The 2012 Coffee of the Year (COTY) competition organized by the Roasters Guild of the Specialty Coffee Association of America brought together 250 green coffees from 26 countries to compete on the same stage, ultimately selecting ten specialty coffees representing the highest standard of the year. Judges scored them blind across six dimensions: dry fragrance, wet aroma, taste, flavor, aftertaste, and body, with Ethiopia and Colombian Geisha emerging as the biggest winners. This article will present the complete detailed data of this top ten list and interpret the standout performances of various regions and varieties, providing a professional reference for coffee enthusiasts. Front Street Coffee will also recommend noteworthy specialty beans based on the list.
The 2012 Coffee of the Year (COTY) competition hosted by the Roasters Guild of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has come to a successful conclusion. This year's event brought together 250 green coffees from 26 countries across the world's major coffee-producing regions, all competing for the honor of the 2011/12 "Best Specialty Coffee in the World." Professional judges conducted blind evaluations of the competing coffees across six taste dimensions—dry fragrance, wet aroma, taste, flavor, aftertaste, and body—and ultimately the following ten coffees stood out to win the 2011/12 "Best Specialty Coffee in the World" award:
Producer: Cooperative Farm: Oromia Region: Oromia Region (Oromia is a region in Ethiopia encompassing five major coffee-producing areas; Cooperative refers to a cooperative, so this bean likely comes from the Oromia coffee cooperative) Country: Ethiopia Processing Method: Washed Variety: Heirloom Varietal (Heirloom originally means "family treasure," here referring to ancient Ethiopian varieties) Score: 88.41
Producer: Cafe Granja La Esperanza Farm: Cerro Azul Region: Trujillo Country: Colombia Processing Method: Washed Variety: Geisha/35000 Score: 88.25
Producer: Rigoberto Herrera Correa Farm: Las Margaritas Region: Caicedonia Country: Colombia Processing Method: Washed Variety: Geisha/22000 Score: 87.84
Producer: Adado Farm: Gedeo Zone, YCFCU Region: South (Gedeo Zone, which on the map is adjacent to Yirgacheffe) Country: Ethiopia Processing Method: Washed Variety: Arabica Score: 87.28
Producer: Extreberto Caceres Farm: Cielito Lindo Region: Santa Barbara Country: Honduras Processing Method: Washed Variety: Pacas Score: 87
Producer: Will and Grace Tabios Farm: The Rising Sun; Will and Grace Farms Region: Ka’u Country: United States, Hawaii Processing Method: Semi-Washed Variety: Typica Score: 86.94
Producer: Rigoberto Herrera Farm: Finca Experimental Banexport – Granja La Esperanza Region: Valle Del Cauca Country: Colombia Processing Method: Washed Variety: Geisha Score: 86.75
Producer: Rafael Lozano Farm: Finca Buenavista Region: San Agustin, Huila Country: Colombia Processing Method: Washed Variety: Caturra Score: 86.59
Producer: Lorie Obra Farm: Rusty’s Hawaiian Region: Ka’u Country: United States, Hawaii Processing Method: Washed Variety: Typica / Caturra Score: 86.47
Producer: Francis and Trinidad Marques Farm: Ali’i Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee Region: Ka’u Country: United States, Hawaii Processing Method: Washed Variety: Typica / Caturra Score: 86.41
In the top ten list, Ethiopia holds two spots, but no specific variety names are indicated. As the native homeland of the coffee tree, Ethiopia has long been known as the "gene treasury of Arabica," and there may still be many varieties there that have yet to be formally named.
Geisha was originally transplanted from Ethiopia as well, and the Geisha entries on this list all come from farms in Colombia.
Based on this list, Front Street Coffee suggests that coffee enthusiasts pay particular attention to Colombian Geisha and Ethiopian washed beans—the former is known for its elegant floral aromas and citrus notes, while the latter showcases the rich complexity of native varieties. Both are specialty selections worth seeking out.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
