If you frequently buy specialty coffee beans, you have surely seen the letters "COE" on packaging labels. What exactly do they stand for? Why are beans bearing the COE mark often more expensive? This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of COE—from its origins and founding organization, to its specific differences from the SCA cupping scoring system, and then to the three-stage competition format of the Ethiopia COE, breaking it all down one by one. It will also explain the difference between COE auction lots and national winner lots, as well as the difference between "same-lot" beans on the market and true auction lots, helping you more accurately understand and select coffee beans. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, COE (Cup Of Excellence) has long been regarded as one of the most credible competitions. It not only determines whether a lot of coffee beans can be sold through auction, but also directly affects a estate's reputation and the income of coffee farmers. This article will walk you through the COE competition format and process, the advantages of auction coffees, and why it has maintained its authoritative status among numerous competitions. At the same time, we will also talk about a coffee on Front Street Coffee's bean list—an auction lot from Ethiopia's first COE competition in 2020, COE22—and look at the origin story and flavor performance behind it, as well as how to bring out its best state in daily brewing. [more…]

In the specialty coffee world, the Cup of Excellence (COE) is regarded as the most prestigious green coffee competition, and the top-ranked beans on its annual list often become the focal point of auctions. This competition, launched by ACE in Brazil in 1999, now covers more than a dozen producing countries, selecting the top 30 with cupping scores above 87 for a global auction. This article will outline the origins and scoring system of the COE, and focus on reviewing the story of the 22nd-place natural Typica that Front Street Coffee won at auction when Ethiopia first joined the COE in 2020—from West Arsi, grower Adem Banta Sute—as well as the processing, roasting, and brewing details of this bean. [more…]

In the specialty coffee world, auction lots and same-lot coffees are often lumped together, but the two differ fundamentally in quality and scarcity. This article begins with a real sourcing experience at Front Street Coffee, recounting the team's attempt to purchase COE26 same-lot beans after missing out on an Ethiopian COE auction lot. The article systematically sorts out the competition format and process of the COE Cup of Excellence, the conceptual difference between auction lots and same-lot beans, and documents in detail this Yirgacheffe Worka washed bean's regional background, processing method, roasting curve, cupping performance, and brewing parameters. Will the final cupping result deliver the matcha aroma as hoped? Can same-lot beans replicate the surprise of an auction lot? The answer will be revealed in the article. [more…]

Many people see the word "COE" on coffee packaging when choosing coffee, but may not be clear about what it actually means. Cup of Excellence (COE for short) is a rating system for specialty coffee that scores and ranks coffees through multiple rounds of rigorous cupping, ultimately awarding the COE title to the most outstanding lots. This system was first introduced in Brazil in 1999 by a group of coffee producers, and subsequently spread gradually to producing countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. For estates, receiving COE not only means honor, but can also fetch high prices in international online auctions, while boosting the profile and trading volume of the producing region. This article will unfold from three aspects—origin, competition process, and impact—to help coffee lovers understand the meaning and value of COE. [more…]

COE (Cup of Excellence) is the most authoritative competition in the global specialty coffee field. Since its founding by ACE in Brazil in 1999, it has always represented the highest standard of coffee quality evaluation. This article systematically reviews CoE's origins and background, competition format and process, scoring system, and its profound impact on the coffee industry, while also explaining the score grading standards from commercial beans to competition level. For enthusiasts who follow specialty coffee development and auction trends, this is a complete guide not to be missed. Front Street Coffee will also continue to bring you competition news and bean selection references. [more…]

Every year, some coffee beans sell for jaw-dropping prices, sometimes with a single cup being hard to come by. These high-priced beans mostly come from auctions, among which BOP and COE are the two most closely watched platforms. How auctions actually work, and why they can fetch such high prices, is a fascinating entry point for understanding the specialty coffee ecosystem. BOP: Baha [more…]

The Cup of Excellence (COE), as the world's first internet auction platform for award-winning coffee, has been a highly anticipated event in the coffee world since it was founded in Brazil in 1999 by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee, hosted the COE for the first time in 2020 and set a record high of $400.5 per pound in 2022. However, due to the termination of partner funding and the civil war, the 2023 event was forced to be suspended. This year, as the situation has stabilized, the COE has officially returned to Ethiopia, with more than 600 samples arriving at regional warehouses and, for the first time, separate natural and washed categories. The European Commission is selecting international judges, and the industry is looking forward to the emergence of a new batch of high-quality coffee beans. Front Street Coffee will also continue to follow this grand event and bring the latest information to enthusiasts. [more…]

It is known that COE is fully named "Cup of Excellen", which is translated as the Cup of Excellence. It is a coffee event first held in Brazil in 1999 by the non-profit organization the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), and it is also the first I [more…]

Last month, Qianjie shared with everyone the scoring system of cup testing, among which we briefly mentioned COE. In daily life, the word COE also often appears on the labels of some beans. This immediately aroused everyone's curiosity: What is COE? [more…]

As one of the most influential competitions in the global specialty coffee field, the Cup of Excellence (CoE) attracts top estates from producing countries to compete every year. The results of the 2024 Mexico COE competition have recently been officially announced. This edition of the competition, for the first time, adopted a grouping mechanism with three major categories: traditional washed, traditional natural and honey process, and experimental process. The list of winners includes both classic varieties well known to the public, such as Geisha and Bourbon, as well as relatively rare disease-resistant and high-yield varieties such as Obata, Marcelexa, and Oro Azteca. This article will guide you through an in-depth understanding of the breeding background, botanical characteristics, and cultivation performance of these three distinctive varieties, while also providing an overview of this edition's judging and auction mechanisms. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, the SCAA and COE are two authoritative systems that cannot be overlooked. The former established industry standards and cupping protocols, while the latter selects top-tier green beans through rigorous competitions. How do their scoring logics differ? And why are COE and SOE often confused? This article will trace the development and operational mechanisms of the SCAA, CQI, and COE, explain in detail the differences in cupping score sheets, and use the example of the 22nd-place sun-dried Typica that Front Street Coffee bid for at Ethiopia's first COE competition in 2020 to present the complete story from origin to cup. [more…]

The Colombia Land of Diversity (LOD) competition is a national-level coffee quality competition in the country, ranking alongside COE and BOP. The ninth edition brought together 1,018 growers from 13 producing regions; after two rounds of screening, 30 coffees made it to the finals, and the top lot at auction was a washed Geisha from Nariño, fetching as much as $66.50 per pound. This article walks you through the origins of LOD, its competition format, how it differs from COE, and a preview of the tenth edition in 2025, along with recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In 2020, Ethiopia held its first-ever Cup of Excellence (COE) competition in history, where 28 coffees scoring above 87 points stood out, with 3 of them even surpassing the 90-point mark, all from the Sidama region. Front Street Coffee successfully bid on a natural Typica ranked 22nd, from the West Arsi area. This article will guide you through the details of this year's COE winners, Ethiopia's coffee variety naming system, the pros and cons of traditional natural processing, as well as Front Street Coffee's roasting curve, cupping performance, and brewing suggestions for this auction lot, presenting a complete flavor guide to Ethiopia's coffee-producing regions for coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, the two English abbreviations COE and SOE often confuse enthusiasts—they appear similar but actually point to completely different domains. COE stands for Cup of Excellence, the world's most authoritative specialty green coffee competition, first held by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence in Brazil in 1999 and since expanded to Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, and many other producing countries. SOE, on the other hand, is short for Single Origin Espresso, referring to espresso made from single-origin coffee beans. This article will systematically sort out the essential differences between the two from the perspectives of competition systems, judging procedures, and extraction characteristics, and explore the common question of whether SOE is necessarily superior to blended espresso. [more…]

The results of the 2024 Cup of Excellence (COE) Ethiopia competition have been announced, and this year's event has many highlights: all 27 winning coffees were naturally processed, and every one of them came from the JARC numerical variety series, with the Sidama region emerging as the biggest winner. Looking back, since Ethiopia first hosted the COE in 2020, it once set a record high price of $400.5 per pound; after being suspended in 2023 due to civil war, this year's relaunch has delivered a remarkable result. This article will walk you through the detailed results of this year's competition and take a deeper look at the geographical advantages of the Sidama sub-regions Bensa and Bona, as well as the origins of the JARC numerical varieties. [more…]

Among Guatemala's eight major coffee regions, Huehuetenango is known for its high altitude and dry climate, and the El Injerto estate located here is a pioneer of specialty coffee in Central America. This article focuses on a unique Ruby Geisha from this estate—the Maravilla Geisha variety—covering everything from the historical origins of how the seeds arrived, to the natural processing method, to the cupping flavors and geographical environment. When ripe, the fruit of this bean is dark red, resembling a ruby, and the plant is more compact than traditional Geisha. Since the Aguirre family acquired the estate in 1874, it has gone through a transition from growing sugarcane and corn to focusing on coffee, and has accumulated sixteen awards over eleven years in COE competitions. The article also covers the rise of the Pacamara variety and the model of hosting its own competitive auction. Front Street Coffee offers practical advice from the perspectives of roasting and brewing to help coffee enthusiasts better showcase the nutty, cocoa-like character and floral and fruity aromas of Guatemalan coffee. [more…]

In 2021, Indonesia hosted the Cup of Excellence (COE) for the first time, officially becoming the 14th country in the world to hold a COE competition. As the fourth-largest coffee producer, Indonesia has long been known for the mellow, herbal, and spicy flavors of Mandheling and Kopi Luwak, yet it has remained silent in the specialty coffee conversation. This year's competition selected a total of 26 winning beans, with the champion scoring 89.82 points and the runner-up 89.04 points, neither breaking the 90-point mark, which truthfully reflects the current level of Indonesian coffee. Notably, in addition to the traditional spice, clove, and chocolate notes, the flavor descriptions of the winning beans also included fruit tones such as cranberry, tangerine, and cherry, hinting that Indonesian coffee is quietly shifting. Front Street Coffee believes this transformation will take at least ten years, but the signal is already clear. [more…]

The results of the 2024 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence (COE) competition were recently announced, with the Geisha variety continuing its strong performance, sweeping first, third, and fourth places, among which the natural Geisha won the championship with 91.10 points. However, the most eye-catching aspect of this competition was undoubtedly the Parainema variety, which made its first appearance in Nicaragua, winning second place with 89.85 points. This rare variety, which previously won the 2017 Honduras COE, has what kind of genetic origins behind it? Can it break buyers' prejudice against the cup quality of leaf rust-resistant varieties? This article will provide a detailed interpretation of the origins, development, and outstanding performance of Parainema in this competition, while also introducing Front Street Coffee's attention to and recommendation of this variety. [more…]

After Front Street Coffee launched its COE22 coffee beans, many enthusiasts reported a gap between the flavors they brewed at home and those in the shop. This article takes the Ethiopian Sidamo Arsi region sun-dried Typica that Front Street Coffee obtained at auction as an example, and systematically sorts out the complete logical chain of pour-over coffee, from understanding the flavor of the producing region, variety characteristics, and processing method to roasting curve setting and cupping verification. The article focuses on breaking down the four major variables of grind size, water temperature, dripper selection, powder-to-water ratio, and pouring technique, and uses the V60 three-pour extraction to provide reproducible brewing parameters, helping readers understand how to let a sun-dried bean rich in acidity display a smooth layering of strawberry, lychee, honey, and cream. [more…]