What is specialty coffee?

Beyond its origin, provenance, or exquisite flavor, specialty coffee represents a new holistic approach and highlights the importance of everyone involved in the value chain, from the producer to the barista, promoting fair trade and enhancing sustainability. 

In his book ¡To the point! The guide to buying, preparing and tasting the best coffee (Ed. Oberon ) , the Belgian-born Barcelona-based Kim Ossenblock, probably one of the greatest coffee experts internationally, states that “ choosing a good coffee is like choosing a good wine ,” a statement that seems to us more like a sensory experience than a consumption habit; basic and daily. Thus, based on this, we are currently witnessing what in the coffee sector is called the “third wave,” a sort of new generation that, having transcended (and surpassed) the situation fostered in the late 1970s by the large commercial coffee chains (aka Starbucks, Costa, etc.), has led to a social phenomenon in our days that has modified coffee consumption patterns around two variables: quality and sustainability. 

It is within this approach that we frame the concept of specialty coffee (perhaps already a fourth wave), a term that transcends the purely gustatory to focus on " something beyond ." But then, what do we call specialty coffee? In the words of Ferran Buxeda, founder of Onyva, " Specialty coffee is not just about where it comes from, how exquisite it is, or how it's processed. It's also a way of understanding life, of having a new approach to consumption, society, and people. Consuming specialty coffee means valuing coffee producers, promoting sustainability, fostering fair trade, and highlighting the work of everyone involved in the process, from the producer to the buyer, the roaster, and the barista."

Thus, a specialty coffee is one that only contains Arabica variety beans and that has obtained a score of between 80 and 100 points according to the international quality evaluation system of the Specialty Coffee Association. In which a cupping process controls variables such as the quality of the green bean, its sensory attributes (flavor, acidity, body, aroma, etc.), and its result in the cup. Furthermore, etymologically defined, specialty coffee is that which comes from a specific origin, which has been cultivated on small farms in different parts of the world and which, once here, is roasted using an artisanal process, in our case, in our own roaster in Barcelona .

That said, it's important to emphasize that specialty coffee uses the Arabica variety, which, along with Robusta, accounts for 99% of global coffee production. In this sense, Arabica coffee has characteristics that make it special and different from other varieties. The body of the Arabica bean is smaller and has a more elongated and flat shape. It provides a more balanced and aromatic flavor in the mouth, while also concentrating a lower amount of caffeine than other varieties, resulting in a smoother taste (the caffeine concentration in Arabica ranges between 0.8 and 1.4% compared to 4% in the Robusta variety). On the other hand, the origin of the Arabica variety is Ethiopia, although it is currently grown in many areas of the world, always under certain climatic and altitude conditions (the Arabica coffee tree grows between 500 and 2,400 meters above sea level, in humid areas with a predominantly warm climate, and at higher altitudes, there is a lower concentration of caffeine). 

Finally, in addition to its variety, origin, and bean characteristics, a fundamental variable in what is considered specialty coffee refers to traceability, emphasizing the coffee's journey from plant to cup and highlighting each and every one of the actors involved in the production process, recognizing their work in pursuit of excellence as a consumer product. Furthermore, it represents a new and global commercial approach, which involves, at its origin, the cultivation of different varieties based on the nature of the terrain by the producer, the evolution of the different roasting profiles of the green beans by the roaster, the optimization and improvement of the preparation method by the barista, and even a new way of consuming it. 

In short, specialty coffee is a movement toward change. Are you in?