Guatemala’s One of A Kind and Cup of Excellence® Team up for Huge Success
Guatemala (June 13, 2024) As winners were announced at the annual Cup of Excellence competition it became apparent that combining One of A Kind and Cup of Excellence judging had resulted in an award ceremony full of surprises. The combined competition had attracted samples from every region in the country and resulted in a huge diversity of coffees and farmers being represented.
Instead of the different processes being grouped as in other 2024 Cup of Excellence competitions, the traditional and nontraditional varieties were scored on separate tables. Traditional varieties such as Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Typica, Pache, Sarchimore and Catimor were classified as One of a Kind regardless of processing. All of the nontraditional varieties were divided up between fully washed Exotics and Exotics processed utilizing either honey or natural process.
Unique coffees showed up in each of the three categories and comments by some of the international jurors were surprised at how the traditional varieties were now pushing the flavor boundaries of the typical and well-loved Bourbons and Caturras but were still distinctively Guatemalan. The nontraditional exotics such as Geisha and Pacamaras also attracted praise. “The Exotic processed coffees showcased a perfect marriage of varietal and process resulting in a collection of fruity, bright coffees with so much personality and range,” exclaimed Maryna Brown, Bean Box USA.
Along with the required high scores, several coffees also contained extra certifications such as Fair Trade, Starbucks C.A.F.E Practices, Rainforest Alliance, Nespresso AAA, and Organic. Women and smaller farmers also stepped onto the award stage. “For this harvest, I aimed to reach the volume necessary to participate. At first, it seemed unattainable and distant, but now that I’ve secured eighth place, it seems achievable,” said Israel Marroquín, El Ciprés winner in the One of a Kind Category.
Well before Cup of Excellence began in 2001, Guatemalan farmers had the reputation of producing the highest quality coffees in the entire Central American region. During the awards ceremony, José Tulio González, president of Anacafé, expressed that “the commitment of Guatemalan producers to pursue the path of excellence and innovation is without a doubt, our strongest argument for Anacafé’s commitment to supporting these programs”.
In fact, Guatemalan farmers are always honored to represent both their region and their country since winning impacts both. “We are very excited to be part of the Cup of Excellence because it allows us to share the news that Guatemala produces some of the best coffee in the world,” stated Leonardo René Pérez Hidalgo, La Reforma y Anexos First place, Exotic Washed category.
Global roasters that have supported either One of a Kind or Cup of Excellence will now find it much easier to order samples of both at allianceforcoffeeexcellence.
For samples, regional cuppings and auction information log on to www.
About Cup of Excellence and The Alliance For Coffee Excellence
The Cup of Excellence is a 501c3 non- profit organization that owns and manages an annual multi- level competition in coffee producing countries. Since 1999 it has discovered remarkable coffees, unknown micro regions and brought international fame to individual farmers. It has advanced hand-crafted single farm specialty coffees and assured transparency back to the farmers. Its educational programs, focusing on the aspects of top-quality coffees, have been taught world-wide. Over its 25-year history it has held competitions in 16 coffee producing nations.
The Alliance For Coffee Excellence is a non-profit global membership organization dedicated to advancing excellence in coffee through the marketplace. With members and supporters from over 50 countries it is unmatched in its efforts to bring roaster access to top quality winning coffees though its auctions and to ensure farmers receive these premiums. Its largest impact has been a unique design that builds a bridge between high quality buyers and high quality
farmers resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for farmers and greater financial success for roasters whose customers demand the best.
