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Specialty coffee is a coffee scored by expert tasters at 80 points or more out of 100, with traceable origin and no defects. It is not marketing: it is a measured category that looks after every step from the farm to the cup.
Want to taste the difference without the jargon? Enjoy a good brunch in Medellín at General and feel in the cup what we tell you about here.
You see the “specialty coffee” label more and more on menus and packaging, but rarely does anyone explain what it really means. Is it just a pricier coffee? A trend? Or is there something measurable behind it? The answer is that there is a concrete standard, and understanding it helps you tell a good coffee from one that only looks the part.
In this guide we explain, without the jargon, what specialty coffee is, how it is scored and what signs give it away in the cup. And if you feel like proving it, at General we pair our brunch in Medellín with specialty coffee, so the theory turns into flavor.
What exactly is specialty coffee?
The term is not a marketing one: it comes from an evaluation system created by the Specialty Coffee Association. A certified taster (called a Q Grader) tastes the coffee following a protocol and assigns it a score out of 100. To enter the specialty category, that coffee must reach 80 points or more, with no defects that penalize the sample.
What matters is that this score sums up many things: the quality of the bean, how it was grown, how it was processed and how it was roasted. It is not a price whim, but the result of caring for every link in a chain that starts on the farm and ends in your cup.
That is why specialty coffee almost always comes with a story: you know which region it is from, which plant variety produced it and which process it followed after harvest. That traceability is part of the seal.
How is it different from commercial coffee?
The difference is not only in the final flavor, but in the whole journey. Commercial coffee tends to blend beans from many origins, prioritize volume and hide defects with very dark roasts. Specialty coffee does the opposite: it selects, cares for and shows.
| Aspect | Specialty coffee | Commercial coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Cupping score | 80/100 or more | Below 80 |
| Origin | Traceable: farm, region and variety | Blend of origins, no detail |
| Bean selection | Manual, no defects | Massive, tolerates defects |
| Roast | Tuned to highlight the bean | Usually very dark and uniform |
| Freshness | Recent roast date | Long shelf life |
| Flavor | Defined notes (fruit, cocoa, flower) | Flat, generic bitterness |
It is not that one is “bad”: commercial coffee serves its purpose. But specialty coffee offers a different experience, with nuances you can recognize and enjoy.
How to tell specialty coffee apart?
Without being an expert, you can watch for several signs before and during the cup:
- Look at the packaging A specialty coffee shows origin (country, region, farm), variety, process and roast date. If it only says "roasted and ground coffee", be wary.
- Look for the roast date Freshness matters. Coffee performs best between a few days and a few weeks after roasting, not months later.
- Smell before tasting A good coffee has a clean, complex aroma: fruit, cocoa, cane sugar or flowers. A rancid or burnt smell is a bad sign.
- Taste it without sugar first A specialty coffee stands on its own. If you need to mask it with sugar to get it down, it probably is not one.
- Notice the finish Specialty coffee leaves a pleasant, sweet aftertaste, not a dry bitterness that scratches the throat.
Colombia is one of the world’s great producers of specialty coffee, and Medellín is surrounded by farms growing top-quality lots. Having a good single-origin coffee here is not a distant luxury: it is making the most of what grows around the corner.
Why does it cost a bit more?
The price is not about trend, it is about work. Behind a bag of specialty coffee there is selective picking (bean by bean, only the ripe ones), controlled fermentation and drying processes, a roast designed for that lot and a chain that pays the farmer better. All of that costs, but it also shows.
Seeing it this way changes the perspective: you are not paying for a label, you are paying because someone cared for every step so your cup tastes of something, not just of “coffee”.
Try specialty coffee at General
Selected beans, a fresh roast and careful preparation. Book your table and pair your brunch with a coffee that stands on its own.
Book your tableHow to get the most out of it at home?
Having good coffee is half of it; the other half is brewing it well. You do not need expensive gear, but you do need some care: use clean, not boiling water (a few seconds after the boil), grind the bean right before brewing, respect a sensible ratio of coffee to water, and keep the bag sealed, away from light and moisture. With that alone you take a huge leap in the cup.
And if one day you would rather have it made for you, that is also a legitimate way to enjoy it: sit down, order and let the coffee arrive just right.
Frequently asked questions
What score does a coffee need to be specialty?
It must earn 80 points or more out of 100 in a cupping carried out by a certified taster (Q Grader), following the Specialty Coffee Association protocol, and show no defects that penalize the sample. Below that score it is considered commercial coffee.
Is specialty coffee always stronger?
No. "Specialty" speaks to quality and traceability, not intensity. In fact, it tends to have lighter roasts that highlight notes of fruit, flower or cocoa, rather than the flat bitterness of very dark roasts. It can be smooth and aromatic at the same time.
How do I know if the coffee I buy is specialty?
Check the packaging: it should indicate origin (country, region and ideally farm), variety, process and a recent roast date. If it only says "roasted and ground coffee" with no data, it almost certainly is not.
Is it worth paying more for specialty coffee?
If you enjoy coffee, yes. You are paying for selected beans, careful processes and a roast designed for that lot, plus a fairer payment to the farmer. The difference in aroma, flavor and aftertaste shows in every cup.
En resumen
Specialty coffee is not a marketing label: it is a measured category, with a score, a known origin and care at every step. Now that you know how to tell it apart (packaging, freshness, aroma and that clean, sweet finish), the best thing is to prove it in the cup. At General we are waiting for you with specialty coffee and a table to enjoy it calmly.
