Nicaragua Cup of Excellence 2006

This was my third time on the jury for the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence, held in the town of Granada, Nicaragua.

A trip to the NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other balanced Central American and South American high-grown Cup of ExcellenceThe Cup of Excellence is a competition held yearly in many coffee-producing countries, designed to highlight the very best coffees from each origin.: The Cup of Excellence (COE) is a competition held more-or-less yearly in competition from way back in 2006!

Please take a peek at my 3 pages of “snapshots” (not “photographs”) and you will see what i mean.

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Nicaragua Cup of Excellence 2006 Scoring and Cupping Comments

round 1 session 1	my score	est. average	description
1	83	82.56	sweet and clean but never came together for me
2	79	83.96	peanut oily, something rough
3	90	87.24	berry, bright, clean blueberryBlueberry flavors in coffee take different forms. Dried blueberry was something we first encountered in natural Harar coffee from Ethiopia. It seemed to be most potent in fresh new crop coffees and would fade in
4	85	85.14	cinnamon spice
5	85	85.5	a little dry in the finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We combine these to form the "final flavor, but bright and citric
6	88	86.07	citric, bright nice
7	76	83.38	thin watery flat oily
8	76	84.03	thing flat ugh
9	80	85.93	average, not coe
10	76	81.7	peanut, ugh
	81.8	84.551	my initial impressions off – coffees cooled differently
round 1 session 2	my score	est. average	description
1	85	83.97	herbalA flavor descriptor in coffee reminiscent of herbs, usually meaning aromatic, savory, leafy dried herbs. Usually, more specific descriptions are given, whether is is a floral herb, or sage-like, etc. In reality, there are very notes, apricot – up and down, unsweet
2	80	83.65	inconsistent cups, a little vinegarA defective flavor taint in coffee, resulting perhaps from poor processing, fermentation, sanitation.: Vinegar-like qualities are a defective flavor taint in coffee, resulting perhaps from poor processing, fermentation, sanitation. Usually, this comes from high levels
3	87	86.12	acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem flat. Acidity can sound unattractive. People may, lots, but trouble with finding flavors
4	81	82.51	inspid, average
5	82	83.36	milk choc, doesn�t add up, a bit drying
6	85	86.75	herbal, bright, creamyCreamy is a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and soft, rounded texture. See also buttery.
7	86	83.86	sweet, sweet finish
8	86	84.44	odd finish, some floralFloral notes in coffee exemplify the connection between taste and smell. Describing the taste of a specific flower is near impossible...we always default to “it tastes like it smells” which, admittedly, isn’t the most helpful.
9	82	83.59	sweet but hint of astringentAstringency is a harsh flavor sensation, acrid flavor, that provokes a physical reaction on the toungue, the tactile feeling of papery dryness. It can have saltiness, sourness and bitterness as components. It is certainly the, drying, saltySalty is one of four basic sapid (in the mouth) tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter (and possibly a 5th called Umami which indicates savory flavors). In coffee, saltiness is not usually a positive quality, but
10	76	83.32	fermentyA defect flavor, a fruit quality in a coffee that is excessively ripe, toward rotten. This often takes the form of vinegar-like aroma and flavor. Fermenty or vinegar flavors can result from high levels of, borderline defective
	83	84.157
round 1 session 3	my score	est. average	description
1	90	85.87	bakers chocolateA general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of chocolate. But what type? Usually described with more specifics.: Chocolate is a broad, general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of chocolate. But what type? There are so, apricot
2	76	79.93	animal
3	82	84.17	almond skin, unsweet
4	90	85.7	transparent, apricot, cream, liquor
5	76	79.13	mustyOff aroma and flavor that reminds one of a dank, moldy closet. This flavor can hint at a dangerous coffee mold and should not be consumed.: Off aroma and flavor that reminds one of a, tea-likeA term used to describe coffees with light, tannic, slighly astringent mouthfeel and tea aromatics. We find it in some Rwandan flavor profiles, among others. tightness, bitterBitterness is one of 5 basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter and Umami (savory flavors). There are many types of bitterness, hence not one avenue to tracking down its source. Bitterness as a positive quality dirt
6	89	85.4	silkyA mouthfeel description indicating a delicate, light, elegant softness and smoothness. Usually refers to a lighter body than terms such as velvety, or creamy. creamy toasted almond, hersheys cocoa syrup
7	76	82.57	hazelnut, improving as it cooled, then tanked
8	84	83.1	juicy, a it dry in the finish, becoming average
9	82	85.14	improving as it cools, nut and choco, then so-so
10	83	84	oily, slickery, not high flavor attributes
	82.8	83.501
round 1 session 4	my score	est. average	description
1	76	84.3	tangyAn adjective modifying a flavor descriptor, describing a sharp effect; tangy citrus, tangy bittersweet flavor, tangy green apple., old drying
2	82	82.62	average, unclear, fuzzy
3	84	83.2	caramelCaramel is a desirable form of sweetness found in the flavor and aroma of coffee, and is an extension of roast taste. Extremely light or dark coffees will lose potential caramel sweetness, as it exists sweet bodyAssociated with and sensed by mouthfeel, body is sense of weight and thickness of the brew, caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup, including all organic compounds that are extracted from brewing, pungentRefers to an aggressive, intense aroma or flavor, often related to spices (pepper) or roast tastes. Pungent foods are often called "spicy", meaning a sharp or biting character, but not unpleasant. Bittersweet tangy roast flavors
4	87	86.5	sweet, transparent
5	86	84.54	tight pungent intense syrupy
6	81	85.9	plain, peanuts, then wineyA taste term to describe a wine-like flavor with a similar perceived acidity and fruit, and some level of acetic acid. It is found most commonly in East African specialty coffees as well as in, fermenty
7	84	83.19	bittersweetBittersweet is from the language of chocolate, and describes the co-presence of positive bittering compounds balanced by sweetness. It is directly related to caramelization, but has inputs from other roast reactions, as well as bittering, flattening as it cools
8	80	85.04	thin, average, dirt syrup
9	85	84.5	body, spiced, butter
	82.77777778	84.42111111
round 1 session 5	my score	est. average	description
1	78	79.2	bittering finish, just doesn’t add up to much, dirty?
2	91	85.64	delicate melon, cream, herbal, mint, sweet fruitedIn some coffee taster’s lexicon, “fruity” means the coffee is tainted with fruit, and “fruited” means a coffee is graced by positive fruit notes. We don't exactly see the difference in terms of these two
3	83	83.63	smoked, inconsistent
4	79	84.96	gritty texture, choco – not that bad flavor
5	82	84.55	lacking sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly desirable quality, and the green bean has
6	86	84.93	nuttyNutty is a broad flavor term, reminiscent of nuts ... but what kind exactly?: Nutty is a broad flavor term, reminiscent of nuts. It is tied intrinsically to roast taste and the degree of roast,, creamy, oily,
7	78	81.76	ground aspirin aftertasteAftertaste refers to lingering residual sensations in the mouth after coffee has swallowed. It might be distinguished from "finish" which is the final sensations of the coffee while it leaves the mouth. Also see Afternose., bad barbeque
8	88	83.69	fruit, balanceSuggests a harmony and proportion of qualities, and implies mildness since no one quality dominates.: Balance is both an obvious and slippery taste term. It implies a harmony and proportion of qualities, and perhaps a, clean, strong aromatics
9	90	84.89	velvetyA mouthfeel description indicating elegant softness, refined smoothness: A mouthfeel description indicating elegant softness, refined smoothness. See Silky as well. chc. Fruits peach
	83.88888889	83.69444444
round 1 session 6	my score	est. average	description
1	89	83.14	apricot tea, appleAn acid that adds to favorable perceptions of cup quality; malic acid often adds apple-like acidity, and perhaps other taste aspects recalling apples. Malic acid is yet another of the many acids that adds to butter, spice, clove
2	88	85.5	nice sweetness, round, spicey when hot
3	84	81.47	sweet corn-maple syrup but average overall
4	88	85.6	greeen appleApple-like flavors in coffee can take on many different forms. The more common ones we use relate to malic acid brightness, which can recall different apple types: green (Granny Smith type for example), red apple tangy
5	78	78.8	beef? Wine? Mollasses, flattening, not good
7	85	83.9	drying finish, almond skin
8	88	85.17	prune, then plum, round, deep dark fruit, tarry-oily
9	81	83	flattens as it cools, average otherwise
			#6 removed for phenol
	85.125	83.3225
round 1 session 7	my score	est. average	description
1	88	84.63	cedary at first, canteloupe, b/s chocolate
2	84	84.9	pineapple acidity, juicy, a little salty and cloying
3	92	85.35	sweet winey berry fruit chocolate
4	76	75.49	very bittersweet, darkroastish, but bad and smokeyUsually a defect of roasting, or of green coffee processing, smokey notes are sometimes found as a positive flavor in a few exotic coffees; This smell and flavor is similar to fireplace effluence, campfire, or too
5	92	85.5	strawberry creamy balanced
6	80	79.3	average, charred, hickory smoked bbq sauce
7	86	84.66	sweet and clean with solid balance.
	85.42857143	82.83285714
round 2 session 1	my score	est. average	description
1	86	84.2	thin sweetness, rooty?
2	84	84.93	kinda husky when hot, chocolate, good average
508 3	89	88	mulling spiceA spice mix for adding flavor and aroma to a warm beverage, apple cider or wine. This mix might include all or an assortment of the following; allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and various, cinnamon-clove, sweet red pepper
4	83	85.22	clean nutty, a little wet cardboard when cool
529 5	92	85.4	juicy, raspeberry, light molasses sweetness
6	86		very roasty, pungent, rootbeer -reroasting this one
604 7	89	84.15	sassfrass, cedar, fatty, creamy, milk chocolate
500 8	88	85.8	balanced, creamy, round.
9
	87.125	85.38571429
round 2 session 2	my score	est. average	description
1	80	82.58	smokey, lapsang souchong, tangy choc
2	84	81.23	balanced and sweet, but too thin
533 3	91	87.26	clean, thin, butteryA mouthfeel description indicating thickness and creaminess, and can also be a flavor description.: Buttery is primarily a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and creaminess. It indicates a high level of lipids (fats) in the coffee, finish, winey, citrus too
4	82	84.07	average, too thin
5	86	85.77	nuts and choco, maple cream
6	82	83.03	nutty, choco, dry
7	86	84.07	good structure, dry finish but I like
544 8	88	86	fruits, choco, some bittering, then earl grey
9
	84.875	84.25125
round 2 session 3	my score	est. average	description
1	85	84.77	sweet but thinning
2	81	82.35	average
3			PHENOL
644 4	88	86.39	cane sugarA refined sugar, that has a no rustic sweetness. This was called "refined sugar" but has been rebranded as "cane sugar" thanks perhaps to C and H brand. Previously though, cane sugar referred to a sweetness, very sweet
5	83	84.24	sweet finish but ashyThe smell or taste of ash, such as an ashtray, cigarette smoke, or fireplace. Often a roast defect.: A quality in aroma or flavor similar to that of an ashtray, the odor of smokers' fingers issue
6	86	85.3	berry, sweet, cream, but at end , fermentAs an aroma or flavor in coffee, ferment is a defect taste, resulting from bad processing or other factors. Ferment is the sour, often vinegar-like, that results from several possible problems. It might be the? Overripe?
7	81	82.63	thinner, biting finish
519 8	88	85.68	hazelnut butter, sweet, winey finish
9			almendra? Castanilla – hazelnut
	84.57142857	84.48
round 2 session 4	my score	est. average	description
1	82	83.4	thinning, tightness, bitter
574 2	92	86.48	fruited, sweet, pear
3	85	82.24	bittering roastiness, choc, fruit, pungent
4	79	85.15	very dry finish
507 5	90	85.26	fruited, very creamy
6	80	84.69	tight finish
7	78	82.23	bisquity, grainyA roast-related flavor, sometimes used negatively, but it can also be a positive flavor attribute. Usually grain flavors indicate a too-light roast, stopped before 1st crack concluded, like under-developed grain flavor. It can also result – roast issue?
633 8	90	84.29	birght chocolate and apple
9
	84.5	84.2175
round 2 session 5	my score	est. average	description
504 1	90	84.29	red apple, sweet, tangy finish, sugar sweetness
2	87	84.07	sweet, burned sugar sweetness
3			phenolic – was a nice coffee though
4	82	85.36	clean, tangy, but some goldenseal
578 5	91	86.48	lime acidity, clove spice,
6	85	81.7	too roast, but a sweetness prevails
7	85	84.23	choc and cinnamon, perhaps orangey
8	82	84.96	flattens to a dry finish
9
	86	84.44142857
final 10	my score	est. average	description
500 1	88	88.32142857	choc bittersweet, dk toasted almond, canteloupe as it cools
585 2	88	91.37037037	hazelnut, , milk choco, nutella, butter flavor, lime acidity
529 3	89	91	thick, sweet lemonLemon notes, as well as other related citrusy flavors or acidities, are prized in coffee. These usually express themselves as a bright accent in the cup, or aromatic citrus aspects, but not as blunt sourness. and cream, cedary?
533 4	89	89.33333333	nicely structuredStructure is an esoteric term, characterizing the relation between flavors, acids, mouthfeel and aftertaste as well-defined and comprehensive.: Like Balance, structure is an esoteric term. After all, you can't taste a "structure" nor can you chocolate with cedar
644 5	90	90.33333333	exotic aromas, unique light malt syrup
508 6	86	87.88	floral, sweet tangy, light honeyIn coffee, honey-like sweetness is often found, but we use terms such as refined honey (highly filtered and processed) as opposed to raw honey rustic honey sweetness. This form of sweetness is largely a dynamic, some chaote vegetal (?)
574 7	91	89.7826087	sweet floral, honey cream, jasmineA very positive and intensely floral quality in coffee, usually with a strong aromatic component, reminiscent of jasmine flower or tea. There are many forms of jasmine; the common flowering vines, teas, potpourri, etc. Jasmine aromaAroma refers to sensations perceived by the olfactory bulb and conveyed to the brain; whether through the nose or "retro-nasally": The aromatics of a coffee greatly influence its flavor profile and come from the perception
578 8	92	91.2	pointed, piquantMeaning pleasantly pungent or zesty in taste, spicy, provocative, sapid. flavors, light whipped cream, sweet orangeOrange aromatics and flavors are prized in coffee, whether they take the form of sweet orange flesh and pulp, or orange peel. Orange flavors or aromatics can range in degrees of ripeness, which also involves
519 9			phenolic – was a nice coffee though
544 10	95	88.92	creamy, fruited passionfruitA very aromatic fruit used for juice, or to eat directly. In coffee it can be found in the aroma and flavor of Gesha coffee, and some Colombias: It is native to South America and to fruit salad, honeysuckle, very floral aromatics, my favorite for overall cup completeness.
	89.77777778	89.7934527
The winning lots are coffees scoring 84 points and above in each cuppingCupping is a method of tasting coffee by steeping grounds in separate cups for discrete amounts of ground coffee, to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest. It has formal elements and methodology in by both the HondurasHonduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate. All it's neighbors have sophisticated coffee production: National jury and the Cup of Excellence� International Jury. These coffees have each been cupped a minimum of five different times during the cupping process.

Lot #FarmFarmerScore1El ProgresoJos� Noel Talavera91.602Santa FeRosal�o Mej�a Medina91.043El CipresDomingo Herrera Ruiz90.714Cerro del CieloMauricio Vilchez Urbina90.105San MiguelitoPedro Antonio Agurcia Moncada89.566Coop. La Uni�nIbis Garcia, Maria Mejia, Teodoro Garcia/ Prodecoop88.677La CarolinaAndres Figueroa Lopez88.588Coop Luis Alberto VasquezLuis A Vasquez, Maria Gomez, Mario Torrez, Santos Martinez/Prodecoop87.489Los AngelesPastora Peralta Sequeira87.4210Santa IsabelJaime Armando Lovo Moncada86.4111Coop Justo Pastor HerreraJorge Gonzalez Amador, Miguel Adolfo Gamez, Nelson Omar Gamez85.9812Terra Linda/San AntonioMaria Tereza Tercero Alfaro85.9613La PraderaDavid Ariel Lovo Gutierrez85.6714Los LaurelesOrlando L�pez Osorio85.6515San Ram�nDonald Roque Lopez85.5016Cipreses de Loma Fr�aEmilio Gutierrez Q.85.2417San AntonioOfelia Vasquez Funes85.0918La EsperanzaSalatiel de Jes�s Zavala Ferrufino84.9819La FloridaFernando L�pez Sauceda84.8320La SantisimaMario Vilchez Urbina84.8021La Locura del UruguayoJuan C�ceres Pintos84.7822Villa GuadalupeFrancisco Moncada Midence84.7623Las MercedesCarlos FloresFlores is an Indonesian island, and as a coffee bears more resemblance to the coffees of Timor-Leste, New Guinea and Java than to the wet-hulled coffees of Sumatra and Sulawesi. It is sweet, with good Chavarria/Cecocafen84.5024Cooperativa 5 de junioCooperativa 5 de Junio84.4625El SuyatalLuis Emilio Valladarez Zelaya84.31

International jury members for the 2006 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition

Name Country Company
Head Judge
Paul Songer USA ACE
North America
Stephen Vick USA Stumptown
EJ Dawson USA Intelligentsia
Tom Owen USA Sweet Maria�s Coffee
Vincent Iatesta USA Caf� Pronto
Erna KnutsenErna is known as the first dedicated "Specialty Coffee" importers/brokers in the US ... in fact she coined the term Specialty Coffee! Here bio reads, "After several years in the bay area Erna took a USA Knutsen Coffees, Ltd.
George Howell USA Terroir Coffee
Carl Rand USA Durango Coffee Co.
Oren Bloostein USA Oren�s Daily Roast
Erika Hernandez USA Elan OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms have more local Organic Certification than the Coffees
Shannon Simpson USA Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Peter Giuliano USA Counter Culture Coffee
Becky McKinnon Canada Timothy�s World Coffee
Lay Yong Tan Canada Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op Ltd.
Europe
Andreas Giest Berliner-Berliner Germany Kaffeeroesterei Giest & Compangnon GmbH & Co.KG
Vytautas Kratulis Lithuania UAB
Katerina Salamatina Russia Federation Berty�s Coffee
Joost Leopold Netherlands The Golden Coffee Box
Soren Sylvest Denmark EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does not necessarily have a mill. (And Finca Coffee
Asia
Kentaro Maruyama Japan Maruyama Coffee
Eiji Yamada Japan Yamada Coffee
Daisuke Tanaka Japan Milton Coffee Roastery
Ms. Yumi Kosaka Japan E-com Japan Limited
Joe Hsu Taiwan Orsir Coffee Company
Observers
Minke van Rees Netherlands DOEN Foundation
Mark Stell USA Portland Roasting Co
Kazuya Uchida Japan Uchida Coffee
Geoff Watts USA Intelligentsia