Disclosure: collaborative post
In the world of coffee, we call speciality only those products that meet the strict quality criteria and are graded by SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) above 80 out of 100 points. Whether you are a proud coffee gourmet trying to get more knowledge on speciality coffee or simply a beginner, trying to understand what quality coffee is, it might be useful to know how such quality is achieved and measured. Where to start when choosing speciality coffee for your own tasting, and how to brew it so you can enjoy it to the fullest?
The process of cupping and grading specialty coffee
The term “speciality coffee“ was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Erna had the idea that the quality of coffee needed to be preserved from crop to cup. She wanted to ensure that the whole supply chain from farming practices, processing methods, to even roasting, brewing and sale would contribute towards achieving a higher standard product – something we now call speciality coffee. Nowadays, the SCA sets standards for speciality coffee at every stage of the coffee production, and each coffee is graded during cupping – the process of tasting and evaluating, where attributes such as acidity, body, flavour and aroma are measured.
Cupping is one of the most important processes when working with coffee. How does it look like? Generally, it’s steeping 12g of ground coffee in 220ml of hot water for 4 minutes, skimming off the foam at the top and then tasting it with a spoon when it’s cooled off (usually after 8 minutes). The procedure is standardised around the world to ensure that coffees are treated as equally as possible. Coffee scoring from 90-100 is graded as Outstanding, coffee that scores 85-89.99 is graded Excellent, while coffee scoring 80-84.99 is graded Very Good. Independent roasters, like Iron and Fire, preserve this quality throughout the roasting process, highlighting the unique characteristics of each batch of beans.
To be considered speciality, coffee must have from 0 to 5 defects at every 350gr of ground beans, according to SCA. So before tasting, coffee is evaluated visually – trying to find and note each visible defect. Defects are considered if the beans are black (over roasted/burnt), broken or sour. Such in-depth consideration of both visual and taste qualities allow to truly measure and select only the most excellent coffees that are then marked as a speciality. Inevitably, speciality coffee will have to be grown and processed the right way, with careful attention to detail. What it means to the farmer and to the roaster – slower production and careful selection, is why the price of speciality coffee will ultimately have to be higher than general coffees.
The taste of specialty coffee and best ways to prepare it
When you pay for a high-quality product, you have to treat it right to be able to reveal its full potential. Coffee is just beans – without preparing the actual drink, you cannot enjoy it, well aroma maybe, but not the actual process of drinking coffee. In addition, everything that was achieved during farming, processing and roasting, can be even more emphasized during preparation. Are there any limits or strict rules when preparing speciality coffee? Of course not! However, it is advisable to enjoy such coffee as it is, with no additives such as milk, sugar, etc.
After all, you want to be able to feel all those natural taste notes, and when it’s a speciality, there are no processing defects that would get in your way, you will surely tell how crisp and clear the coffee is on its own. Some brewing methods are considered more acceptable when drinking speciality coffee, only because they help reveal natural flavour tones better. It does not mean you should skip other methods if you want to experiment, however, keep in mind what preparation method can add to your coffee. For instance, brewing coffee with any type of pressurized appliance or tool, for example, an espresso machine will add intensity to the cup, as it is the way taste develops under pressure.
Therefore, if you got a pack of speciality coffee and prepared it using pressure, you might get a more intense cup than it otherwise would be, making it harder to sense the naturally occurring taste notes. Pressure coffee machines have a very quick extraction time, too, which in some cases may not allow your coffee to have enough time when in contact with water to extract all the taste notes. If you still want that pressure-like preparation method, it might be better to consider low-pressure tools such as the Moka pot or the AeroPress brewer. A great way to enjoy speciality coffee is using pour-over – a method recently praised by the coffee community.
Pour over accentuates intricate flavours when compared to other brewing methods. The method itself allows coffee to brew slowly, at its own pressure and time, gradually. This makes it a popular choice for speciality coffees since it allows all the taste notes and aromas to shine. However, pour-over brewing can have some challenges for beginners, since it is a manual preparation method, there is space for human error and bad pouring techniques, which in return will generate a lower quality cup. However, if you are into coffee, you might take it as a challenge to develop your skill, and after tasting each cup after another you might feel proud and happy to see the development.
Choosing speciality coffee these days is quite easy – chances you can find it in your local café, online, or at coffee markets. Look at the packaging and product description to find that it’s marked as a speciality. Choose a region you generally prefer or are curious to taste, make sure it is as fresh as can be and choose a brewing method you want to experiment with. With speciality coffee, you will create an extraordinary coffee drinking experience and it does not matter if it’s for a special occasion or for your daily cup of caffeine – you can make it extra special with speciality coffee.
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