You may be an avid fan of coffee, and you are faced with two choices: there are the regular varieties and the speciality ones. If you live in countries like Canada or the United States, you may be familiar with speciality coffee, but what’s exactly in it that makes it unique?
Before pouring that delicious hot java, know that the beans have undertaken a long and complex journey before they land into your cup. They should have undergone some stages, including getting the first crack, and if the manufacturers are not careful with what they are doing, they can ruin an entire batch in no time.
Differences to Know About
In today’s society, growers, roasters, and avid drinkers may use the term regular coffee as one of the hidden ways they call a brew that’s low-quality and has a bad taste. When they drink the ones with the regular beans, they are usually left with a disappointing experience and a bad aftertaste in their mouths.
At the same time, there are speciality beans that are often guaranteed in quality throughout all their processing and manufacturing stages. They are carefully processed from their seeds to the consumer’s cups.
What’s Considered to be Speciality Coffees?
This refers to the overall process where the farmer uses single-origin beans. They are more on the ways on how they are extracted and roasted. These are the types that should not be confused with the premium or gourmet varieties out there. The words involved are just marketing terms with no definitive standards for the coffee’s taste and aroma.
According to the definition of the Specialty Coffee Association, the speciality types refer to the high-quality green beans that have been roasted to near perfection. They have an excellent flavor profile and potential, and craftspeople created them according to the standards developed by the SCAA.
These standards may include high score points of over 80 on the excellence and quality scale. The resulting brew should have an outstanding balance, body, uniformity, aftertaste, aroma, flavor, sweetness, and clean cup that’s overall better than the average coffee out there.
Know that the beans were grown in ideal and special climates, and they are considered to be distinctive because of their delicate and full cup taste. They have little to no defects, and they impart a full-bodied flavor to their drinkers. The uniqueness of the taste and flavors result from the plant’s special characteristics and the soil composition where they were grown.
The Robusta and Arabica are two of the more popular coffee species in the world today. But only the Arabica is considered to be a speciality coffee variety. They are known to grow at higher altitudes where countries like Ethiopia, Colombia, Indonesia, and Brazil produce them.
They are Brewed Differently
These are often driven by quality, and they are unlike the regular varieties that many people drink. Many are found in online shops where they are available, and the brew is certified to be made up of premium beans.
At this point, you may have pretty much guessed that this is not something that you can get from your local grocers. This may only be available from a speciality coffee company online that can provide you with taster boxes of different blends and were produced in a particular micro-climate. The most obvious difference is the brewing method.
It’s best if you have a gooseneck spout as one of the features of your kettle because it has incredible precision for making pour-over coffee. The timers will add consistency to the entire drink. Another thing is that there are manual methods that allow the same beans to be made in many different ways, and they usually result in different body and flavor variations.
Sources are Different
With speciality brews, you don’t run to the local grocery store to purchase a bag. This is grown, brewed, and sourced in a different manner. The roasters themselves will visit the farms personally. They are all about making long-term relationships and connections with the growers. Then, the roasters can choose and pick the best beans from the farms themselves, and they don’t usually read the available catalogs.
The roasters will hugely benefit from this step, and consumers will enjoy the premium beans the most. Many manufacturers sell the coffee beans at higher prices, which translates to more money with the farmers. They help support local communities and growers. With the long-term relationship, the coffee lovers’ customers continue to enjoy the best brews for a very long time.
Different Selling Points
The legitimate roasters out there have one goal – and this is to become transparent as much as possible when they sell their products of beans and speciality coffees. They will want their consumers to know where the beans come from, and they let them connect to the farmers who have planted and harvested them. Many consumers feel a special connection with the farmers when they know that they are getting something sustainable, and they hear stories about hard work and passion.
High Standards are Used
As mentioned, these coffee beans earned their reputation because they have scored at least 80 out of the 100-point review scale that the SCA makes. They were carefully inspected and evaluated visually. A cupping process is included to roast and taste them, and a small sample is picked. The defective beans are included in the count.
Know that the defects may include broken, sour, or black beans. The roasting and brewing of the coffee are judged by their aroma, flavor, body, and acidity. As simple as you may think a cup of coffee is, it’s actually a product of many different people working together to produce high-quality brews. The team effort involves the work of A-listers that oversee every stage of the production.
Growing is not simple, and the farmers ensure that the weather will give them a thriving coffee plant in the end. The roasters are entrusted to take the reins and protect the beans from being transformed into their highest potential. Get a taste of the speciality coffee and be amazed at its flavor.