What is the Cup of Excellence
What is Cup of Excellence?
Cup of Excellence is a prestigious global coffee competition that recognizes the best coffees in the world. It was created to highlight exceptional specialty coffees from various producing regions and to connect farmers directly with roasters and coffee lovers worldwide. The program, organized by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, has become a symbol of quality, transparency, and fair compensation for farmers. Each coffee undergoes several rounds of anonymous evaluation through blind tastings, during which expert juries assess: aroma, acidity, sweetness, body, aftertaste, cleanliness of flavor, and complexity. Only the best coffees receive the Cup of Excellence award.
Transparency and fairness as a foundation
The Cup of Excellence is a pioneer of integrity and transparency in the coffee industry. Each sample is identified by a number during the competition, known only to the auditor. The coffees are anonymously evaluated by both national and international judges with extensive experience in tasting and specialty coffee. The entire process is meticulously documented, ensuring full traceability of every winning coffee – right down to the specific farmer, region, and individual lot or microlot. It is precisely this transparency that gives winning coffees true value and ensures farmers receive a fairer reward for their work.
How is the competition going?
Farmers from all over the country submit their best lots and microlots - small, separately processed coffee batches with a unique flavour profile. From the huge number of submitted samples, the jury first selects approximately 60 best coffees, which then proceed to further rounds. The national round is followed by an international jury made up of experts, roasters and tasters from around the world. To be among the winners of the Cup of Excellence, coffee must score at least 87 points out of 100. The 30 best coffees then proceed to international online auctions, where they are often sold at extraordinary prices.
Charles Fleer at the Cup of Excellence in Peru 2025
What is a microlot?
A microlot is a small, separately processed batch of coffee that stands out for its exceptional quality or unique flavour profile. These coffees are carefully harvested, sorted, and processed separately from the farm's regular production. This allows them to offer a unique character of terroir, variety, and processing. It is precisely microlots that are often found among Cup of Excellence winners.
La Bohème Café a Cup of Excellence
At La Bohème Café, we have been dedicated to the Cup of Excellence for a long time. Our founder, Charles Fleer, has been a member of the international Cup of Excellence jury for many years, actively participating in evaluating the best coffees in producing countries around the world.
Charles Fleer at Cup of Excellence in Guatemala 2012
Which vintages did La Bohème Café participate in?
2008 El Salvador
2009 Brazil
2012 Rwanda
2013 Costa Rica, Guatemala, Rwanda, Burundi
2014 Rwanda, Burundi, Mexico
2015 Mexico, Rwanda, Burundi
2018 Rwanda, Lima, Peru, Bogota, Colombia, Mexico
2019 Mexico
2021 GCC Brazil, GCC Indonesia, GCC Honduras, GCC Costa Rica
2022 El Salvador, Guatemala
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