The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)… Ever heard of it? It’s the compass guiding the world of specialty coffee, setting the standards, and championing the craft. But what exactly is specialty coffee, and how does the SCA determine what’s special about it?

Specialty coffee isn’t a fleeting trend, it’s a movement.

It celebrates ethics, sustainability, and craftsmanship, supporting fair trade and eco-friendly practices. It is the result of a meticulous journey from exotic origins to expert roasting and precise brewing. Specialty coffee beans are pampered from the start, often hailing from specific regions or even single farms, resulting in unique flavours.

Specialty coffee stands out for several reasons:

• Exceptional Origins: specialty coffee often begins its journey in the lush, sun-drenched coffee farms of far-off lands. These beans are nurtured, picked, and processed with a level of care that’s nothing short of extraordinary. Often, they come from a specific region or even a single farm, allowing for unique flavours to shine through.
• Masterful Roasting: roasting is where the magic happens. Specialty coffee roasters are akin to artists. They carefully roast the beans to perfection, coaxing out a spectrum of flavours from the raw green beans. The roast level can range from lightly toasted to rich and dark, each offering a distinct tasting experience.
• Precise Brewing: when it comes to brewing, specialty coffee aficionados take a hands-on approach. Pour-over, Chemex, AeroPress, and the classic French press are some of the methods they use. This precision ensures that every cup is a testament to the beans’ true potential, with the right balance of flavour and aroma.
• Flavour Exploration: ever tasted coffee that majestically danced on your taste buds?! That’s specialty coffee! This coffee comes with tasting notes that read like a menu at a fine-dining restaurant: think hints of dark chocolate, floral undertones, or even fruity accents. Coffee cupping, a practice similar to wine tasting, is often used to evaluate and describe these intricate flavours.