The term ‘Specialty coffee’ or ‘Speciality coffee’ is used to refer to coffee that is graded 80 points or above on a 100 point scale by a certified coffee taster (SCAA) or by a licensed Q Grader (CQI).

Specialty coffees are coffees at their peak and are different to other coffee because specialty coffee has been grown at the perfect altitude, at the correct time of year, in the best soil, and then picked at just the right time. All this translates into some of the most exciting and tasty coffee in the world.

WHAT IS A SCORE?

Our product range is categorised by score: 85+, 88+ and 90+. We have the "Specialty Coffee Association of America" to thank for the system of "scores", who defined a very strict ratings protocol to evaluate the quality of speciality coffee. This ratings system enables players within the sector, as well as coffee lovers, to share a common language. Within this tasting protocol, the main criteria for the evaluation of a coffee are noted: odour, aroma, after-taste, acidity, body, harmony, purity...

The final score classifies the coffee within a hierarchy unique to speciality coffee. The coffee must achieve a score of at least 80/100 to be considered a speciality coffee.

A detailed look at the scores attributed to speciality coffee:

Score 85+ = very good coffee

Score 88+ = exceptional coffee

Score 90+ = excellence and vintage coffee

Our coffees at Amana, are all comprised of speciality coffees.

*The SCAA classifies 90+ coffees as "Outstanding". We consider an 88+ coffee to reflect a quality that is already outstanding, already representing the excellence of the sector. In this regard, it is a Excellence vintage coffee.

Since the term “specialty coffee” was first used in the 1970s, improvements in agricultural, roasting and brewing technology, and an increased demand for high-quality coffee have put speciality coffee in the hands of coffee lovers across the globe.

This allows farmers get higher prices and value for the coffee they produce.

The coffee farmer, the buyer (can be exporter or agent), the importer, the roaster, the barista and the consumer.

Great coffee starts with the producer whose family likely has spent generations perfecting their approach to farming the highest quality coffee possible.

Green coffee is next transferred to the green coffee buyer who may have an SCA Coffee Skills Program certification in the Green Coffee module. They have a palate as distinguished as a sommelier and can keenly identify coffee quality via cupping, or systematic tasting of brewed coffees.

Green coffee is raw coffee beans that haven’t been roasted yet. Coffee beans that have been picked and processed are green, and only take on their familiar brown colour because of the roasting process.

(If you thought that coffee beans are red or yellow when picked, you’re half-right. Those are the coffee “cherries” that contain the beans.)

Green coffee is graded via visual inspection and cupping. Visual inspection involves taking a 350g sample of green coffee beans and counting defective beans. Defects can be Primary (e.g. black beans, sour beans) or Secondary (e.g. broken beans). For a coffee to qualify as “speciality”, it must have zero Primary defects and less than five Secondary defects.

Cupping involves roasting the coffee and brewing simply with hot water, and relies on the skill of the taster to assign scores to each of the coffee’s attributes, such the acidity, body, flavour and aroma.

By direct trading, sourcing is controlled in a sustainable way and we can ensure coffee is coming from that exact farm/producer. We can also ensure fair prices are paid to farmers. By sustainable direct trade models, connectivity between the very start and the very end of the supply chain is strengthened, building long-lasting relationships. By not investing in the long-term, it is very challenging to achieve end to end quality.

The purpose of direct trade is to provide support along the entire length of the supply chain, from producer to end consumer.