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 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…]

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…]

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 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…]

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…]

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…]

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…]

Ethiopian coffee made its debut in this year's Cup of Excellence (COE) competition, and the West Arsi production region shone brightly with the Typica variety, sweeping multiple awards. Front Street Coffee has listed the COE 22nd-place sun-dried Typica and another Arsi heirloom coffee bean. Although both come from West Arsi, they differ in flavor due to different varieties and processing methods. This article will compare the differences between these two coffee beans from multiple dimensions, including production region background, variety characteristics, sun-drying processing, roasting curves, and cupping and brewing, to help coffee enthusiasts gain a deeper understanding of the flavor performance of Typica and Ethiopian heirloom varieties, while also sharing Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing insights. [more…]

Specialty coffee is not simply a marketing label, but a complete quality system from seed to cup. It was first proposed by Erna Knutsen in 1974, emphasizing the decisive role of microclimate and terroir in shaping distinctive flavors. This article systematically sorts out the definition of specialty coffee, the collaboration mechanism of its five major participants, and the criteria for flavor evaluation, and uses Typica beans from the Arsi production area of Sidama, Ethiopia, as an example to analyze how natural processing shapes a clean sweetness. At the same time, combined with the brewing parameters of Front Street Coffee stores and the cultivation practices of a Yunnan Lincang estate, it presents the complete logic of specialty coffee from variety and environment to extraction, helping enthusiasts build a clear cognitive framework. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most renowned coffee regions, celebrated for its rich floral aromas and bright fruit acidity. This article begins with the region's geography, the origin of its name, and its COE-winning micro-regions, then focuses on Bensa, a high-altitude star town, outlining its washed, natural, and red honey processing methods. It also presents the cupping flavors and three-stage brewing parameters of Front Street's Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, offering coffee enthusiasts a complete guide to understanding this region. [more…]

Front Street Coffee has recently added two competition-grade Ethiopian coffee beans to its lineup: a natural Typica that placed 22nd in the COE Cup of Excellence competition, and a native variety that won the washed group championship in the TOH tournament. This article provides a systematic comparison of these two Front Street Ethiopian coffee beans across multiple dimensions, including competition background, growing region, coffee variety, green bean processing, roasting curve, cupping performance, and brewing recommendations. Readers can use this to understand the differences between the COE and TOH competitions, the terroir characteristics of the Sidamo Arsi and Uraga producing regions, the varietal traits of Typica versus Ethiopian native heirloom varieties, and the influence of natural and washed processing methods on flavor direction, providing a reference for daily purchasing and brewing. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's three official coffee regions, located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, and is renowned for its bright acidity, intense floral aromas, and juicy character. This article will introduce the region one by one, covering its geography, the origin of its name, its COE-winning micro-regions, coffee variety classification, and the terroir conditions and processing methods of Bensa town. At the same time, by combining the cupping experience and brewing parameters of Front Street Coffee's Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, it will guide readers to a comprehensive understanding of the flavor code and production details of Sidamo coffee. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most representative specialty coffee regions, renowned worldwide for its rich floral aromas and abundant fruity notes. This article provides a systematic overview of Sidamo coffee, covering the region's geography, the origin of its name, variety classifications, and the microclimate and processing methods of Bensa Woreda. It also introduces in detail Front Street Coffee's newly launched Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, complete with cupping flavors and V60 three-pour brewing parameters, taking you deep into the unique charm of this high-altitude region. [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…]

African coffee enjoys a stellar reputation in the global market, and Ethiopia, as the recognized birthplace of coffee, is not only Africa's largest Arabica producer but also boasts a long history of cultivation. The country is predominantly mountainous plateaus, and its high altitudes, abundant rainfall, and fertile soil provide an ideal environment for coffee. Sidamo is one of its most closely watched producing regions, and in recent years its sub-regions such as Arbegona's Rumudamo and Bensa's Hamasho have gradually come into the public eye. Rumudamo Company made its name in Ethiopia's first COE competition in 2020, and Hamasho Processing Station also performed impressively in the COE. Front Street Coffee has already purchased these two lots of beans and completed cupping: Rumudamo presents lime aroma with citrus and apple flavors, while Hamasho carries floral, berry, and grape juice notes. This article will introduce in detail the background, company information, and coffee flavors of these two sub-regions. [more…]

Sidamo/Sidama is one of Ethiopia's three official coffee regions, located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley and known for its bright acidity, syrupy smooth body, and interwoven floral, spice, and fruity notes. This article begins with the historical origins of the region's name, sorts through the naming dispute between Sidamo and Sidama, analyzes the standout performances of micro-regions such as Bensa in the 2020-2021 COE competitions, and takes a deep look at the processing methods and flavor characteristics of high-altitude coffee from Bensa. At the same time, Front Street Coffee brings a cupping experience of a high-altitude natural Alo along with a three-stage brewing recipe, taking you through the unique charm of Sidama coffee in full. [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…]

In the winning batches of the COE competitions in Costa Rica and El Salvador this year, there are two new bean varieties mixed among the well-known varieties such as Geisha, which are particularly eye-catching. Elefante, in Spanish, means elephant. I [more…]

Kenya, as a neighbor of Ethiopia, has a coffee-growing history that dates back to 1893, and was later promoted by the British for large-scale cultivation in the highland areas at altitudes of 1,400 to 2,100 meters. The volcanic ash soil rich in organic matter, annual maximum temperatures of 22 to 26°C and minimum temperatures of 10 to 14°C, along with suitable rainfall, together create ideal growing conditions for high-quality Arabica coffee beans. Thanks to its natural endowments and the joint efforts of coffee farmers and the government, Kenya became one of the world's major coffee countries within just a century. Its coffee is deeply favored by coffee lovers for its rich fruity aroma, strong red wine notes, and abundant, lingering aftertaste. This article will systematically introduce the cupping situation of Kenyan coffee-producing regions, and attach detailed information on Front Street's 2017 TOH Best Kenya green beans, as well as green bean information and flavor descriptions for the 2016 Brazil COE Natural Champion and the Guatemala COE 4th place Geisha Honey Process. [more…]