For Immediate Release

Missoula MT. (May 19, 2005)- Thirty-Five coffees scored high enough to be awarded the coveted Cup of Excellence prize in a ceremony in Managua on May 13, 2005. The five week long competition process, which includes both national and international judging, culminated in an awards ceremony attended by the press, dignitaries and many of Nicaragua’s finest farmers. Pueblo Viejo, a new hotel compound outside of Managua, opened just in time for the Cup of Excellence international jury, and was the setting for the last week of cupping, and the awards ceremony.

This was the fourth year that the Cup of Excellence has been held in Nicaragua, and many of the speeches during the ceremony focused on the positive effect the program has had on quality, expansion, and recognition among smaller farmers. Celebrating the diversity of the flavor profiles found during cupping was also stressed. “There is a huge opportunity to capitalize on the coffees that were awarded and to celebrate a diversity of flavors not normally thought of as typically Nicaraguan,” indicated Susie Spindler of The Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. “Many of the international cuppers were surprised by the cup profiles they were tasting during the week, and feel that Nicaragua has great potential to expand the marketplace for these kinds of coffees”.

On the final cupping day, the jury described some of the top placed coffees as having the flavor of heavy chocolate, very creamy mouthfeel, caramel, perfectly balanced acidity with pineapple, passion fruit, blueberry, and very sweet tomato flavor notes.

The first place coffee was submitted by a group of farmers from the La Union cooperative in Dipilto. Salateil Zavala, Vicente Colindres, Misael Sauceda, and Rosa Ines Rubio took the trophy with a caturra variety. A very close second place was given to Reginaldo Castellon Paguaga of the Las Nubes Farm with a Pacas variety, also from Dipilto. Both farmers scored over 90 points and were awarded the presidential medal as well.

Farmers from the department of Nueva Segovia took sixteen of the thirty-five awards, the department of Madriz, came in second with six awards. Cooperatives were very well represented with at least eleven awards. Most of the coffee was the caturra variety.

Each of the thirty-five winning coffee lots will be auctioned in their entirety to the highest bidder, during a worldwide auction to be held on June 16, 2005. For more information about the competition process, the winning farms, the auction, the international jury, or membership, log on to www.cupofexcellence.org. The Cup of Excellence program is managed by the non-profit Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. in partnership with coffee producing countries.