Specialty Coffees With Distinct Flavor

Gourmet or specialty coffees are made from beans that have exceptional qualities that come from being grown in the best climate with good soil characteristics. They have a distinct and unique flavor that must be free of taints, faults or other odors.

This coffee must be free from quakers (underdeveloped coffee beans), have no more than five defects in a 350 gram sample and show distinctive attributes, with regard to aroma, after taste and acidity.

The individuals, or artisans, who are authorities on gourmet and specialty coffees tell us that this does not mean that this coffee is special purely because of its brewing method or coffee machine used, such as for espressos or cappuccinos.

It is more of a complete process involving dedication from everyone who comes in contact with the beans; including the planters, harvesters and processors. These high quality coffee beans are roasted in order to release their best flavor potential and then brewed by a set of very high standards.

Different coffee organizations around the world enter their finest coffees during the SCAA Roasters Guild, 3 day Cupping Competition for the chance to be recognized as having the world's best specialty coffees. There are 30 judges who will thoroughly evaluate the taste and aroma of each sample entered in the contest.

Six attributes of each coffee including aroma, taste, fragrance, aftertaste, flavor and body will be evaluated by the judges. The judges however, do not drink coffee mug after coffee mug full of hot coffee. They determine the winner by swirling a tablespoon size portion of coffee over the palate and then spitting it out without swallowing.

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