Specialty coffee

Coffee scoring 80 or higher on the SCA 100-point scale, produced with attention to quality from farm to cup. Specialty isn't a marketing word — it's a defined grade.

Why it matters — Specialty is the floor for everything you'll find in a serious café. Below 80, defects (sour, mouldy, woody notes) become noticeable; above 85, the cup gets actively interesting.

Good to know

• The term covers the entire chain: producer, roaster, barista. A specialty-grade green can be ruined by bad roasting or careless brewing.
• "Specialty" doesn't automatically mean expensive. Many specialty coffees from origin are very fairly priced; what costs money is small-batch roasting and short supply chains.