Thread: cup of excellence

Dear Mr Goatherder:

I also really liked this CoE coffee but it received mixed reviews overall. Many members found it too bland.

I would like to see it get offered again but I wouldnt hold your breath as it is an expensive coffee.

Regards,
Grant

But a great program. Ive been lucky enough to be a judge in Bolivia and Nicaragua last year (05) and to see the difference it makes on the ground is amazing. Define expensive when compared to other products such as the best of the wine world or a fine malt whiskey.

Steve

Steve, in a Python voice... "You lucky bugger". :)

The CoE is a great program, it rewards the farmer for effort and offers the cupper a chance to try something...well..errr...agreed as excellent!

It can appear a little pricey compared to what we normally access but it really is about the price of nasty stale supermarket coffee.

Whenever our suppliers get access to coffee in the league of CoE we should get first crack at it (bad pun) and Ill always offer it here to see if we can fill a bag.

Australia buys very little CoE coffee but I do expect that we CSrs are buying enough specialty coffee now to make the suppliers think about bidding on some. Ill drop some feelers with local importers in the next couple of weeks when the buyers come back from holiday.

It would be pretty cool to find one that Has Bean Steve had cupped!

Im off to a local cupping (local 120 miles to London) of the Brazil offering on Friday, Ill let you know my thoughts from there. Ill definitely be bidding as Ive cupped the top five from the samples Ive been sent and they’re some awesome coffees.

Ive found some of the best coffees Ive ever cupped from the COE, its a lazy cuppers dream, as someone does the hard work finding them then you get to cup a great table.

The Bolivia offerings this year (opps sorry last) were out of this world. Most of the competition auction lots are great but this was something special. And when you see the farmers so keen to impress, it really opens your eyes.

Going back to the upcoming Brazil auction, one thing I did notice that’s different to everywhere else is the size of the lots, there huge this year, which makes it difficult for the small roaster to get involved in bidding. But then Brazil is always the most interesting of auctions to watch.

Steve

Steve,

Sounds like a great job. Id be interested to hear a bit more about what happens during cupping and the auction process and how it works, especially with the CoE beans. Its all a bit of a mystery to an outsider like myself. Going on the previous posts Id also be interested in trying some.

Matt

I have done a diary of the Nicaraguan one, that was published on a European forum (www.toomuchcoffee.com). Ive pasted the link below.

Its a great competition with even better coffees.

Steve

http://www.6URL.com/0B6S

Thats a great series of diary entries Steve, thanks for posting them.