Quality is crucial in specialty coffee, and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has long used a 100-point scale to evaluate it. Recently, the SCA introduced a new Coffee Value Assessment to expand how coffee quality is measured. This shift responds to consumer demand for diverse flavors and higher quality. Many roasters now focus on coffees scoring 84 points and above, which has changed market expectations. While coffees scoring between 80 and 83 points are still considered specialty, they risk losing value as higher scores become the norm.
• The SCA's new assessment includes physical, extrinsic, affective, and descriptive evaluations.
• The demand for 84-point coffees reflects a shift in consumer preferences towards unique flavors.
• Higher standards could lead to lower prices for lower-scoring coffees, impacting producers.
• The industry may need to redefine what constitutes specialty coffee to align with consumer expectations.
This evolution in coffee quality matters because it affects producers' livelihoods and how consumers perceive value. As the market adapts, understanding quality will become more complex, but it is essential for sustainable growth in the industry.
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