Coffee that scores at least 80 out of 100 points in a standardized SCA tasting. Evaluated criteria include aroma, acidity, body, balance, and defects. The term encompasses the entire supply chain, from cultivation to brewing.

What is specialty coffee?

Coffee that scores at least 80 out of 100 points in a standardized SCA tasting. Evaluated criteria include aroma, acidity, body, balance, and defects. The term encompasses the entire supply chain, from cultivation to brewing.

Why that is

“Specialty coffee” is not a marketing term, but a measurable level of quality. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has defined clear criteria for evaluating coffee. Not every good coffee is specialty—and not everything that calls itself specialty deserves the title.

The scoring system:

Trained Q-Graders (certified coffee tasters) evaluate green coffee in a standardized cupping process based on ten criteria:

Points	Classification
80–84.99	Specialty (Very Good)
85–89.99	Specialty (Excellent)
90–100	Specialty (Outstanding)
Below 80	Not Specialty Coffee

Only a few hundred coffees worldwide achieve over 90 points each year. In the supermarket, you’ll generally find coffees under 80 points—so-called “Commercial Grade.”

What defines specialty coffee — the entire chain:

• Cultivation: Often at higher altitudes, selective harvesting (only ripe cherries), careful processing.
• Processing: Washed, natural, or honey—each method creates different flavor profiles. Care and control are crucial.
• Roasting: Small batches in drum roasters, customized profiles for each bean. The goal: to highlight the origin flavors, not cover them up.
• Brewing: Controlled parameters (water, temperature, grind size, brew time) to unlock the bean’s potential.
• Transparency: Origin country, region, farm, processing method, harvest year—everything is communicated.

Specialty vs. supermarket coffee:

Supermarket coffee is roasted industrially (2–5 minutes at high heat), from anonymous blends of various origin countries, often with a proportion of Robusta. Specialty coffee is slow drum-roasted (12–20 minutes), mostly single-origin or an intentional blend, with full transparency about its origin.

In practice at Green Wall Coffee

At Sophienstraße 27, we work exclusively with specialty coffee—at least 82 points, usually higher. We rotate our beans regularly and display them on the menu: origin, farm, processing, roast date. This way, every guest can trace exactly what’s in their cup.

Related questions

• What does the 80-point SCA score mean?
• What is third wave coffee?
• What is cupping and how does it work?

Stop by Sophienstraße 27 — Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm.