Kaba Café wins first place in Costa Rica’s Cup of Excellence Competition

Manuel Barrantes has been announced as the winning producer in the Alliance of Coffee Excellence (ACE) Cup of Excellence (COE) Costa Rica competition. Barrantes’ score of 91.46 earned him top spot and the ACE Presidential Grade ranking. The highest scoring coffee, which is traded under the name Kaba Café, was grown on Finca Leoncia, around 1500 metres above sea level. Finca Leoncia is located in the Lourdes de Naranjo, West Valley region of Costa Rica. Kaba Café is a family trading company and Barrantes is a third generation coffee grower. The Barranteses were among the first producers in Costa Rica to establish a micro-mill, providing nearby growers with facilities and equipment. In March 2015 Sustainable Harvest flew Kattia Barrantes to Australia to speak about the micro-mill and the pursuit of increased quality at the Let’s Talk Relationship Coffee Event. Kattia Barrantes joined 12 other coffee producers from around the world, which met with roasters and other stakeholders in the coffee supply chain at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Costa Rica’s winning lots, which scored over 85 points by both the National Jury and Cup of Excellence International Jury, will be auctioned online on 17 June.