“Specialty coffee is a term for the highest grade of coffee available, typically relating to the entire supply chain, using single origin or single estate coffee”.
Most coffee from Puerto Rico is commercial grade due to the processing of said beans, from the sourcing and handling, to the roasting and brewing. Only a select few manage to truly produce some outstanding Premium and Specialty grade coffee.
At the center of it all what makes it worth the struggle is producing the highest quality coffee possible, thanks to the dedicated farmers that hand select and pick the best, ripest coffee beans. and all the lives that form an integral part of the coffee-supply-chain. With whom none of this would be possible.
Coffee Community
You’ve probably heard the term “ specialty coffee “ or special grade coffee, if you haven’t it’s ok. Everywhere you turn these days it seems like more and more people are choosing to drink better quality coffee or the ‘best coffee”.
In actuality this sector alone is growing at a fast pace of about 4% year-to-year. That’s a lot more people drinking lots and lots of higher quality coffee. Considering how globally we consume about 2.25 Billion cups daily, and how 90% of coffee production takes place in developing countries, the coffee community is larger than ever and shows no signs of stopping.
Consistency in quality
Beyond buzz-worthy or trending topic – Specialty Coffee is in essence: high quality, great tasting beans that are grown at very high altitudes, then they are carefully selected and graded.
These later become meticulously roasted and properly brewed to extract the best, maximum flavor potential from each bean, – Every single time, consistently.
That was a lot to take in, but it’s literally the only way to ensure the coffee produced remains special, like the gift it truly is.
sca.coffee/research/coffee-standards
What does Specialty coffee mean?
The Specialty Coffee Association defines specialty coffee as a collaborative work chain from source (farm), to buyer, to roaster, to barista and finally to your cup.
As we shared earlier, the main goal is to produce the best tasting, highest quality coffee possible, sourced from origin(s) with a specific micro-climate which in turn produce more depth of flavor in your cup.
“Specialty coffee requires that both the farm (source) and the brewing be of the highest level of standard.”
It truly is a remarkable process going from seed to cup, to roasting, to brewing these beans. Even if you’re lucky to live in a country that grows and produces it’s own coffee like Puerto Rico, the level of standard remains the same; difficult and complex to achieve within the simple guidelines laid out by the SCA, but worth it in the end for everyone and the environment.
It’s safe to say the producers of specialty coffee are responsible for nurturing and perfecting the coffee bean from seed to harvest in the span of their whole lifetime. A never ending passionate process of seeking the perfect cup.
SCA – What is Specialty Coffee
Final thoughts
The global appeal of coffee is similar to the language of music, we all feel the beat even if we don’t understand the lyrics, we appreciate it’s beautiful melodies & how it makes us feel. A lot of work is required to produce specialty coffee.
While there are a lot of different meanings on what specialty coffee is to different people, specialty coffee (and all coffees) should always seek to respectfully be prepared well, be freshly roasted and perfectly brewed to it’s up most potential. Simple as that.
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