The 2018 México Cup of Excellence (COE) auction has been postponed due to delayed shipping of some sample sets too close to the original auction date.
To give all bidders a fair chance, the Alliance for Coffee Excellence has updated the auction to the following dates:
COE México Live Auction: Tuesday 24 July at 9am EDT
National Winner México Auction: Sunday 22 July at 9am EDT to Thursday 26 July at 5pm EDT
Samples should have been delivered or are on the way. For those who have not received samples by 3 July, please contact Laurie Linn at laurie@cupofexcellence.org. To register for the auction, click here.
“ACE and the farmers of Mexico thank you for your patience in scheduling cuppings and arranging buying groups. We are sure that these coffees will be worth the wait,” the ACE said in a statement.
On 18 May, a first-time competitor won first place in the sixth edition of the COE in Mexico City.
Jose Renteria Larios ranked first with a 90.70-point coffee from Finca Peña Blanca in Jalisco, with a natural processed coffee with a blend of Sarchimor, Marsellesa and Caturra.
The second-place winner, Federico Barrueta, received a score of 90.47 with Finca La Ilusión with washed Bourbon and Caturra.
Gabriel Bernard Rivas Ross ranked third with Finca Cruz Verde from Veracruz with a score of 90.20 with a washed Pacamara.
Selestino Lopez Partos received 90.03 points for a washed Bourbon and Typica from Chiapas.
The panel represented markets from Japan, South Korea, United States, Germany, Australia, Taiwan, China, New Zealand and Mexico.
“The regions, varieties, and processes that are represented in the auction showcase a spectrum of flavour that reflects the existing quality and potential of the coffee from México. The world needs to know more about these coffees and I feel most of us are barely scratching the surface,” said Emma Chevalier of Revelator Coffee in the US.
ACE Head Judge Eduardo Ambrocio said the Mexican COE was full of good surprises, with new varieties included alongside the traditional ones.
“Natural processed coffees played an important role as well, one of them achieving the maximum prestige of first place,” Eduardo said.
“Some coffees had notes of tropical fruits, red fruits, cherries, plum and red wine, dark fruits. Others were in the aromatic side, like minty, floral, jasmine, perfumed and complex, reminding me of certain lines of Geshas. Some others were more like yellow fruits, stone fruits, molasses, juicy, sugary, like the traditional Bourbons and Caturras. In a few words, Mexican coffees could be described as diverse and complex this 2018 COE.”
The COE International jury gave scores 90 and above to four top lots from the Mexican states of Jalisco, Estado de Mexico, Veracruz and Chiapas.
The top two coffees impressed the jury and puts a spotlight on Jalisco and Estado de Mexico, regions not as well-known as Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz for specialty coffee.
For more information, visit www.allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org