the body for 3-6 hours). This makes it suitable for direct, standalone consumption, either as a single origin or as an espresso blend.

Countries that produce specialty coffee include Ethiopia, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and others.

Knowledge Point: In terms of coffee flavor, coffee from commercial beans is much inferior to that from specialty coffee beans. Generally, commercial beans are selected for blending, which can be used to make espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The washed process is one of the reasons so much specialty coffee tastes clean and transparent. It uses water in a traditional sequence: flotation, removal of the pulp, a soak to ferment and break down the mucilage, washing or further soaking, drying, and finally hulling to yield the green beans we need. Because the beans spend so long in water, internal chemical changes occur and much of the simple sugar is consumed, lowering the sugar content while increasing various organic acids. The result is coffee that keeps more of the bean's own aroma while showing a bright fruit acidity, clean and refreshing.

FrontStreet's Yirgacheffe Gotingding cooperative coffee is a good example from a village-level washing team, with jasmine florals and a bright citrus acidity that open into green tea and honey notes when roasted medium-light. FrontStreet's Kenya Small Tomato, from the double-washed Kenyan tradition, pushes the fruit character further, with cherry tomato, dark plum, snow pear and black plum notes and a juicy, sweet-sour balance that is very recognizable.

For a softer specialty cup, FrontStreet's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 shows the balance the washed method can achieve: rich aroma with pure hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel notes and a rounded body in which no single flavor dominates or is missing.