The international program Cup of Excellence is an annual competition and auction held in various coffee-producing countries, including Costa Rica. It was created in 1999 by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) with the aim of recognizing and rewarding high-quality coffee producers.
The Cup of Excellence program seeks to identify exceptional coffees produced in each participating country through a rigorous selection and evaluation process. During this process, the coffees undergo a series of blind tastings conducted by a panel of national and international expert cuppers.
Those who receive the Cup of Excellence award take home the most prestigious prize a coffee can receive, demonstrating its high quality.
Both national and international cuppers evaluate different aspects of the coffee, such as aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and uniformity. Coffees that score high during the tastings are selected as finalists and awarded the title of “Coffee of Excellence.”
Once the coffees of excellence have been selected, an auction is held where international buyers have the opportunity to acquire these unique and high-quality coffees. The proceeds generated from the auction are directly allocated to the producers, providing them with fair rewards and recognition for their hard work.
On June 3rd, the award ceremony took place, where the best 2022-2023 harvest was defined. The region of Los Santos has been recognized for being an area with great coffee production and participating in this competition, achieving several awards. This year was no exception, as it secured the top three positions.
In first place, we have Finca El Cedro – San Isidro Labrador, which scored 91.08 points with a sample of Geisha variety with a Honey process. In second place, we have Finca Solís and Cordero with a sample of Catuaí variety in Natural process, scoring 91 points. And in third place, Café Don Cayito with a sample of Geisha variety with Honey process, achieving a total of 90.85 points.
Source: https://www.nacion.com
The following table provided by https://www.nacion.com shows a graph presenting the finalist samples of the Cup of Excellence 2023, with the Los Santos region standing out. One of the notable characteristics of this year’s competition was the presence of an international jury, which had not been possible in previous years due to the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In summary, the Cup of Excellence program has had a significant impact on the coffee industry by promoting the production of quality coffees and encouraging transparency in the buying and selling process. Additionally, it has helped highlight the diversity and excellence of coffees produced in Costa Rica and other participating countries.