What Is A Specialty Coffee?

Specialty coffees are becoming increasingly popular in the US, and the fastest growing segment of the coffee market. Specialty coffees are generally roasted in small batches. The two most common roasting methods are: drum-roasting and hot-air roasting. Specialty coffees are made from exceptional beans grown only in ideal coffee-producing climates. They tend to feature distinctive flavors, which are shaped by the unique characteristics of the soil that produces them. The task of a roaster is to find the perfect roast for each coffee that brings out both the best flavor and the fullness of it in each batch.

Specialty coffees are made solely from Arabica beans, which generally have less caffeine and are more flavorful than Robusta beans. Arabica beans are grown at higher mountain elevations in countries like Colombia for long periods of time. Specialty coffees are flavorful. They boast distinctive, often unique, flavors like chocolate, citrus, berries, nuts, or caramel. Specialty coffees are selling at premium prices. Meanwhile, coffee farmers remain poor, capturing little of the benefits.

Arabica coffee produces the rich flavor and body found in a good cup of coffee. Arabica coffee is difficult to grow, and prone to disease, requiring more hand cultivation, and yields smaller harvests per acre. Arabica coffee of Latin America and the Caribbean is generally more expensive, due to higher growing and processing costs, and is perceived as better tasting by discerning drinkers. Such coffees are generally superior to coffees grown at lower altitudes. Arabica beans, however, are what “specialty” coffees are made of. Grown at high altitudes (2,000-6,000 feet), Arabica beans require an average temperature of 70 degrees and plenty of rainfall. Arabica is widely known as the better and more expensive of the two. They are grown in semitropical climates, both in western and eastern hemispheres, at high altitudes.

Beans can be roasted to the precise degree of roast desired in as little as 10 –15 minutes. Also, with rise of coffee culture in North America coffee drinkers are developing more sophisticated palates. Beans grown at higher altitudes, like Costa Rica, are frequently naturally organic – at high altitudes there are fewer pests and due to the tight management of farms disease is very rare. Beans grown at high altitudes are ‘hard beans’ and generally take longer to roast.

Specialty coffees are as common today as the regular brew. Coffee houses are popping up everywhere with many different flavors and varieties to choose from. Specialty coffees are getting increasingly popular in the global coffee market. India markets several varieties of these specialty coffees. Specialty coffees are not “commodity coffee” and do not fall into the realm of Fair Trade coffee’s either. We still insist that these coffees are organic coffee.

Specialty coffees can be further distinguished by a number of interesting taste and aromatic characteristics. These are not necessarily on a scale of good to bad, but rather differences that accommodate individual taste preferences plus providing a pleasing variety of experiences available. Specialty coffees can be created with the simple addition of Classic or Sugar Free flavored syrups.