What Is Specialty Coffee?
Coffee is graded on a 100-point scale. Specialty starts at 80. We only roast 85 and above. Here’s what that actually means.
What Is the Coffee Scoring System?
Every coffee can be scored using a 100-point scale developed by the Specialty Coffee Association. The process is called cupping. It’s how the industry measures quality—and how we decide what to roast.
The Categories
Tasters evaluate eight things:
- Fragrance — How the dry grounds smell before water is added
- Aroma — How the coffee smells after water is added
- Flavor — The overall taste and specific notes
- Acidity — Brightness and liveliness on your palate
- Aftertaste — What lingers after you swallow
- Sweetness — Natural sweetness in the cup
- Mouthfeel — Weight and texture in your mouth
- Overall — The taster’s holistic impression
How Scoring Works
Each category gets a score from 1 to 9: 5 (neither like nor dislike), 6 (slightly like), 7 (like), 8 (strongly like), 9 (extremely like). The scores are weighted and combined to reach a total out of 100. A coffee scoring 5 across the board lands at 79—just below specialty grade. To hit 85, you need to average above “slightly like” on every single attribute.
We cup hundreds of coffees before we find one that we want to serve. We put our score on the tin so you know how we feel about the coffee.
How Does the 100-Point Scoring Scale Work?
Here’s how the 100-point scale breaks down:
- 90+ Outstanding — Rare, competition-level coffee. Exceptional complexity and clarity.
- 85–89.99 Excellent — Distinctive character, clear quality. This is where we live.
- 80–84.99 Very Good — Specialty grade. Above average, but not exceptional.
- Below 80 Not Specialty — Commercial grade. What most of the world drinks.
Anything 80 or above qualifies as “specialty coffee.” But there’s a real difference between an 80 and an 88. We set our threshold at 85—the point where coffee starts getting genuinely interesting.
What Does Transparency Mean in Specialty Coffee?
We score using the SCA cupping form. We’re looking for coffees that are delicious, bright, and clear—with distinctive flavor profiles you can actually taste.
When we find one, we put our score on the tin. It’s right there if you want it.
Why Does Earnest Pursuit Roast Only 85+ Coffees?
At 85 and above, the flavors come through clearly. Fruit, florals, citrus, chocolate. You motice what makes each coffee different.
That’s what we’re looking for. Coffee worth paying attention to.
Key Facts & Sources
- The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) defines specialty coffee as coffee scoring 80 points or above on its 100-point Q-Grade scale.
- Less than 10% of the world's annual coffee harvest qualifies as specialty grade.
- Q Graders — licensed professional tasters trained and certified by the Coffee Quality Institute — conduct all official SCA cupping evaluations.
- Earnest Pursuit sources and roasts only coffees scoring 85 points or above.
