Third Wave Coffee

Third Wave Coffee & Coffee Scores

Defining the third wave isn’t easy ~ the term was “coined” in 1999 and became a growing trend. As more and more coffee lovers realized that there was more to coffee than traditional flavors, a coffee renaissance emerged.

Now, we are proud to be a part of a new generation of roasters that focus on higher quality and better preparations.

From harvesting from our own farms, prioritizing sustainability, creating new roast profiles, increasing the quality, and connecting to new brewing methods, Nobletree continues to create coffee with flavor notes that offer distinctiveness and flavorful complexity.

Artisanal Coffee Trend is recognized as the Third Wave Phenomena

“If you prefer freshly brewing your morning coffee at home, discussing bean origins with your local barista and would never suffer through a cup of instant, then new research shows you’re a “coffee connoisseur.”

Sept 29, 2019

“People are drinking coffee that comes at a higher price premium and helps buoy what’s known as Third Wave Coffee. … The producer and roaster also receive credit.

December 2018

Coffee Scores by Q-Graders

Premium coffee is scored on a 100-point scale, by certified Q-graders. The point scale system was established to create a universal standard and shared vocabulary for coffee so everyone is looking for the same characteristics and using consistent terms to describe it.

Coffees that score 60 points or above are considered commercial-grade; at 80 points or above, they are graded as “specialty”. These exceptional coffees are often the product of specific microclimates and soils, production practices and careful processing of the coffee cherry flesh from the beans.

Nobletree has full time certified Q graders who analyze our Arabica coffee through smell and taste – something normally called “cupping”.