What is Specialty Coffee?

Not every great-tasting coffee bean can be labeled as Specialty Coffee. Behind this title is a rigorous quality control process spanning terroir, harvesting, processing, and sensory evaluation in the cupping lab.

In the traditional quality evaluation system of the coffee industry, one of the most familiar benchmarks is 80 points on a 100-point scale. CQI states that Q Arabica coffee must score 80 points or higher, while also meeting green bean quality requirements with no primary defects, to be certified under the Q system.

However, the specialty coffee industry is now moving towards a more holistic assessment. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has developed the Coffee Value Assessment – CVA, which considers not just scores, but also physical attributes, sensory descriptions, perceived quality, and information related to origin and processing.

Cupping – The "Test" of a Coffee Sample

Cupping is the standardized tasting method used to evaluate the characteristics and quality of coffee.

During a cupping session, coffee is sample-roasted, ground, and brewed under controlled conditions so tasters can focus on evaluating the true potential within the bean.

Evaluators observe multiple aspects of the cup, including:

• Aroma

• Flavor

• Aftertaste

• Acidity

• Body/Mouthfeel

• Sweetness

• Balance

• Cup Cleanliness and Uniformity

• Defects or off-flavors

The goal is not simply to determine whether a coffee is "good or bad", but to describe the quality, intensity, and unique characteristics of each coffee sample.

The SCA currently utilizes the Coffee Value Assessment system to paint a more detailed picture of coffee, including physical evaluation, sensory description, perceived quality assessment, and extrinsic information beyond the cup.

What Does the 80-Point Benchmark Mean?

In the widely used traditional 100-point cupping system, 80 points is the critical threshold that distinguishes specialty coffee from commercial-grade coffee. CQI still uses the minimum 80-point standard in its Q Coffee certification program.

Simply put:

Below 80 points
Generally falls short of the quality standards required to be classified as Specialty Coffee in traditional scoring systems.

80 points and above
Qualifies as high-quality coffee under this assessment standard.

The higher the score, the more pronounced the positive attributes: complex aromas, rich sweetness, pleasant acidity, a clean aftertaste, and exceptional balance.

However, today Specialty Coffee should not be defined simply as "coffee scoring over 80 points". The SCA developed the CVA precisely to broaden how we perceive coffee value, moving beyond reliance on a single number.

Why is Achieving Specialty Coffee Quality So Difficult?

The quality of a cup of coffee is not created in a single step.

It is the result of a long chain of correct decisions, starting right from the farm.

Altitude, climate, coffee variety, soil, and husbandry conditions all play critical roles in the cherry's development.

During harvest, quality hinges on selective picking. Underripe, overripe, or pest-damaged cherries can introduce defects and off-flavors.

Post-harvest, the coffee must undergo several stages:

Harvesting → Sorting → Processing → Fermentation → Drying → Storage → Roasting → Cupping.

If even a single link in this chain fails, the quality potential accumulated over months at the farm can be compromised.

Harvesting Ripe Cherries – The First Step in Quality

One of the biggest differentiators of high-quality coffee lies in strict control over raw materials.

Instead of strip-harvesting both ripe and unripe cherries, lots aimed at specialty quality prioritize harvesting only perfectly ripe cherries.

This often requires farmers to return to the same tree multiple times throughout the harvest season.

Labor costs increase and production takes longer, but in return, the raw coffee achieves superior uniformity and flavor potential.

Processing Can Elevate or Ruin a Coffee Lot

After harvest, the coffee cherries enter a critical phase.

Methods such as:

Washed – wet process
Natural – dry process
Honey
or other controlled fermentation methods

can all produce distinct flavor profiles.

If the fermentation or drying process is not carefully controlled, defects such as over-fermentation, mustiness, or unclean flavors can easily develop.

Conversely, when executed flawlessly, processing highlights and enhances the bean's inherent flavor complexities.

Specialty Coffee Must Pass Green Bean Grading

While cup flavor is paramount, the physical quality of the green coffee beans is also a crucial part of the grading process.

Under CQI's Q Coffee system, a certified sample must not only score at least 80 points but also meet strict green grading standards, which include having zero primary defects.

Physical defects can include black beans, sour beans, insect damage, or other imperfections arising during production.

This demonstrates that Specialty Coffee is far from just a marketing buzzword; it is bound to meticulous quality control at every stage.

Why Does Only a Fraction of Coffee Achieve High Quality?

For a coffee lot to travel from farm to a high-scoring cup, a multitude of conditions must align perfectly.

Farmers must start with premium raw materials.

Cherries must be harvested at peak ripeness.

Processing must be strictly controlled.

Beans must be dried and stored correctly.

Physical defects must be sorted out.

Then, the roaster must tailor the roasting profile to unlock the bean's full inherent potential.

Because of these high standards across the entire value chain, only a fraction of coffee lots can meet the necessary quality criteria.

More importantly, rather than thinking of a fixed global percentage of Specialty Coffee, it should be understood as a select category that must clear significantly higher quality hurdles than commercial-grade coffee.

Specialty Coffee is More Than Just a Number

Cupping scores give buyers, roasters, and producers a shared language to communicate quality.

But behind that score lies the story of terroir, variety, farmers, seasons, and a long series of post-harvest crafts.

This is why the SCA's new approach goes beyond a single number, assessing coffee from multiple angles to fully reflect the true value of each lot.

A cup of specialty coffee therefore offers far more than sweetness, acidity, or pleasant flavor notes.

It represents transparency of origin, rigorous quality control, and the immense dedication poured into every single bean.

And when you detect notes of fruit, florals, chocolate, or caramel, you are tasting more than just flavor – you are experiencing the distinct imprint of the terroir and the incredible journey the coffee bean made to reach your cup.