The judging process is a 4 day cupping extravaganza that allows you to taste the best coffees that country has to offer.  It starts out with the national cupping jury to taste all the entries and separate all the coffees that score an 84 or higher. 

The next event bring the international jury into to rank all of these coffee to pick the final farms that qualify as a Cup of Excellence coffee (again anything over 84).  Every coffee gets tasted by each judge from 4 – 12 times and will be scored, and described each time.  Very tiring, but very rewarding.

When you walk away from the competition, you have experienced the best of this country as well as had the opprotunity to discover many different micro regions that had never been descovered until this time. 

Honduras boarders Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and many of the coffee from Honduras will resemble those regions giving you a very diverse range of coffee profiles.  From Strawberry’s, to Caramel to Lime.  We learned to expect anything!!

Yesterday Fratello chose to buy the Lot - Erzi Moises Herrera Urizar – Las Amazonas.   

The Jury Descriptions for this coffee included everything from:

creamy body, almond, marzipan, apricot, clean lime, red apple, coconut aroma, good structure (complex), vanilla aromas, black cherry, apricot, dried apricot. 

This coffee is 100% Catura and was grown at an elevation of 1500 meters in the La Paz region.  This is a fully washed coffee, that was sun dried.  The farmer Erzi Moises Herrera Urizar has owned his farm Las Amazonas since 1992 after working for a coffee exporter in Guatemala.   He now runs this farm with his two sons, and wife that has been in coffee for the past 50 years.  

Erzi only pics red cherries by hand and will then transport them by truck to the wet mill he uses, which is 10 minutes from his farm.  The de-pulping process is done by hand to save on water consumption from the near by stream.  Erzi’s goal is higher quality coffee every year that will result in better income for his family and also strives for higher standards for environmental protection. 

Fratello Coffee purchased the 13 bags Erzi had to sell; however, will only be offering a total of 5 bags (550 lbs) to our clients in Canada.  This will be available by Christmas.

Starting March 1, 2008 you will be able to purchase this incredible Direct Trade coffee from Fratello Coffee Co.   We haven’t been this excited about offering our clients a coffee since the first lot of Cup of Excellence we won. 

This coffee cupped out at a 89.5, but if you were to include the look of the beans when scoring, this coffee would have been well into the 90′s.    These giant beans give this coffee a very unique look.  We found that this coffee gave us a spicy orange and fresh pine aroma which was complimented by the thick & syrupy mouth feel.  Flavor notes of black-bing cherry, candied cloves and apple pie are brightened with the delicate grapefruit acidity.   

Finca El Limoncillo – General farm information

This farm got its name from the unusual growth of lemon trees that were originally found here.  This is arguably their most beautiful farm (out of 5). 

Four water falls, numerous streams and a vast diversity of plant and animal life, this farm has undeniable beauty.  A visit to this farm gives you an opportunity to hike steep mountain trails crisscrossed by meandering streams.  They take pride in being environmentally and socially responsible and are always looking for new ways to improve those efforts.

Farm Name: El Limoncillo

Region: Matagalpa

Micro-region: Yasica Norte

Year Founded: 1932

Founder: Alejandro Salazar

Current Owner: Erwin Mierisch Sr.

Altitude: 950-1300 meters

Sade Trees: Guava, Laurel Negro, Poro, Nogal, Few banana trees, and other native varieties.

Rainfall per year: 3,786mm

Mucilage Removal: Fermentation for approximately 36 hours then hand washed with fresh water.

Varieties Grown: 10% Maragoipe, 30% Pacamara, 25% Bourbon, 20% Caturra, 15% Java.

Processing Method: Sun Dried patios

Flowering Period: 3 flowerings: 1st Jan/Feb, 2nd Mid-March, 3rd May/June

Havesting Period: December – March

Harvesting Method: Hand picked, ripe cherries only, no strip picking, 3 passes per tree over the entire harvesting period.

Environmental Projects:  They have recently finished a 15kw hydroelectric plant that while small, powers the farm operational needs and also those who reside in the community.  They have built bio-digesters from which they have usable gases that are used to fuel the kitchens which lessens the deforestation that is associated with wood burning stoves.

They use ORGANIC composting every chance they get.  They use the cherry mucilage from the past crop as one of the main components in this compost.  Further, they have a worm bed in which humic acid which is an organic fertilizer which is very rich and beneficial to plants.

 (Day care and health care facility)

Social Projects:  They have an established Child Daycare program.  This gives working mothers access to childcare on the farm.  Infants, toddlers and children have a place for food and healthcare, while engaging in educational activities.  The nursery employs women from the community to care for the children.  The nursery is used most actively during the harvest months, which coincide with school vacation, December to February.  This is a great option for families who have come to the farm temporarily for the harvest season.

Fratello Coffee won its 3rd auction with the Cup of Excellence program on November 15th. This was a fast paced auction with many different roasting and retail companies bidding on the 26 award winning lots. As far as we could see, this auction will result in the highest average prices over all. I congratulate the Cup of Excellence program for their marketing efforts, and for successfully organizing another amazing event.

Fratello Coffee was awarded the 13th placing winning coffee.  I remember this product well and found the characteristics in this coffee to show tastes of a Smokey Earth, a sparkling citrus and lingering acidity, with a clean body showing hints of Raisin.  I scored this with an 87.5, however the average score at the competition gave this a 86.21.  Overall this coffee is very balanced. 

For more information on this coffee and the farm it was produced on, please read

below:Lot#: 13 Telmo Cahuana – Jatum Kjari

Jatum Kjari History
Telmo Cahuana Mamani began growing coffee in 1986 on a hectare of land that had been given to him as payment for his work as a school teacher at Comunidad Universo. From that point on Telmo dedicated himself to coffee production. He participated in previous competitions, but this was the first year he had made it to the international jury. “For me, this is a great achievement. As a result I’m very motivated and excited to keep working…first to improve the quality of for my family and children, and also to keep producing coffee.”The farm is located in the Pilón Lajas Ecological Reserve, explained Telmo. “Coffee is a very noble product for the land, it is a friend of the environment. This is why I and my compañeros respect mother earth.” Telmo currently has 16 hectares planted with criollo and caturra coffee, and one day hopes to have as much as 100 hectares of coffee. “Thanks to God, today we have more demand than we can produce. Coffee is profitable and I want to tell all of my neighbors that quality of the coffee speaks for itself; if a coffee is good it will sell itself and Bolivian coffee is excellent.”

Quality Practices
Ripe cherries are hand harvested from June to September. Depulping is done daily immediately after harvest. Wet milling is done centrally at AIPAC’s plant. Depulped coffee is fermented for 15 hours and washed with clean water from mountain springs. The coffee is then sun-dried on drying patios and tables.Environmental Care Production is done without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Other Statistics:
Type of Soil: Clay and sand
Average Annual Rainfall: 1,700 mm
Type of Shade: Siquili – Forestales
Weeding: Twice per year
Pruning: Sanitary pruning
Production practices: Organic pest control using Bauveria bassiana

Property Characteristics:
Farm: Jatum Kjari
Farmer: Telmo Cahuana
Rank: 13
City: Distrito Cascada
Country: Bolivia
Farm Size: 45.00 Hectares
Coffee growing area: 16.00 Hectares
Altitude: 1450 masl
Certification: Organic

Coffee Characteristics:
Variety: Criollo (80%), Caturra (20%)
Processing System: Processing at DESYI SRL plant
Lot Size: 14 bags
International Jury Score: 86.21
Cupping Number #: SUR-040
Jury Descriptions: dark chocolate (16), black cherry (6), sugar cane (6) dried fruit (5), syrupy mouth feel (5), notably clean (4), raisin (3), syrah wine (3), pecans (2), malt (1)
Please Note: If a number appears in brackets next to a description it indicates the number of jurors that agreed with that particular decription.

It was incredible to see their faces filled with joy when their names were called one by one and recognized in front of all the media and their peers for the efforts to improve quality and consistency on their farms. It sure makes it easy for me to want to continue supporting the COE Competition when you get to hear stories of how this motivates them to improve what they do, and hear them tell us how their lives change through the exportation of their coffee to our roasting facilities.  

 You could see the pride in everyone attending, and they should be proud. To get to be one of the finalist means that you are one of the top (in this case top 26 farms) who scored an 84 or higher. 

This year there were 130 farms that entered the competition.  The national jury finalized this down to the top 50. Next the 26 international jury cupped each of these samples 4 times over two days. All of the coffees which scored over 84 move on to the second round of cupping. The 50 was shortened to 36, and again each sample was cupped 4 times by each person. The day after, the final day of cupping, we re-sampled the top 10, and these coffees are INCREDIBLE.  You need to remember, that through out this entire process, that one bad cup, or one bad bean will eliminate them from the contest. 

Overall this trip has been incredible. I seemed to learn something everyday from all the other roasters and cuppers attending this event. I’m going home tomorrow a better cupper, and have everyone else to thank. I’m leaving with better skills, great memories, improved knowledge of the COE competition and most of all, new friendships that I hope will last forever.  

Thank you everyone for giving me memories to last a life time.

“You are formally invited to be a member of the international jury for the Bolivia Cup of Excellence® competition that will be held in Coroico, Bolivia, from October 8th- 12th, 2007. The Bolivia Cup of Excellence competition is coordinated by a group effort made up of industry organizations in Bolivia and is owned and managed by The Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE). We are thrilled to have you as a member of the international jury for this event and know that this competition will prove to be exciting and unforgettable for both the jury and the winning farmers.”

This years jury will consist of cuppers from the following regions in the world:7 – USA6 – Europe4 – Japan1 – Taiwan1 – India1 – Guatemala1 – Canada – Russ PrefontaineIt is going to be an honor to attend this exciting event. I am sure I will learn a LOT and meet some new friends while attending this event. Wish me luck.

We participated in another Cup of Excellence (COE) auction and won our second FULL lot. This one is very small, only 12 bags.   I assume this is going to arrive late August.  This is a very exciting time.   Fratello Coffee Co has always been about quality and we have always wanted to push the limits on quality, and finally, our market is starting to desire the same quality that our family has been raised on.   To be able to source and supply our clients with the best coffees on the planet makes my job as a cupper/importer a lot more enjoyable.     We can’t wait for you to taste this coffee.

 Lot#: 11 Roberto Samuel Ulloa Vilanova – Divina Providencia  

 La Divina Providencia farm was acquired 4 years ago by Roberto Ulloa, fourth generation coffee grower, who transformed the farm from an almost abandoned plot due to the price crisis, to a farm that ranked among the top 23 lots to be auction on June 28th.   Roberto is aware that he found a jewel when he purchased this farm, since the cup quality has shown remarkable performance at several cupping events in prior years, so he is now focusing in nurturing what Mother Nature already gave to this farm.  

The farm is privileged to be located at the coffee golden belt well above 5,000 feet, blessed with rich volcanic soils and grown with nearly Bourbon and Kenya trees that reach an average of 40 years old.  Since the day he bought it, he has been doing replanting activities, so far he has replanted 3.5 ha and he is renovating 4.9 more with Kenya variety which right now accounts for 2% of the farm, one day he expects to have only Kenya variety at his farm while leaving only the best Bourbon trees.   He believes a lot in the quality of Kenya variety, which was introduced many years ago in the area by one of the most respected growers in those days.   “It is not a high yielder but the quality is amazing… that’s what I’m looking for” he added. 

Divina Providencia has been managed under conventional practices but also uses organic inputs as fertilizers, coffee tree pruning is appreciative and vegetative tissue is managed by multiple-stem method.   Harvesting goes from February to April due to the microclimate and therefore slow maturing process.   Common fauna of the region is also found here: Squirrels, armadillos, toucans, orioles, herons, hares and owls, among others.   Roberto is also involved with the community and he donates pedagogic packages for the children in two schools near his farm.

Other Statistics:

Coffee varieties: 98% Bourbón, 2% Kenya

Type of Shade: Ingas Sp., pepeto peludo, trompillo, copalchí, laurel, San Andrés, zapote, avocado, limoncillo, cedar, etc.

Average Annual Rainfall: 2,300 mm

Average Temperature: 16º C

Type of Soil: Sandy loam

Annual Production: (60kg) 95 bags

Mill and company where lot was process: Beneficio Las Tres Puertas, J. Hill & Co.Fauna: Squirrels, armadillos, toucans, agouti, orioles, herons, hares and owls, among others

GPS Coordinates:Latitude: N 13º 52’ 13.12’’Longitude: W 89º 36’ 30.82’’P

roperty Characteristics:Farm: Divina Providencia

Farmer: Roberto Samuel Ulloa Vilanova

Rank: 11

City: Santa Ana

Region: Santa Ana

Country: El Salvador

Farm Size: 8.40 Hectares

Coffee growing area: 8.40 Hectares

Altitude: 1630 masl

Certification: None

Coffee Characteristics:

Variety: Bourbón

Processing System: Washed & Sun-dried

Lot Size: 12 bags

International Jury Score: 86.33

Cupping Number #: HLB-509

Winning Bidder: Fratello Coffee Co

Jury Descriptions: nice sweet coffee (12) black cherry (12),, full body (8), chocolate (12), coconut (1), caramel, clean (9), good fruit, juicy (2), blackberry, dry fruit (3), tobacco (3)Please Note: If a number appears in brackets next to a description it indicates the number of jurors that agreed with that particular decription.e auction on June 28th.

I remember the first sip at the cupping table with Joel and John and all three of us at the same time put down our spoons and stared at each other in disbelief.   We started laughing and then began to describe the flavor we just had.   This coffee starts out rich and earthy, kind of like a Sumatran, but then moves into a bright fruity flavor and sweet acidity like an Ethiopian or Kenyan.  What really got us was the lingering blueberry finish!! You have to try this coffee to truly appreciate this flavor. This is not your “normal” coffee, but is sure to please the person looking for something unique. We received this coffee today and are now figuring out what the proper roast profile is going to be.  We are certainly lucky to have a sample roaster which has the ability to allow us to approach sample roasting on a scientific level. 

As you may know, we are able to control the roast air temperature, and adjust the final bean temperature to give us the exact roast profiles we got on our Probats and Gothot.  At this time, we have roasted 4 samples, each 2 degrees darker than the last. T he initial roast profile is at a Full City, and the last is just under a medium.  I can’t imagine how some roasters figure out new roasting profiles simply by adjusting “time” on their sample roasters (IF they even have sample roasters).  Typically they will adjust to a different color using their eye.  This will be virtually impossible to duplicate when trying to roast a coffee on their actual roaster.

We are fortunate enough to peg the perfect roast profile and then use those parameters to program our roasters in production for exact duplication. It’s almost like we are cheating!

GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE: Yemen is located in southern Arabia between Saudi Arabia and Oman. The desert climate is modified by altitude, which affects temperature by as much as 54 degrees F.

Rainfall increases in northwest and central Yemen. The population is 14 million.

COFFEE BACKGROUND: Coffee was introduced from Ethiopia perhaps in the 6th century.  Yemen was known as “Arabia” at that time and it is from this that the coffee gained its botanical name. Today, the coffee is still grown organically on the western mountain ranges from Razih, near the town of Sa’dah in the North to the south of Ta’izz. The farmers nurture their coffee shrubs, planted in terraced fields, as their forefathers did before them.

SPECIES: Arabica

ALTITUDES AT WHICH GROWN: 3,000 – 7,000

FTPREPARATION METHOD: “Unwashed”

ANNUAL PRODUCTION: 90,000 bags (99-00 crop)

SHIPMENT PERIOD: September – December and March – May

TYPES OF COFFEES OFFERED: Yemen Moka Sanani: Grown on highlands in the region of Sana’a, this coffee is the best quality and the most consistent coffee Yemen has to offer.  It has a wonderful fragrance, mild and sweet flavor with bright acidity and medium body. In a word it is Natural-leathery-spicey-fruity-tobaccoy.