What Is the Cup of Excellence? The World’s Most Prestigious Coffee Competition Explained

Have you ever sipped on a cup of coffee and it was just … different? You might just have been enjoying a Cup of Excellence coffee.

If you’ve never heard of this coffee term before, you’re not alone. Most coffee drinkers haven’t, even though this competition has been around for over two decades.

So what exactly is the Cup of Excellence? And why is it so important to the specialty coffee world? Let’s explore how a simple idea launched a global coffee movement.

The History of the Cup of Excellence

I’ve hinted at the Cup of Excellence being a coffee competition. Truth is, it’s so much more than that. This certification has changed how we think about coffee quality. It has also revolutionized pricing and sourcing, bringing into focus what it means to truly support a coffee producer.

It all began in the late nineties when third-wave coffee was all the rage. Back then, coffee farmers were getting, for lack of a better word, screwed. They produced incredible beans but weren’t getting paid what they were worth.

Worse still, no one knew who these top-notch producers were. As such, roasters and buyers had no way to source for those “million dollar coffees” that would set them apart. No wonder, as they had no one to toot their horn!

Enter the International Coffee Organization (ICO). While working on a Gourmet Coffee Project in Brazil in 1999, members of this body noticed that Brazilian producers struggled with rock bottom commodity prices. This, despite producing excellent beans.

They had a wild idea: What if we created a competition that would identify the best coffees from an origin and auction them off at the best prices? Sounds simple now, but back then? Revolutionary!

Key figures in the ICO, including Marcelo Vieira (Brazil Specialty Coffee Association), 

Susan Spindler (Association of Coffee Excellence), Hidetaka Hayashi, Silvio Leite, Don Holly and George Howell spearheaded this effort. They created the first Cup of Excellence competition. They also launched an online auction that sold winning coffees to the highest bidder.

Since its inception, this prestigious competition, also known as the “Coffee Olympics” has expanded to various origins beyond Brazil. Since 2000, it has showcased some of the best and rarest coffees in the world. As of 2002, the management of the competition fell under the non-profit ACE, operating out of Portland, Oregon from 2015, and Houston, Texas as of 2024.

How the Cup of Excellence Competition Works

Now that I’ve covered what Cup of Excellence is, how about we look at how it actually works? In short, this competition involves a multi-stage elimination contest.

It all begins with the producers. Coffee farmers across an origin (country) submit their very best coffee beans and pay a participating fee. These submissions can be from large or small lots, but often come from tiny microlots.

Then, a mix of national and international Cup of Excellence judges evaluate each entry. They consider factors such as:

Each element attracts a score out of an initial 8-point scale. Judges sum up these scores, add 36 points and tally the final out of 100. The threshold is high. A coffee scoring less than 86 points is out, no second chances, no appeals.

Coffees that make it to the next round undergo controlled roasting and blind cupping. Again, national judges tally up scores using the same criteria, eliminating those that do not achieve the 86-point cutoff.

Coffees that make it past this stage face a panel of international judges made up of coffee Q graders, master roasters and green coffee buyers, among others. These professionals cup the entries over several days, looking for consistency and that ever elusive “wow factor.”

Only coffees that score 87 points and above make the final. These entries become official “Cup of Excellence” winners. They qualify for the international online auction, commanding mind-blowing prices, sometimes over $50 per pound!

Cup of Excellence Winners

Over the years, some exceptional producers have won the prestigious Cup of Excellence, topping various categories to bag the certification. Initially, countries in Latin America dominated the competition. But increasingly, Asian and African coffee from origins such as Thailand, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Burundi and Kenya have closed the gap.

In 2025, the calendar moves to Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru and Guatemala. As we await the announcement of this year’s winners, let’s take a sneak peek at some notable winners from the past two years.

Top Finalists 2024: Brazil, El Salvador

This South American coffee won due its exceptional elegance and sweetness. The producers Ronaldo and Luziane attributed their win to the meticulous and sustainable post-harvest processes. These included selective/hand-picking, drying and ample rest times before processing. In addition, the high-altitude terroir in Mantiqueira de Minas, helped concentrate this coffee’s rich qualities.

La Bendición’s entry secured a top spot due to its sweet, well-balanced flavor profile full of peachy, creamy and praline tasting notes. Meticulous cultivation and processing techniques as well as the farm’s commitment to excellence overall secured them the top prize.

This farm is famous for high-quality Pacamara coffee having won a previous Cup of Excellence completion in 2021. Its high-altitude coffee showed delicious chocolate and floral notes with an elegant acidity and no bitterness, winning over the judges.

Top Finalists 2023: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua

As one of the most sought-after Arabica varieties, this Pacamara coffee showed outstanding quality and complexity. It scored highly due its rich floral and chocolate notes. It attracted a buyer from as far as Taiwan (Orsir Coffee). Norelvia also attributed their win to better farm technology and improved drying methods.

This coffee showed a unique flavor profile with delicious tasting notes of blackcurrant, mango and peach. The family attributed their win to their dedication to producing top-notch coffee and the unique microclimate. It attracted buyers from as far as South Korea (Coffee Libre).

This Nicaraguan coffee scored highly due to its exceptional quality. Its uniquely sweet flavor profile stemmed from the Gesha variety and natural processing method. As such, it captured the attention of top-level buyers, including Japan’s Snow Bean Coffee.

Cup of Excellence Competition Process: How Does a Coffee Win the Award?

Entering the Cup of Excellence competition is only half the battle. From there, coffees have to battle it out through various elimination stages to emerge victorious. However, it’s no walk in the park; 70-80 percent of entries do not make it past the first round.

The entire process encompasses five main rounds judged by two main juries:

All samples are anonymous (but traceable). Likewise, the coffee cuppings (cuppings are the term for how to taste coffee like a pro) are blind to ensure zero bias, transparency and fairness.

Next, these coffee entries undergo the following stages in their assessment:

Stage 1: Entry Submissions

Coffee producers/farmers choose from their best lots and submit them for entry in their country of origin. Submitted samples follow strict protocols for roast, grind, dose and brewing to avoid inconsistencies during cupping.

Stage 2: Preselection

A panel of national judges cups and scores all submitted coffee samples using the COE Cupping Form. Only the top 150 coffees, scoring 86+ points make the cut.

Stage 3: National Jury Selection

A panel of national judges re-cups and re-scores all coffee samples from Stage 2, again using the Cup of Excellence Cupping Form. This stage narrows down the coffees to 40. Each entry must score 86+ points to advance.

Stage 4: International Jury Selection

The panel of international judges now cups and scores these top 40 coffees. Coffees scoring 87+ points proceed to the final round and qualify for auction and Cup of Excellence awards. Notably, any coffee scoring 90+ points is eligible for the Presidential Award.

Stage 5: Auction and Awards

Winning entries sell on an international online auction. The beauty about this auction is that 100% of the proceeds go directly to the winning farmer. This earns them not only improved prices but recognition for their efforts. An awards ceremony tops things off, further earning valuable PR for these world-class producers.

What is the Cup of Excellence Cupping Form?

The Cup of Excellence (COE) Cupping Form is a standardized but comprehensive form, which judges use to score an entry. It’s a detailed scoring sheet that evaluates coffee quality across several sensory criteria.

This form drew its inspiration from the world of wine, specifically Andrew Sharp’s “Wine Taster’s Secrets.” George Howell, a Cup of Excellence founding member, combined the information he gathered from the wine world with the original Specialty Coffee Association Cupping Form.

As an assessment, the COE Cupping Form is rigorous but fair.

Key features include:

Judges mark these scores on a points scale before totaling them to get the final score. There’s also a “Notes” section for additional observances. Over the years, scores have been progressively higher with many lots scoring in excess of 90 points.

Why Does the Cup of Excellence Award Matter?

Truth be told, the coffee world is full of impressive sounding competitions and certifications. Unfortunately, many don’t make much of a difference. However, the Cup of Excellence is unique. It’s one of those rare certifications that moves the needle for everyone involved, not least the coffee producers.

For the farmer, this competition breaks the poverty cycle. When a producer wins, they don’t just get paid what their beans are worth. The competition also exposes the farmer to lucrative direct-trade coffee partnerships, further encouraging them to up their game.

For green coffee buyers, the Cup of Excellence helps immensely in the search for that “unicorn coffee.” It basically does all the legwork, cutting down the time (and money) they would typically spend hunting down exceptional coffees. And once they form a relationship with a producer, they can give farmers valuable feedback and even fund improved harvest and post-harvest processing techniques.

In all this, the Cup of Excellence has been instrumental in improving coffee standards worldwide. It has revolutionized how we think about coffee quality. As a result, the emphasis on distinct flavor profiles, clean cups and consistent processing has spread far beyond the specialty coffee world.

Best of all? Coffee lovers everywhere get to enjoy higher-quality brews, which they would never have known about before!

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