What is specialty coffee?

Since we launched in 2018, our focus has been sourcing specialty coffee. But what does that mean?

We didn’t fully understand what specialty coffee was when we started, hence our original name of Mugging Whales Premium Coffee Company. It took us 6 years of sourcing and roasting specialty coffee to really learn the difference in quality and value.

According to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), specialty coffee is defined as:

“a coffee or coffee experience that is recognized for its distinctive attributes, resulting in a significantly higher value within the marketplace.”

This definition is determined by a holistic approach to:

  • value, including sensory attributes (ex. flavour, aroma, sweetness and mouthfeel)
  • consistency
  • sustainability
  • the impact on the people who produce and enjoy it

To get a better understanding of this definition, let’s use a comparison to commercial coffee (ex. the big brands that you find in the grocery store) to explain what sets specialty coffee apart:

Specialty

Commercial

Hand-picked and sorted (labour-intensive process) to ensure only perfectly ripe cherries* are used

Machine-harvested, allowing green unripe cherries* to get mixed in

High quality beans that are strictly graded to remove defects and unwanted flavours

Lower quality beans with defects and uneven ripening that can cause bitter, astringent flavours

Roasts are shorter at lower temperatures

Roasted longer at higher temperatures

Roasted in smaller batches for more control to bring out unique flavours that come from the environment where the coffee was grown

Mass-produced and over-roasted to mask any off-flavours, resulting in a burnt or bitter taste

Traceable to the small-holder farm or estate where it was grown, supporting local communities and ecosystems

Rarely traceable beyond the country where it was grown on large-scale estates that cause deforestation to maximize yield

*Did you know that coffee is a fruit?! Coffee beans are actually the seeds inside the fruit called a coffee cherry.

This is just scratching the surface of a very nuanced and intriguing industry. If you would like to explore further, here are a couple of resources to get you started:

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