what is “Specialty Coffee”?
“Specialty Coffee” is a promise.
Coffee has gone through numerous waves since its industrialization in the late 1800s. Prior to the turn of the century coffee was a luxury, but post industrial revolution became a mass produced commodity available at every diner, drug store and home kitchen. This was the first wave.
In the 1970’s some roasters began to place an emphasis on quality and sourcing as a way to differentiate themselves. Some of these brands became wildly successful and still exist to this day, with many regional and local stores opening in the decades that followed. This was the second wave.
And then again in the early 2000’s, as globalization took hold, many roasters began to dedicate themselves to sourcing what became widely known as Specialty Coffee, which was then generally defined as any coffee graded above 80 points on a 100 point scale, much like wine. Groups like the forward thinking Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) became champions of sustainability, coffee quality, and presentation, squarely positioning coffee as a craft, artisanal product. This began the third wave.
In 2016, the SCAA and the SCAE announced their intention to unify, and in January of 2017 the global Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) was born. They since have introduced the Coffee Value Assessment, a grading system that considers both the sensory attributes and market impact to create a score. With this, the SCA introduced a new globalized definition of Specialty Coffee: “A coffee or coffee experience that is recognized for its distinctive attributes, resulting in a significantly higher value in the marketplace.”
In other words, Specialty Coffee is a promise made by any producer, roaster, or brewer that the coffee they grow, roast, or serve is something distinct, unique, and exceptional.
To us here at Smooth Coffee Co, being a Specialty Coffee roaster does not only mean roasting great coffee, but also providing those experiences that make our coffee and brand distinct, unique, and exceptional. With this in mind, we commit to:
1) provide accessible coffee education programs to anyone who is interested;
2) offer the highest level of service to all of our patrons and partners;
3) operate with integrity, employing our values to drive every decision we make.
OUr Commitments
Smooth Coffee Co. was founded in 2024 by Owner/Roaster Noah “da Roastah” Reeves.
“My first exposure to specialty coffee was at my first coffee shop job, which was also my first service industry job. During my interview the owner and GM brewed a V60 of a washed Ethiopia Worka and… that was it.
That shop was growing quickly and I started bagging coffee twice a week. That lead to learning how to roast and eventually I was promoted to Lead Production Roaster, which was my title for about a year before leaving to explore more of the service industry, and myself.
I bounced around for another two years between breweries, wine tasting rooms, bakeries, a Michelin Starred restaurant, but a backburner dream of opening my own roastery burned throughout that time. Eventually I picked up a refurbished sample roaster and things quickly got out of hand. A week later I had a 30kg bag of green coffee living on my 400sqft apartment’s kitchen counter, was passing out samples to anyone who would take them, and thus the snowball began to roll.
Now, here at the bottom of the first mountain, I am nothing if not grateful for all those who have been a part of the journey. This business is for you, for all, and I cannot wait for us to share a cup of Smooth coffee together.
Nothing but love,
Noah
“
