Honduras Cup of Excellence showcases exceptional farmers

Fabio Antonio Caballero Martinez won first-place at the 15th Cup of Excellence awards ceremony in Honduras with an international jury score of 93.43. The fully washed Gesha variety from the San Francisco farm in Marcala earned the highest score from both the international jury and the national jury.  Fabio explained that he had personally monitored the harvesting and was very hands-on in its processing. “I was able to slow down and give my coffee personal attention, such as hand turning the coffee while it was drying, each day,” he said. The international jurors noted delicate structured flavors of honey, coffee blossom, cocoa nibs and lychee with an elegant and velvety finish.  The handcrafted coffee proves that extraordinary coffee farming is a family affair. The well-known 2016 COE winner– Marysabel Caballero – is Fabio’s daughter. With an international jury score of 92.64, Remiery Orlando Carvajel Guevara submitted the second place Typica variety from his family farm, Los Pinos, in the city of San Andres.  “I feel very happy and surprised,” Guevara said. “I was told I should submit my coffee to Cup of Excellence but did not think I could ever win.” The international jurors noted flavors of jasmine, honey, lemon, and tropical fruits with a structured and sweet molasses-like finish. Three other farmers – Fani Yeselia Moreno Lopez, Leonela Villanueva Pineda and Jose Santo Guevara Lopez – received presidential awards for scoring above 90 points. Of the six presidential winners, only one is a natural processed coffee, while the other five are produced using the fully washed process. In total, 36 farmers received a Cup of Excellence award for having scored at least 86 points in every cupping. These winning coffee lots will be sold during the online auction on 3 July, 2018. Over the last 15 years, in partnership with the Cup of Excellence program, many Honduras farmers and micro regions have received huge economic benefits for their unique and valuable coffees. Over 400 lots have been awarded a Cup of Excellence with direct online auction prices close to US$6 millio. The indirect country benefits of increased quality, direct relationships with buyers and premiums for other specialty coffees is estimated to be worth at least 10  times the gross Cup of Excellence auction amount.