The Four Tiers of AlmAméricas Coffee and the Meaning of SCA Specialty Coffee
🌎 The Journey of Coffee According to AlmAméricas:
At AlmAméricas we believe that coffee is not simply a beverage: it is a bridge between worlds, a language without translation and a profound expression of cultural identity.
Every bean has a story, and every story deserves to be honored.
That's why our café is organized in four tiers that reflect different levels of complexity, origin, craftsmanship and rarity.
And to ensure that every coffee we bring to your table is authentic, honest, and truly exceptional, we use one of the most respected standards in the world: the SCA score.
Today we want to tell you what our tiers mean, what the SCA is, and why this system is fundamental to our mission.
🌱 ROOTS
Everyday Coffee with Soul**
“Everything great starts with the roots.”
Raíces is our premium coffee line — accessible, balanced and designed to accompany you in your daily life.
They are noble, smooth and reliable coffees, perfect for those seeking quality without complications.
They represent the essential:
the land, the farmers, and the tradition that sustains everything else.
🌄 ORIGINS
The Heart of Specialty Coffee**
"The origin says it all."
Origins brings together our specialty coffees with SCA scores between 80 and 84 points.
Here, each coffee comes from a specific terroir, a real estate, a producer with a name of their own.
These are cafes that tell stories: of mountains, of families, of harvests cared for by hand.
Each cup tells the story of the place where it was born.
🌺 ESSENCES
The Exceptional Coffee**
“The essence of coffee in its purest expression.”
Essences coffees are special lots with an SCA score of 85 to 88 points .
They are complex, brilliant, sweet — coffees that surprise and change the way we understand flavor.
This is where exotic varieties, careful fermentations, and sensory profiles that captivate those seeking new experiences come into play.
🌙 LEGENDS
The Reserve Collection: Rare and Memorable Cafes**
“Only a few cafes become legendary.”
Legends is our most exclusive line: micro-lots, limited editions, experimental processes and coffees with scores above 89 points .
These cafes are gems.
Unique pieces.
Stories that only happen once.
Perfect for collectors, enthusiasts, and lovers of the extraordinary.
☕ What is the SCA and why does it matter so much?
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the international organization that sets the highest quality standards in the world of coffee.
Their scoring system evaluates each coffee on a scale of 0 to 100, analyzing:
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Scent
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Flavor
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Natural sweetness
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Acidity
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Body
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Balance
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Uniformity
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Cup cleaning
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Absence of defects
✔️ 80 points or more = Specialty Coffee
This means that coffee is:
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naturally sweet
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clean
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complex
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flawless
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perfectly processed
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traceable to the farm
An SCA coffee is no coincidence:
It is the result of hundreds of careful decisions from planting to roasting.
🌱 Why do we use the SCA system at AlmAméricas?
Because it represents transparency, excellence, and respect.
And those values are at the heart of everything we do.
The SCA guarantees that:
✔️ What we offer is honest
There are no tricks, no empty marketing.
The quality is proven.
✔️ We can pay fairer prices to producers
A higher-rated coffee has a higher market value.
This directly benefits farmers like Jaime Gutiérrez.
✔️ The consumer learns, appreciates, and enjoys more
The greater the knowledge, the greater the connection with the origin.
✔️ Protects culture and tradition
Only with high standards can producing families sustain artisanal practices.
🌿 What AlmAméricas wants you to feel in every cup
Our goal is not to sell coffee.
It's about connecting.
Connecting those who cultivate with those who enjoy.
Connecting territories, histories, traditions and communities.
Each of our tiers —Roots, Origins, Essences, Legends— exists so that you can discover coffee in a deep, honest, and emotional way.
Because at AlmAméricas, every cup is a bridge.
And each bridge brings one world closer to the other.