The espresso competitors showcased the resilience and dedication of Brazil’s espresso producers.
BY MICHAELA TOMCHEK
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Pictures by Michaela Tomchek
Cup of Excellence (CoE) is a prestigious espresso competitors that acknowledges the world’s highest-quality coffees from over a dozen areas around the globe, by a rigorous, multi-stage judging course of. Earlier this month, CoE held its Brazil occasion and introduced winners throughout three classes: Experimental (coffees with managed fermentation), Pure/Dry (sun-dried and naturally processed coffees), and Moist Course of.
To ensure that a CoE competitors to achieve success, there must be a powerful supportive in-country accomplice. In Brazil, that is the Brazil Specialty Espresso Affiliation (BSCA), who helped set up every thing across the occasion—beginning with the gathering of samples, all the way in which to awarding the successful tons.
Amanda Tempesta, Worldwide Relations Supervisor on the BSCA, shares why the competitors is important to Brazil’s producers: “Brazilians are hardworking and deeply dedicated individuals, and in espresso, this care turns into one thing extraordinary. CoE brings a powerful sense of delight and belonging to everybody concerned, from these managing the crops and harvesting cherries, to professionals working in analysis, expertise, advertising, buying and selling, and group.”
In different phrases, Cup of Excellence is greater than a contest; it’s a recognition of years of dedication and keenness defining the Brazilian espresso neighborhood.
The Competitors Course of
As traditional, the Cup of Excellence occasion started with choosing a Nationwide Jury to evaluate the submitted coffees. So as to be part of the Nationwide Jury, native cuppers underwent a rigorous take a look at. From there, a neighborhood roasting staff ensured all samples had been roasted evenly and accurately to be correctly assessed.
In 2025, 392 samples had been despatched in to be tasted and scored. After the primary spherical, the Nationwide Jury chosen 151 samples, then minimize the quantity right down to 40 samples, to be assessed by the Worldwide Jury, a staff of 27 people from around the globe.
Members of the Worldwide Jury require an accepted utility and loads of expertise tasting coffees to be invited to a CoE competitors. This yr, there have been cuppers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Europe, and the U.S.: a various staff that helped style and choose the winners for Brazil.
There have been three classes: Experimental, Pure/Dry, and Moist Course of. Ten winners had been chosen from every class after cautious evaluation.
“The Cup of Excellence started in Brazil 26 years in the past, and what occurs right here every year continues to form specialty espresso developments around the globe,” says Eric Wolf, Director of Espresso for Casa Brasil in Austin, Texas. Eric has been on eight CoE juries, three of which had been in Brazil.
“Cup of Excellence has elevated how Brazilian espresso is perceived and celebrated, showcasing the nation’s range, innovation, and dedication to high quality,” Eric provides.
The Worldwide Jury is an integral a part of the CoE course of, fastidiously tasting every lot. The cuppers assess numerous qualities of the coffees together with the aroma, sweetness, stability, acidity, taste, tasting notes, and mouthfeel. They endure a calibration day to align scores and cupping methods to arrange for the evaluation of the forty coffees.
The next day, the coffees that rating a median of 86 and above might be chosen to maneuver on to the following day. Then, coffees scoring 87 and above might be chosen for the worldwide public sale. The ultimate day of cupping includes choosing the highest 5 in every class.
Jane Paphavasit, Supervisor of Particular Tasks for Thailand’s Mae Fah Luang Basis and an observer on the Brazil 2025 CoE, notes: “CoE is paramount for a number of causes, essentially serving as an important hyperlink between high quality, recognition, and sustainability within the specialty espresso world.” She additionally provides that the competitors pushes producers to continually attempt to enhance their high quality and processing strategies.
After a number of rigorous days of cupping, the jury members met with the entire producers at a ceremony held in São Paulo. It’s right here that the winners had been introduced, and particular awards got to the coffees scoring above 90 factors.
One of many key moments of this yr’s occasion was when Fazenda Aracaçu in Sul de Minas—the farm belonging to Carmem Lúcia Chaves de Brito, BSCA’s beloved President—gained first place for the Pure class.
Many can attest that, for various years, Carmem has performed an vital function mannequin within the Brazilian espresso neighborhood. Her kindness and intelligence have pushed many others to comply with in her footsteps, focusing extra on sustainability and high quality. The room was fairly emotional when this espresso was awarded, indicative of the influence the CoE can have on the neighborhood, even one as massive as Brazil.
Ryan Noh, founding father of Ryan’s Espresso in Seoul, South Korea, has been a CoE decide forty instances, and thus has immense expertise with the competitors, and understands the influence it may possibly have. “The Brazil Cup of Excellence holds a historic place because the origin and cornerstone of the COE program. It was additionally the primary competitors to categorize entries by processing strategies—pure, pulped pure, and washed—which reveals Brazil’s dynamic and fast-adapting market construction,” he says. Ryan additionally notes that the Arara varietal acquired some nice recognition this yr, revealing the arduous work producers are doing to domesticate newer varietals.
It’s clear that instances are difficult within the espresso trade, particularly with present tariffs and the risky espresso market. However CoE reveals that no matter these challenges, the brightness of espresso and neighborhood nonetheless shines.
Ryan places it completely: “This yr’s outcomes signify not only a listing of winners, however a transparent signal of how Brazil’s espresso sector continues to evolve.”
2025 Cup of Excellence Brazil Winners
CATEGORY: EXPERIMENTAL
First Place
Identify: Ipanema Agrícola S/A
Farm: Fazenda Rio Verde
Selection: Geisha
Factors: 91.68
Area: Mantiqueira de Minas
Second Place
Identify: José Carlos dos Reis
Farm: Fazenda Rancho Grande
Selection: Arara
Factors: 91.11
Area: Sul de Minas
Third Place
Identify: Sebastião Daniel da Silva
Farm: Sítio São Sebastião
Selection: Arara
Factors: 90.29
Area: Mantiqueira de Minas
CATEGORY: NATURAL
First Place
Identify: Paulo Fernandes Chaves de Brito
Farm: Fazenda Aracaçu
Selection: Arara
Factors: 90.79
Area: Sul de Minas
Second Place
Identify: Danilo Barbosa
Farm: Fazenda Sucuri
Selection: Geisha
Factors: 90.32
Area: Cerrado Mineiro
Third Place
Identify: Gustavo Andrade Alvarenga
Farm: Fazenda Chapadão
Selection: Paraíso
Factors: 90.11
Area: Cerrado Mineiro
CATEGORY: WET PROCESS
First Place
Identify: Marcelo Assis Nogueira
Farm: Fazenda Água Limpa
Selection: Arara
Factors: 91.37
Area: Cerrado Mineiro
Second Place
Identify: Marcelo Carvalho Ferraz
Farm: Fazenda Boa Vista
Selection: Catucai
Factors: 90.82
Area: Mantiqueira de Minas
Third Place
Identify: Osvaldina Alves Dutra
Farm: Fazenda Água Limpa
Selection: Kent
Factors: 90.50
Area: Matas de Minas
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michaela Tomchek finds espresso an vital a part of life and the world. She is an appreciator of the crop, the producer, and the numerous cafés all through the world serving stunning drinks. Presently, she writes about espresso, hoping to unfold her pleasure throughout the globe.
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