What is specialty coffee?
Only coffee that meets strict & particular criteria can be deemed as speciality. This includes having a cup score of 80 and above (out of 100), with no physical defects or faults. At Quarter Horse Coffee, we only source coffee scoring 84 and above.
Where does Coffee Grow?
Coffee – not only speciality – grows all around the globe in what's known as the 'Coffee Belt'. This is the space between the Tropics where conditions are most favourable for the coffee plant.
Type of Coffee Processing
Natural Process
A traditional method to remove the seeds (beans) from the coffee cherry by leaving the cherries to dry and naturally ferment in the full sun. These typically result in vibrant and fruity flavour profiles.
Washed Process
One of the most common processes is washed; where to fleshly fruit is removed using water, and the beans are then left to dry on drying beds. Washed profiles tend to lean towards a cleaner cup with lots of clarity.
Honey Process
Honey processed coffee can be seen as a mixture of the two previous methods, where some of the fruit is removed and the beans are dried with the musilage still in tact around the seeds (beans).
There are other special & experimental processes which do not fit in to the three main categories above. Examples of these include Lactic Washed, Anaerobic Fermentation and Red Honey to mention a few. Use the link below to see any available coffees with unique process methods.
How Coffee is Scored...
Coffee is graded by what's known as cupping. Coffees are blind tasted side by side for direct comparison in order to distinguish their flavour notes, mouthfeel, and to detect any possible hidden defects or negative attributes.
Finding the right coffee for you...
With all the coffee jargon out there, we've categorised all our coffee offering into a simple shelving system to help you find the best type of coffee for you!
