What does specialty coffee mean in the third wave?

Specialty coffee is high-quality coffee that clearly expresses the distinctive flavors of a specific producing region. The term gained traction as medium and light roasts replaced the dark roast style that once made bitterness the dominant impression. Roasters and shops now use it to describe single-origin beans whose cup profile can be traced to a place, a variety, and a processing method rather than to roast alone.

A shop's single-origin list shows how wide that range is: beans from Indonesia carry herbal, spice, dark chocolate, caramel and nut notes, while Ethiopian lots such as Yirgacheffe Gedeb lean floral with citric acidity. Panama geisha coffee beans sit at the delicate, aromatic end of the same spectrum. Freshness matters too, which is why beans are often shipped within five days of roasting.

Many people's first impression of coffee is bitterness, but that was actually a product of the dark roast era. With the rise of the third wave of coffee, medium-light roasts have gradually become mainstream, and the concept of "specialty coffee" has entered the public eye. Simply put, specialty coffee is high-quality coffee that clearly expresses the distinctive flavors of a particular region. In this article, we select representative specialty coffees from over 50 single-origin beans currently sold by Front Street Coffee, covering the world's major producing regions, and introduce their origin information, processing methods, and flavor characteristics one by one. We will also discuss an often overlooked yet crucial factor—the freshness of coffee beans. All beans shipped by Front Street are guaranteed to be dispatched within 5 days after roasting, ensuring the flavors and aromas are at their peak.

What is specialty coffee?

In the past, the public's understanding of coffee was mostly inseparable from the word "bitter," which had a lot to do with the popularity of dark roasting in earlier years. As coffee culture continues to evolve, the third wave represented by medium and light roasts has gradually risen, and against this backdrop a new term was born—specialty coffee. To explain it in the simplest way, specialty coffee refers to high-quality coffee that can present the flavors of a specific producing region. Next, Front Street will introduce representative specialty coffees from different origins.

Front Street Coffee currently offers more than 50 single-origin coffee beans, covering all the world's major coffee-producing regions. The prerequisite for a good cup of coffee is that the beans are fresh enough. Front Street knows well that freshness directly affects the flavor expression and aromatic layers of coffee, so every batch of shipped coffee beans is guaranteed to be dispatched within 5 days after roasting is completed.

Indonesia (herbal and spicy notes) — Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans

Region: Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia

Company: PWN

Growing altitude: 1100-1600m

Grade: G1 triple hand-sorted

Processing method: wet-hulled

Variety: Ateng

Flavor: herbal, spice-like rich aroma, dark chocolate, caramel, nuts.

Ethiopia (floral and citric acidity) — Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedeb Cooperative coffee beans

Region: Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

Cooperative: Gedeb Cooperative

Growing altitude: 2000-2100m

Processing method: washed

Variety: Ethiopian heirloom varieties

Flavor: citrus-like bright acidity, berry sweet-tartness, honey sweetness, green tea finish.

Ethiopia Sidamo (berry and tea notes) — Front Street Huakui coffee beans

Region: Guji, Sidamo, Ethiopia

Processing station: Buku Able

Growing altitude: 2250-2350m

Processing method: natural

Variety: Ethiopian heirloom varieties

Flavor: complex berry juice, fruity fermented aroma, strawberry sweet-tartness, jackfruit.

Kenya (cherry tomato and juicy body) — Front Street Cherry Tomato coffee beans

Region: Thika, Kenya

Processing station: Asali

Growing altitude: 1550-1750m

Processing method: 72-hour washed

Variety: SL28, SL34

Flavor: cherry tomato aroma, plum, dark plum-like acidity, brown sugar-like sweetness.

Costa Rica (sweet and honey notes) — Front Street Strawberry Candy coffee beans

Region: Tarrazú, Costa Rica

Estate: Mirazu Estate

Growing altitude: 1700m

Processing method: raisin honey

Variety: Geisha SL28 ET47 Maico

Flavor: strawberry hard candy aroma, raisin fermented aroma, strawberry sweet-tartness, rose floral notes.

Yunnan, China (nutty and balanced) — Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Typica coffee beans

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan

Growing altitude: 1450-1550m

Processing method: full ripe cherry natural

Variety: Catimor

Flavor: red berry sweet-tartness, rich dark chocolate, roasted nut aroma, caramel-like sweetness.

Brazil (nutty and creamy) — Front Street Queen Estate coffee beans

Region: Minas Gerais, Brazil

Estate: Queen Estate

Growing altitude: 1400-1950m

Processing method: semi-dry (pulped natural)

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Flavor: roasted nut aroma, peanut butter-like smoothness, fermented fruit finish.

Papua New Guinea (balanced sweet-tartness and cocoa) — Front Street Bird of Paradise coffee beans

Region: Papua New Guinea

Estate: Bird of Paradise Estate

Growing altitude: 1500m

Processing method: washed

Variety: Typica

Flavor: citrus-like bright acidity, toasted bread aroma, cane sugar-like clean sweetness, white tea finish.

Jamaica (balanced and chocolate) — Front Street Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans

Region: Blue Mountains, Jamaica

Estate: Clifton Estate

Growing altitude: 13100m

Processing method: washed

Variety: Typica

Flavor: balanced acidity, bitterness and sweetness, soft citrus acidity, rich dark chocolate aroma, nutty creamy smooth mouthfeel.

Panama (rich aroma and citrus fruit tea) — Front Street Panama Geisha coffee beans

Country: Boquete, Panama

Region: Boquete

Growing altitude: 1700m

Processing method: familiar processing

Variety: Geisha

Flavor: jasmine floral aroma, juicy body, citrus-like bright acidity, honey sweetness, black tea.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.