Guatemala 2017 Cup of Excellence celebrates new processes

The Guatemalan Cup of Excellence winning lots were auctioned on 14 June for a record average price of US$16.08 per pound. All 28 winning lots sold well above the $5.50 per pound with the first-place coffee from Ana Lucia Meneses’s El Paraxaj, selling for $58.00 per pound. The 2013 weighted average auction record of $13.01 was clearly beaten by more than $3.00 per pound. All coffees sold above $8.90 per pound. The 8th place winner, Santa Felisa, received $44.00 per pound for her washed Gesha. Roasters from multiple countries bid for more than four hours to secure a lot. The international jury comprised members from Malaysia, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, South Korea, Greece, Australia, China, United Kingdom and the United States.  Lots in the auction had been cupped at least five times by the national and international jury and had scored between 86 and 91.16 points. This year multiple varieties and processes to the very stringent competition winning lots included the winning natural Pacamara. Other winners included natural and honey processed Geshas and even a washed Pacamara and F1 Centroamericano blend. Each coffee scoring 90 points and higher was split into two lots for the auction. This year was also exemplary with the National Winners auction fetching some of the best results to date for this new auction program that celebrates coffees that score between 84-85.99 by the International Jury.