A recent Cup of Excellence winner is here - Nicaraguan 'Santa Cruz' {COE #14} is the highest ranking organic coffee from the Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence 2024, so basically the #1 organic coffee out of Nicaragua, right now. When you drink this coffee you will experience flavors of peach, rainier cherry, and champagne, paired with a silky and juicy mouthfeel.

Nicaraguan ‘Santa Cruz’ {COE#14} is grown in Aranjuez, Matagalpa, which is located next to the Grand River of Matagalpa and also surrounded by mountains. Here, they enjoy ‘eternal spring’ all year long, with temperatures that, typically, range from 79°F to 82°F. The Corrales family regularly submits coffees to The Cup of Excellence - producer, Sara Isabella Corrales Rivas, says, “For us, it is like a challenge, because nature is wise and does not behave the same every year and this is something that is very difficult to evaluate.” They use the competition as a tool to assess their coffees and discover if their approach to growing/producing coffee could be improved or if they’re doing something right. This constant drive to have high-quality and high-ranking coffees pushes Sara and the Corrales family to always be adapting and learning, which in turn, pushes the coffee farming world towards practices that benefit farmers, our planet, and us, as coffee-lovers.

To learn more about the producers and the coffee, click here.

The Cup of Excellence was born in 1999 and since then, the global project has expanded to around 15 coffee-producing countries. Hundreds of coffees are scored from each region/country - the highest rated coffees (scoring 87+ points out of 100 possible points) go to the Cup of Excellence auction, where the beginning bidding price is $5.50 per green-pound (over twice the current market price). This program incentivizes producing high-quality coffee, as winning a slot at auction can be a huge impact for the farms and surrounding communities. It not only rewards the farmers, but creates a coffee-growing culture that is focused on quality, rather than quantity. We also are introduced to many of the coffee farms that we choose to work with through the Cup of Excellence - the program helps small farms gain worldwide exposure.

To learn more about the Cup of Excellence and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence that runs it, click here.

AROMA: passion fruit, cotton candy
FLAVOR: rainier cherry, peach
BODY: silky, juicy
FINISH: golden raisin, champagne
PRODUCER: sara isabel corrales rivas
REGION: aranjuez, matagalpa
ALTITUDE: 1450 meters above sea level
VARIETY: maracaturra
PROCESS: honey
CERTIFICATION: organic