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... ...more 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)... ...more 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.
The 2006 Cup of Excellence was held in Granada Nicaragua this year. Granada is a hot sticky humid and beautiful town on Lake Nicaragua, about 1 hour from the capital of Managua. Nicaragua 
Now, to make it clear which Granada we are talking about, this is a view of Granada, Espana … where the name of our Granada comes from. Nicaragua 
and here is the 1975 Ford Granada, another car best forgotten. Nicaragua 
And finally, the Granada on the shores of the massive and shallow Lake Nicaragua. Nicaragua 
The office of the alcalde, police station, etc. Nicaragua Bumpy rides on brick streets for heat-stricken tourists who can’t hoof it themselves. I don’t think the bows make these steeds more pleased to stand there all day waiting for a fare. Nicaragua Again, i can’t resist. what goes better with a hot dog than coffee? Well, i guess good coffee, and you can be sure the push-carts serve the finest nicaraguan coffees… Nicaragua beyond all the handmade crafts that abound, here is proof that invention and craft are for real in nicaragua – handmade coathangers at the hotel alahambra. this goes beyond appeasing tourist expectations for quaintness; it is cheaper to carve your own hanger than buy a cheap plastic one. Nicaragua If you duck, you can actually walk on the sidewalks, but most people use the streets. of course, drivers are very calm and courtious, and pedestrians always have the right of way. Nicaragua And granada has a full-fledged tourist industry that offers more places to stay than can be counted, in the form of small hotels and hostels. Nicaragua All wetlands trashed. You know, in general every populated rural area of C. America is trashed, the water filthy, the forests devastated. the cause is poverty, But what are you going to do? Lock up all the poor? Well, however enured you are to it, it is still sad. Nicaragua proud to be a lesbian? Nicaragua we visited the farm at the entrance to the volcano park, where some unique child modeling contest was occurring. Nicaragua we took a little trip after cupping to volcan ???mochambo??? in the area of granada. it rises to about 1000 meters, and is intensely . as we rose from sea level (granada) the air was refreshingly cool and the plant life became lush. Nicaragua at the first cratar (there are 3), the fog and wind play almost mystical tricks on the visitors, totally obscuring the far rim at one moment, then ebbing, then swirling in again from a different direction. it’s like being an ant in a big mysterious toilet bowl …well, sorta like that. Nicaragua to view the cratar, one passes through an amazin, natural “trench” Nicaragua this trench is coated with plantlife that seem more marine than terrestial. Nicaragua my favorite little dudes, who played shy for a while until curiousity got the best of them. basically, start showing the kids the digital pictures of the as you take them, and they are hooked. Nicaragua here are the cacao pods which, like papaya, are produced directly on the tree trunk. Nicaragua and here is the vaguely familiar leaf of a plant i soon realised was cacao. i have always wanted to see cacao and never had the chance since coffee and chocolate do not usually coexist. Nicaragua then we decended to another coffee farm at a whopping 250 meters altitude, where more whacky hijinx where to take place. Nicaragua the farm hosue for this dancin’ prancin’ event was very beautiful, with amazing plants and artwork. I guess the macarena was more than a ’90s dance craze. Nicaragua but i fins something to like in everything, like this bigheaded dude with an almost simpson-esque cranium. Nicaragua out on the coffee drying patios, i even found some cacao nibs laid out to dry. Nicaragua he looked pretty great from the front too. Nicaragua but i did get a littl confused trying to track my way back to the robusta i saw when we drove in. here is the large robusta coffee leaf … Nicaragua amazingly, this low-altittude farm had some ornimental robusta plants, the first i have ever seen in c. america Nicaragua you can see robusta right away because it is tall, has large leaves and the flower buds occur along the branch in a very symetrical way. Nicaragua soon, shameless mugging for the camera ensues, and they get the idea that you are not out to steal souls or anything, Nicaragua and (don’t tell maria) but i had a pretty hot date for the night myself! Nicaragua … which was really facinating up until the point that is seemed like something straight outta “it’s a small world” at disneyland. Nicaragua this included a lot of ecstatic dancing by young nicaraguans to show the color and passion of musica tipica de los nicuaraguenses… Nicaragua At sunset, the lake. lake nicaragua is massive, fairly clean, and still a viable source for fish to some degree. It also has some 300+ islands. I would say more about Granada history, pirate invasions, Vanderbilts, the 49’ers route through here, etc, but that is best found on other sites. Nicaragua Painted benches, painted tree trunks, everything painted. Nicaragua okay, now back to granada and one of my many walks around town either before the cupping started in the am, or after we finished. once again, i fall for rustic beauty every time. Nicaragua 40 foot billboards near the lake that few see. the boats i saw at the pier in granada were soviet era, basically, and look like the next ferry disaster waiting to happen. Nicaragua and of course the eye-catching commercial paintings – here, a kiddy playland Nicaragua and of course, kids love scarey clowns. Nicaragua Diomedes (the cupper at ecom/atlantic coffee) and Carmen (soppexa cooperative) evaluate the aroma on the crusts. Nicaragua vitus from lithuania. this is the first judge from lithuania, and since we are all unsure about the state of specialty coffee there, he may be the only. come back again, vitus. Nicaragua kentaro maruyama from japan, the perpetual coffee judge, even though he refuses to make coffee comments of behalf of “the japanese market” as did his compatriot, sr. hayashi. Nicaragua george howell who owns terroir roastery and basically cofounded the cup of excellence. to the right, alex the cupper at prodecoop where our fair trade nica comes from, and probably the “winningest” cooperative in the Nicaragua CoE. Nicaragua stephen from stumptown. stephen was a barrista at zoka before going to stumptown, and is in charge of all training there. Nicaragua erika hernandez from elan organics in san diego. Nicaragua paul songer was the head judge, a fellow who has abundant technical expertise and can recite coffee chemistry to you like others discuss football. Nicaragua My absolute favorite pictures here are of the food carts around the city, with tantalizing paintings of all the things american (north, south, and central). Coffee, coca-cola, hot dogs, spiderman, etc. Nicaragua Besides the peeling paint, I have a thing for commercial art. This green giant was 10 feet tall but could only be snapped from 2 feet away. Nicaragua pinatas-r-us Nicaragua vine-entangled trees that looked like they had been pulled down to the ground under all the weight, or been through a flood. Nicaragua Conveniently-placed boulders near the lake warn you to wash your fruits and vegetables! Nicaragua If the dogs haven’t throroughly adopted to the humid heat, they have been aided my the prevelence of mange, thinning the coat to a minimum. Amazingly, they are the best-fed dogs i have seen in c. america (and i suspect from observation that this is partly due to the fact they eat fallen mangos from the town’s many mango trees). Nicaragua ah, its a beautiful place, and the goofiness and touch of decay make it only better. and praise the lord, there is not one US-franchised fast food restaurant in the whole place. i’ll be back, granada, unless olive garden or fridays moves into town, and then you can just count me out. Nicaragua … and more beautiful cathedrals, this one located on the town square. Nicaragua Hotel Alahambra, the comfortable accommodation for the judges for the cup of excellence, captured in a particularily, uh, naive painting of “magic realist” style. Nicaragua more great carts, this one licensed by nike Nicaragua and this cart, licensed by tony the tiger. maybe the hotdog-coffee combination is a winner that US cafes should look into? anyway, the people of granda have a lot of color and pride … Nicaragua proud to be a chicken who loves her eggs so much she lets humans eat them (?) Nicaragua Like all once-glorious places, Granada, Nicaragua is beautiful as, and if you are a sucker for the rustic like me, you can indulge yourself ad nauseum. Nicaragua lovin’ the spongebob, but also making him a little scarey-looking at the same time… Nicaragua and proud of fine coffee grown in … vietnam? what the heck is folgers and nescafe doing here? Nicaragua proud to be an granadian-american, or at least an america-lovin’ cart, in granada, lovin’ the USA, selling fruit ices. Nicaragua Many of the buildings are single story but the proportions belong to the Carribean, and colonial Latin America. Remember, heat rises and high ceilings help. Nicaragua Granada is carribean in color too, I suppose. The cynical part of me would say there is a planning commission that enforces contrasting, bright, primary colors for each building, but in Nicaragua? No, i don’t think so. Nicaragua pokeman, well that’s just nuts anyway Nicaragua and spiderman? Nicaragua how about pooh. pooh like hotdogcoffee? Nicaragua note how most of the carts are made from hacked off bicycle forks. Nicaragua speaking of scarey and borderline psychotic spongebob … Nicaragua pokemon number 2, not making any more sense than the first. Nicaragua taking the cups from the grinding room to the cupping room for the final round Nicaragua each cup is batched out (12 grams) as whole bean, ground, then reweighed to assure accuracy. Nicaragua erwin and the crew grinding the samples. Nicaragua KC from jungle-tech in peru, who stopped by for cupping the final round Nicaragua a really scarey pose from EJ (intelligentsia) Nicaragua joost (holland), becky (canada-timothy’s) and yours truly. Nicaragua
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... ...more |
| 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... ...more, 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... ...more 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,... ...more |
| 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... ...more, 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. ...more |
| 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... ...more |
| 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... ...more, 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... ...more |
| 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... ...more, 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... ...more, 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... ...more, 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. ...more 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... ...more 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. ...more 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. ...more, 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... ...more 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... ...more, 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,... ...more |
| 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... ...more, 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... ...more, 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... ...more |
| 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... ...more |
| 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... ...more, 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... ...more, 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... ...more, 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. ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more 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,... ...more, 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... ...more 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.... ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more? 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... ...more – 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... ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more, 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... ...more 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... ...more |
| 578 8 | 92 | 91.2 | pointed, piquantMeaning pleasantly pungent or zesty in taste, spicy, provocative, sapid. ...more 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... ...more |
| 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:... ...more 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.... ...more 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.... ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more 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... ...more 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
