Introduction:The world’s premier specialty coffee competition, the Cup of Excellence (COE), is returning to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, in 2024. For the first time, this year’s event will feature separate competitions for natural and washed processing methods, with over 600 samples already entering the evaluation stage. This article delves into the history and mechanics of this international competition, as well as the story behind the 2022 record-breaking price of $400.5 per pound, shedding light on how Ethiopian coffee farmers are elevating quality through competition and predicting potential auction highlights and flavor trends for this year.
The Cup of Excellence (COE), officially known as the Cup of Excellence, has been a flagship event in the global specialty coffee industry since its inception in 1999 by the non-profit organization the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) in Brazil. It was also the first program to pioneer a direct connection between award-winning coffees and international buyers via an online auction platform.
As the cradle of Arabica coffee, Ethiopia first hosted the COE competition in 2020, drawing significant attention. In 2022, it set a national record with an auction price of $400.5 per pound, equivalent to approximately NT$2,899, highlighting the potential and market value of its coffee.
However, in 2023, the competition was suspended due to a funding gap and the impact of the civil war triggered by the conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. With the situation stabilizing in 2024, the Ethiopian government announced the relaunch of the COE competition. To date, over 600 coffee samples have been delivered to designated regional warehouses, ready for rigorous evaluation.
The biggest change this year is the introduction of two distinct categories for the first time: natural and washed processed beans. This allows the unique characteristics of each processing method to be more accurately presented and enables judges to score based on their specific flavor profiles. The European Commission is currently busy selecting an international panel of expert judges, with cupping specialists from around the world expected to gather to fairly evaluate these samples from the birthplace of coffee.
The basic operation of the COE competition involves opening registration to qualified coffee farms worldwide. The organizing committee collects samples, which are then blindly cupped and scored. High-scoring beans advance to the auction phase. This mechanism not only helps outstanding coffees stand out but also directly provides winning farmers with substantial income and international recognition, further encouraging refined cultivation and processing techniques.
The COE competition in Ethiopia was initially co-hosted by ACE and the country’s Coffee and Tea Authority, with funding support from the U.S. government and Ethiopian government collaboration known as the Feed the Future Value Chain Activity (FTFVCA). However, that funding initiative was later discontinued, and the outbreak of civil war led to the cancellation of the 2023 competition.
After a year-long hiatus, with the domestic situation in Ethiopia improving, the government has decided to restart this international event in 2024. The industry anticipates that this year’s competition may once again break auction price records, especially as the new natural and washed categories are expected to provide a fairer competitive stage for high-quality beans of different processing methods.
For consumers, this year’s COE competition is not only a window into the potential of Ethiopian coffee but may also bring fresh flavor profiles and high-quality bean sources to the market. Based on past experience, award-winning coffees typically exhibit pronounced fruitiness, sweetness, and complex layers, showcasing unique charm whether brewed via pour over or espresso. The progress of this year’s competition and its auction results are definitely worth following for all coffee enthusiasts.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
