What Does Speciality Coffee Actually Mean?

You have probably seen the words “Speciality Coffee” everywhere. On coffee bags, café menus and Instagram posts. But what does it actually mean? Is it just a fancy name for expensive coffee?

Not quite.

Speciality coffee is about quality at every stage, from how the coffee is grown and picked right through to how it is roasted, brewed and served in your cup.

It Starts at the Farm

Great coffee doesn't suddenly become great when it reaches a roastery.

Speciality coffee starts with the coffee itself. The variety, where it is grown, the altitude, climate and soil all play a part in how that coffee will eventually taste.

The coffee cherries also need to be carefully picked. Ideally, only the ripe cherries are selected, rather than stripping everything from the tree and hoping for the best. After picking, the coffee is processed carefully to protect and develop its quality and flavour.

There is a lot happening long before we get our hands on it.

The 80-Point Rule

One of the main things that separates speciality coffee from commercial-grade coffee is how it is scored. Coffee is professionally tasted, or cupped, and assessed for things such as:

• Aroma

• Flavour

• Sweetness

• Acidity

• Body

• Balance

• Aftertaste

• Consistency

To officially be classed as speciality coffee, it generally needs to score 80 points or above out of 100 on the recognised coffee quality scale.

The higher the score, the greater the potential quality and complexity. But that doesn't automatically mean a 90-point coffee will be your favourite. Coffee is still personal. One person might love bright, juicy and fruity coffees, while someone else just wants something rich, chocolatey and smooth.

And that's perfectly fine.

So, Does Speciality Coffee Always Taste Fruity?

No.

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings about speciality coffee.

Yes, some speciality coffees can taste incredibly fruity, floral or unusual. You might find flavours that remind you of blueberries, peach, jasmine or tropical fruit.

But speciality coffee can also be rich, comforting and familiar.

Think:

Chocolate. Caramel. Hazelnut. Brown sugar. Raisin.

The difference is that a good speciality coffee should have those flavours naturally. We are not adding chocolate or fruit flavouring to the beans. The flavours come from the coffee itself, influenced by where and how it was grown, processed and roasted.

The Journey Doesn't End When We Buy the Green Coffee

Once the coffee arrives at our roastery, the next job is to get the best out of it.

Every coffee is different.

A coffee from Brazil won't necessarily want to be roasted in the same way as a coffee from Ethiopia. The bean density, moisture, processing method and flavour profile can all affect how we approach the roast.

This is why roasting isn't simply a case of putting beans in a machine and pressing a button.

The aim is to develop the coffee carefully and bring out its best characteristics. Roast too little and the coffee can taste underdeveloped. Roast too far and you can lose the individual character of the coffee and end up with mostly roast flavour.

For us, it is about finding the sweet spot for that particular coffee.

Freshness Matters Too

Even brilliant coffee needs to be fresh.

Coffee contains hundreds of aromatic compounds that contribute to its smell and flavour. Once roasted, those flavours slowly begin to change over time. This is one reason freshly roasted coffee can make such a noticeable difference in your cup.

That doesn't mean you need to drink it the second it comes out of the roaster, though. Coffee needs a little time to rest after roasting, particularly before brewing as espresso.

But buying freshly roasted coffee and using it within a sensible period gives you the best chance of tasting it at its best.

It Is About More Than Just a Number

An 80+ score is useful, but speciality coffee is about more than chasing numbers.

A great coffee should be:

• Carefully produced

• Properly sourced

• Roasted with purpose

• Fresh

• Brewed well

And most importantly, it should taste good to you.

We don't believe coffee needs to be complicated to be appreciated. You don't need to know every variety, processing method or flavour descriptor to enjoy a really good cup.

If you like your coffee rich and chocolatey, there is a speciality coffee for you.

If you like something bright and fruity, there is a speciality coffee for you too.

If you just want a smooth flat white that tastes great first thing in the morning, absolutely no judgement. That's what good coffee is all about.

The Magnet Collective Approach

At The Magnet Collective, we look for coffees with great quality, character and flavour.

We enjoy learning about where our coffees come from, the people and regions behind them and what makes each one different. Then we roast them with the aim of creating something we genuinely enjoy drinking ourselves.

Some coffees will be familiar and comforting. Others might take you somewhere completely different.

That is one of the things we love most about coffee. It is one little bean, but the journey behind it can be enormous.

So next time you see “Speciality Coffee” on a bag, hopefully it means a little more than just a fancy label.

It means there has been a lot of care involved in getting that coffee from farm to cup.

And now, the important bit.

Put the kettle on.