What Is Specialty Coffee? What Does an 80+ Score Mean?

Specialty coffee is coffee that scores 80 or above out of 100 on the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) cupping scale, with minimal defects and traceable origin. “Specialty” isn’t a marketing adjective — it’s a measurable quality threshold.

How is it scored? Licensed Q graders blind-cup the coffee on aroma, flavor, acidity, body, balance, and finish. 80–84.99 is “very good,” 85–89.99 “excellent,” 90+ “outstanding.” Commodity coffee falls below the threshold and is usually blended and dark-roasted to mask defects.

Four things that set specialty apart:

1. Traceability — the country, region and, where available, production information are clearly stated. Our current menu includes six V60 origins.
2. Low defects — near-zero serious defects per 350 g of green beans.
3. Fresh, intentional roasting — done to open the bean’s character, not hide it.
4. Careful brewing — right ratio, grind, temperature (our V60 guide covers exactly this).

How to tell if your cup is specialty: you get a clear answer when you ask about origin, the coffee is aromatic rather than burnt, and the tasting notes (floral, fruity...) are genuinely there. We explain those notes in our tasting guide, and the third-wave philosophy behind specialty in a separate article.

Ethiopia Coffee — by Ethiopian Brew Co.® — The Taste from Origin.