Dedication to quality pays off for the Ngorongoro Coffee Group, with a record-smashing price of US$65 per pound set for Tanzanian coffee at the first Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) Ngorongoro Tanzania Private Collection Auction.
The previous recorded top price paid for a winning lot from Ngorongoro prior to the auction was US$15 per pound. The top scoring coffee, a washed Peaberry Geisha from Acacia Hills Coffee Estate, was sold to a multinational buying group including Paradise Coffee Roasters (United States), Hulili Coffee (South Korea), Chromatic Coffee (US), Hatch Coffee (Canada), Urban Coffee Roaster (Hong Kong), and The Summer House (Thailand).
This was the only 90+ point earning coffee in the competition and the first coffee scored at this level in the group’s history; the top scoring coffee held at their first Cupping at the Crater event in 2012 earned 86 points. Since that time, the group, formed by coffee farmers in the Ngorongoro crater area, has worked to improve quality and processing.
Ngila Estate’s barrique processed Kent earned the second highest winning bid of US$40.30 per pound from goodboybob coffee (US). This method of aging coffee in wine barrels was one of the six process offerings of the winning lots. The other amazing coffee estates in the group are Finago, Shangri-la, and Tembo Tembo all scoring above 85.
“We as growers are so humbled by the fact that someone enjoyed cupping our coffee so much that they are prepared to step up financially to allow us to achieve such great prices. We truly are humbled and delighted. Thank you to all those who bid on and especially to those who ultimately bought our coffees,” says Aideen Christianakis of Acacia Hills Estate.
In addition to the record high price, the average price per pound of the auctioned coffees came in at US$8.57 per pound. Bidders were impressed by the wide diversity of varieties and processes that specialty Tanzanian coffee offers.
The goal of the Ngorongoro Coffee Group is to make their area one of the best coffee growing regions in world, not just Africa. The Ngorongoro Coffee Group, which prides its growing region as one of the Wildest Coffee Experiences for its amazing wildlife diversity and world class coffee. The group shares best practices on processes and growing which has improved their quality. Overall, the mission is to raise awareness about Tanzania and this unique region and coffee quality.
“The Private Collection Auction outcome has been the result of the last 8 years of cupping and driving towards excellence. Our goal for next year is to have 5 coffees score above 90 points. We believe in Tanzania. We know we’re in one of the most underestimated regions in the world,” says group member Mark Stell.
The coffee is now getting shipped to winning bidders to roast and share with their customers.
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