Arabica vs. Specialty Arabica

What is so special about “Specialty” Arabica?  Let’s explore this a little bit.

First, a little history on Arabica coffee.  Arabica actually comes from a Robusta plant.  The Robusta plant migrated to the highlands of Ethiopia from its origin in Yemen, (folklore says by a Monk who was tending goats) and crossed with another local plant, creating a sweeter, more flavorful, less caffeinated, less bitter coffee.  

Arabica coffee in general is a little higher cost in stores. Ever wonder why?

Arabica is grown in highlands (higher elevations).  It's much more difficult to maintain, produce and harvest.  The plant naturally has less caffeine by it’s makeup. Caffeine is a natural pest deterrent, so with Arabica having a smaller amount, it needs a lot of care and tending to make sure it doesn’t get eaten by pests or disease.  

You also can’t get heavy machinery, like a combine or tractor on a mountain, so it is mostly harvested by hand or smaller machinery; which in turn means more labor and therefore, cost. 

But let’s get back to the “Specialty” in Specialty grade Arabica.  There is a grading process setup by the Specialty Coffee Association that the green coffee goes through first.  A grader checks for defects and assigns the coffee a Class, one through five, depending on the average amount of defects. Then it is roasted, cupped and scored.  The process of “cupping” is a process by which the coffee is ground, smelled, brewed, tasted and assigned a score ranging from 60-100 depending on the depth, body, flavor and other components.

Cupping Score:
90-100 is “Outstanding” and sold at premium pricing (Jamaican Blue Mountain for instance)
85-89 is “Excellent”
80-84 is “Very Good”
Anything less than 80 doesn’t quality as Specialty grade

Depending on the Class and Cupping Score, the coffee can become Specialty Grade.  This is the top 10% of coffee that is grown worldwide. This is the best of the best coffee. This is what we specialize in.  This is what we love! This product is our focus. Our desire is to share and educate our community on this amazingly flavorful and healthier coffee. (Don't even get us started on how they decaffeinate coffee)

If you know any person or business that would love to offer specialty coffee to their customers, please let us know.  We specialize in wholesaling this amazing product in bags for resale, bulk coffee or coffee service. We also love private labeling for businesses to have their own brand as well!  If we can help you with any of your coffee needs, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Let us help you make more money selling Specialty Coffee!