The Cup of Excellence, and Why it Matters

Small farmers can enter and win the Cup of Excellence for the first time, flavour profiles continue to amaze

and communities not known for specialty coffee thrive like never before…

The Oscars of the Coffee World

The Cup of Excellence is an annual prestigious competition held in several countries to identify the highest specialty coffees produced. It is organised by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, the winning coffees are sold in online auctions.

The competitions began in 1999 and has since grown into a global event. As of today, competitions are held in Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Rwanda, Burundi, Mexico, Peru, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Ecuador.

Each year, thousands of coffees are submitted for consideration and through the competition process, a few hundred awarded as CoE coffees which are then sold on a global internet auction at premium prices. Nearly all of the auction proceeds go straight to the farmers.

How your Cup becomes Excellent

The level of scrutiny that Cup of Excellence coffees undergo is unmatched anywhere in the specialty coffee industry.

Each sample entering the competition process is assigned a number known only to the auditor, and each jury member cups the coffee blind. In addition, each lot is documented through the entire process so that winning coffees are traceable to the farm and exact micro-lot from which they came.

The competition is rigorous, with cupping evaluations conducted over a three-stage process by industry experts: first by a National Jury of about a dozen qualified jurors from the origin country, and then by an International Jury, comprised of 20 to 25 experienced jurors from around the world.

Coffees are evaluated using the Cup of Excellence cupping form which is different from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol. The COE form is designed for competition and gives more room to asses higher scoring coffees. Cleanliness and sweetness of the coffee is also evaluated, as opposed to just checking a box that states that a coffee is sweet and clean.

A competition with 300 entries yields an average of 9,000 analyzed cups, with each ‘Top 10’ coffee being cupped at least 120 times. This process ensures elite top-quality consistent coffees enter the CoE auction. Coffees with 90+ points receive the coveted ‘Presidential Award’.

The Specialty Coffee Community Thrives

As small micro lots stand on their own uniqueness, many coffees no one knows about are discovered – much to the surprise of jurors and buyers who often have pre-conceived flavour profiles for coffees grown in a country.

This surprise gives rise to the marketplace searching out quality for increased premiums. It also supports the rise of appellation development when coffees from the same region continue to win. As efforts to recognise these regional flavour profiles and their value succeed entire communities prosper.

Since the competition process is free and open to all farmers it has given thousands of farmers the tools needed to improve their coffees, experiment with varieties and processing, and build economic relationships with the marketplace.

For growers, the Cup of Excellence award is one of the highest forms of recognition for their coffees. With its value and quality confirmed by a panel of experienced judges, offering COE coffee is a clear sign of commitment towards quality.

For specialty roasters, the Cup of Excellence is a source of both curiosity and interest. It offers a nice summary of not only what others are buying, but also where the specialty coffee industry is heading.

Additionally, selling a coffee with meaningfull buzz around it can help roasters stand out. It gives consumers something to discuss, while providing an additional incentive to purchase the coffee.