The Cup of Excellence is the most prestigious competition and award for coffee growers who have diligently produced coffee of truly unique quality. For the winning farmer, this competition brings not only financial security, as the coffee is sold in global online auctions at premium prices, but also prestige for his farm and the producing region.

A project that was created by coffee enthusiasts who, together with government support from individual countries and NGOs, educate farmers, professional tasters and coffee organisations about the coffee of choice. A number of countries are involved in the programme, where useful exchanges of information and experience take place between members. This programme is the least expensive and most effective programme in the field of coffee selection.

Since the auction proceeds themselves go directly to the winning farming area, they offer benefits to the entire community in the form of increased employment, improved land quality and training in business strategies.

At the same time, the Cup of Excellence helps plantations with great potential, leading to an improvement in the quality of the final product.

The Cup of Excellence program pioneers integrity and transparency in the coffee industry by ensuring the value of winning coffees. Each sample that enters the competition is assigned a number known only to the auditor. Whether it is judged by a national jury of approximately ten qualified judges from the country of origin or then by an international jury of 20-25 experienced judges from around the world, it is evaluated anonymously by individual members throughout the competition. Each of these coffees is documented throughout the judging process, and the winning coffee is therefore guaranteed to have originated not only with the farmer but also with its exact region, i.e. lot or micro-lot.

Coffees boasting the Cup of Excellence designation can be found among the award winners by the acronym in názvu "COE".

You can read more about the Cup of Excellence at allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org or cupofexcellence.org

Charles Fleer, the founder and owner of La Boheme Café has participated as an international Cup of Excellence judge so far:

• 2008, El Salvador
• 2009, Brazil
• 2012, Rwanda
• 2013, Costa Rica
• 2013, Guatemala
• 2013, Rwanda
• 2013, Burundi
• 2014, Rwanda
• 2014, Burundi
• 2014, Mexico
• 2015, Mexico
• 2015, Rwanda
• 2015, Burundi