Thousands of Coffees Judged — Just One Winner
Brazil Natural Coffee Cup of Excellence
Each year, the Alliance for Coffee Excellence holds competitions in 10 of the top coffee-producing countries to crown the world’s top coffees, known as the Cup of Excellence®. Starbucks Reserve coffee buyer Ann Traumann shares her experience attending the 2015 Brazil Late Harvest Cup of Excellence Competition. Starbucks Reserve® Brazil Sítio Baixadão is Starbucks first Cup of Excellence Coffee and is exclusively roasted at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room in Seattle.
By Ann Traumann, specialty coffee trader, Starbucks Reserve
The Brazil Natural Coffee Cup of Excellence is one of the most prestigious awards a coffee can win. Each coffee is judged (cupped) with an unmatched level of scrutiny, going through at least five rounds of judging. The Cup of Excellence takes place throughout Latin America, and thousands of cups are evaluated at each location. The winners of each event are then auctioned off, securing the entire lot of coffee to the winning bidder.
For the event, I participated as an observer — which only means my scores were not officially counted in the final tally. But observing in this case is quite hands on. I did all the cupping, used the same scoresheet, and actively participated in description conversations after each session. It was quite fun.
During this week, I fell in love with one lot of coffee. Natural. Exotic. Sweet. Elegant … Brazilian. I cupped this lot three times, and like the rest of the jury I scored it around 95 points every time. This coffee, from the Sítio Baixãdo farm was truly something special.
As we described this coffee lot, the room was boiling with excitement. Words like “Mango,” “juicy,” and “red wine” echoed throughout the jury — complemented with exclamations of “wahoo…” and applause.
It scored 95.18 points — the highest score ever achieved by a Brazil natural coffee.
At the closing ceremony, I was eager to know who was behind this amazing coffee. It scored 95.18 points — the highest score ever achieved by a Brazil natural coffee.
When the winner was announced, Sebastião Afonso da Silva and his son Helisson Afonso da Silva came out to receive their reward. It was clear they worked extremely hard to cultivate this amazing coffee. Finally the moment had arrived for that beautiful work to be rightfully recognized and rewarded. The emotion was palpable as the crowd cheered their achievement.
To these brothers, coffee started as an experiment when they decided to dedicate a small part of their family’s rice farm to growing coffee. The entire lot is harvested by hand and dried under the sunlight followed by homogenous dryers, preserving the quality. They are committed to maintaining a sustainable farm by using the best agricultural practices and preserving natural resources. Over the last 20 years, coffee has become their main source of income, and their passion and dedication has shined through the numerous awards they have won.
We often say “Time is flying.” Well, on March 4th, I realized how long one single minute can be.
Auction — March 4th, 2015:
In the first second, there were three very active bidders on the lot I was determined to bring home. It rose so fast from the initial offering price that I was outbid a few times. And at the speed of the light, the coffee was already going for double the offering price.
After one hour of bidding, during the final minutes my heart was pounding. I thought those three minutes would never end. At the closing of the auction, I was filled with emotion and felt like I had just run a marathon.
Winning this auction for Starbucks Reserve customers and our partners was a tremendous honor. I am thrilled to bring this award winning coffee home to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room. There, I’m confident our master roasters will care for it as its original producers have. Bringing this extraordinary coffee to life and sharing it with those lucky enough to experience it.
Brazil Sítio Baixadão
Green apple-like acidity with flavors of crushed dark fruits and a creamy, chocolate-y finish.
Producers: Antônio Márcio and Sebastião Afonso da Silva
Location: City of Cristina, in the South of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Farm: Sítio Baixadão
Average elevation: 4,101 feet
Varietal: Catuaí
Processing: Natural
Availability: Exclusively offered at our Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle and online for a limited time.
