• What makes a coffee "specialty"

Card #1 of 5

Everywhere in town, you see the sign: Specialty Coffee. It sounds premium, but did you know it’s not just a marketing buzzword? There is a strict, international definition for it.

In the world of coffee, beans are graded on a scale from 0 to 100 points. To earn the title of "Specialty," a coffee must score 80 points or higher. It’s the top tier of the global harvest.

The Spectrum of Flavor

Depending on the terroir (where it’s grown), the cultivation, and the processing method, it can unlock an incredible range of taste notes—from floral jasmine and bright citrus to deep stone fruits. Specialty coffee is roasted lighter to preserve these delicate nuances. The goal isn't to make you taste the roast, but to let you taste the origin.

The Commodity Standard

Anything scoring below 80 points is classified as Commodity Coffee. At this level, the focus is on volume, not clarity. These lots often contain defects—unripe beans, insect damage, or mold—which produce bitter and inconsistent flavors. To mask these flaws, commodity coffee is typically dark-roasted. The burnt, smoky roast flavors dominate, hiding the lack of quality underneath.

We believe that the quality of your day is defined by the quality of your rituals.

In a life lived with intention, where you care about the movement of your body or the source of your food, your coffee shouldn't be the outlier. We chose specialty coffee because we refuse to settle for the standard.

QUIZ

How much of global coffee cultivation is specialty coffee? A) less than 5% B) 5-10% C) 10-20% D) above 20%

  • B) 5-10%

How many different taste notes has coffee? For comparison, wine has 200-400. A) less than 100 B) 100-200 C) same as wine D) 800-1000

  • D) 800-1000

Hungry for more?

Deep dives into terroir, technique, and transparency.

Subscribe to receive our monthly digest on the science of specialty coffee.

Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about exciting insights. Get an automatic 5€ discount on your first purchase.