What is specialty coffee? And how we go beyond it

You’ve probably heard the word "specialty" thrown around a lot. But have you ever wondered what it really means?

Well, this post’s for you!

What is Specialty Coffee?

Let's break it down from two angles: the technical side and the human side.

Technical Definition

Specialty coffee represents the highest grade of coffee available, scoring 80 points or higher on a 100-point scale used by the Specialty Coffee Association. It also needs to have fewer than 5 defects per 350 grams (about 12 ounces) of milled coffee beans.

Usually, specialty coffee means you can trace it right back to the farm, including details about growing conditions, the coffee varietal and processing methods.

The human definition

For us, specialty coffee is simply the opposite of ordinary. At a minimum, it must be good, hopefully, really good. Not just average. It should be delicious. It’s something you notice, something you look forward to, something that brightens your day and keeps you coming back for another sip. Specialty coffee is the result of many caring hands taking special care. It includes the tireless work and obsession of farmers, pickers, processors, graders, roasters, and baristas. This care, attention to detail and the stories of many amazing people should come through in the cup. 

In a cafe, specialty coffee means the whole experience feels special. It’s the warm welcome from the café team, the skill and care the baristas show when making your coffee, the equipment they use and the vibe of the place itself. It’s also about presentation: latte art for your flat whites and cappuccinos, or the detailed tasting notes and background on origin and processing for your black coffees. Most importantly, it should taste great. The whole experience should make you want another one tomorrow (or right then!).

In short, it’s a little bit special.

A note about specialty

The term “specialty coffee” has become incredibly popular in Australia, which means the term is sometimes misused or misunderstood.

Just because coffee beans are specialty grade doesn’t guarantee a delicious cup. A great coffee depends on proper storage, expert roasting, best-in-class packaging and skilled brewing. While specialty coffee is easily measurable at the bean level, there's currently no regulation in Australia around using the term. So, if you’ve tasted "specialty coffee" and it wasn’t great, or worse, it was bad, don’t write off specialty coffee completely.

 

Beyond Specialty

At Pablo & Rusty’s, specialty is our starting point, not our end goal. We push beyond in two key ways:

Making it as delicious as possible

We’re passionate about coffee, obsessively sourcing, roasting and brewing to make it as delicious as possible. Specialty grade alone doesn't guarantee an amazing taste, much like buying the best tomatoes doesn't guarantee delicious pasta. Specialty is just the beginning. We carefully select coffees that often exceed the minimum specialty standards, highlighting flavours we and our customers love. Our roasting process brings out the best in these coffees and we empower cafe partners and home customers to brew the coffee to its full potential. Using cutting-edge science, tools and expert knowledge, we strive to make every cup memorably delicious.

Best in the world and for the world

We believe delicious coffee should also do good for the planet. We actively minimise our environmental footprint and invest in protecting and restoring habitats. We’re a certified B Corp, Carbon Neutral Organisation and part of 1% for the Planet, which means we contribute 1% of our total revenue (not just profits) to environmental causes.

Ultimately, coffee grows on this planet. We’re committed to ensuring both delicious coffee and a thriving planet for generations to come. It’s a journey we're ambitiously pushing forward on.

Conclusion

Specialty coffee is a term often used to describe the best the world of coffee has to offer. But for us, it’s just the beginning. We aim to go further both in deliciousness and sustainability. 

We hope that you continue to Drink Better Coffee, as life’s too short for average coffee!