Tag: Cup of Excellence

  • Río Blanco, Las Nubes and Las Margaritas Win Costa Rica 2026 Cup of Excellence

    Finca Río Blanco topped Costa Rica’s 2026 Cup of Excellence with a Washed Java that scored 91.36 points, the highest mark of any Costa Rican coffee this year, and sold at the competition’s July 9 auction for a record $200.10 a pound. Grown by producer Alejandra Cordero Solano in Copey de Dota, in the Los Santos region, at roughly 1,950 meters, the lot went to a buyer identified in auction reporting as Enwan Coffee, which bought it in two equal portions. That name matches Address Cafe, whose Arabic name, عنوان القهوة, translates to Enwan Coffee; it’s a Saudi coffee chain with its own barista championship and app, based in Riyadh.

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  • Coffee De Hmong Bio Farm Wins Thailand 2026 Cup of Excellence at 90.50 Points

    The top coffee in Thailand’s 2026 Cup of Excellence is a Honey processed Gesha from Coffee De Hmong Bio Farm in the Nan region, which scored 90.50 points and sold at the competition’s August 4 auction. Grown by producer Wichai Kamnerdmongkhon, the lot split between two buyers: Black Sea Corp, which paid $91.60 a pound, and Paper Swan, which paid $88.98 a pound. Neither buyer has a confirmed public shop as of this writing.

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  • Gengxia Manor, Yunle Coffee and Songfeng Coffee Win Gems of Yunnan 2026

    China’s Gems of Yunnan competition named three Presidential Award winners after its judging concluded June 25, 2026, all Washed Geisha lots scoring above 90 points. Lincang Gengxia Manor led the field at 91.78 points, the highest score recorded in a Yunnan coffee competition to date, followed by Menghai Yunle Coffee at 90.53 and Lincang Linxiang Songfeng Coffee Cooperative at 90.28. None of the three lots has a publicly confirmed shop as of this writing.

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  • Huehuetepan, El Izote and Finca Santa Cruz Win Mexico 2026 Cup of Excellence

    Mexico’s 2026 Cup of Excellence named three category winners at its July 28 auction, all Geisha lots scoring above 90 points and earning the competition’s Presidential Award. Huehuetepan led the Washed category at 91.22 points, El Izote topped Honey at 91.03, and Finca Santa Cruz took the Experimental category at 91.33, the highest score of the three. None of the three lots has a publicly confirmed buyer as of this writing.

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  • El Injerto Natural Geisha Wins Guatemala 2026 Cup of Excellence at 91 Points

    El Injerto took the top score at the 2026 Guatemala Cup of Excellence with a Natural Geisha from their La Libertad farm in Huehuetenango, scoring 91.86 points to top the Natural and Honey category. The lot is grown by Arturo Aguirre Escobar, whose family has farmed El Injerto since 1874 and built it into one of Guatemala’s most decorated specialty producers over four generations. Geisha is a rare variety from Ethiopia, prized in competition for its floral jasmine and stone-fruit notes; processed as a Natural, meaning the whole cherry is dried around the seed before milling, which concentrates sweetness and adds fruit intensity. The 2026 auction lot is currently being allocated to international buyers; the farm sells roasted coffees directly at fincaelinjerto.com, including past competition lots, and is the most direct route to their work while the 2026 CoE lot makes its way to roasters.

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