Coffee Beans—Characteristics of Ethiopia COE Auction Natural Light Roast Premium Beans

2020 Ethiopia First COE Auction Bean #22

Country of Origin: Ethiopia

Coffee Region: Arsi

Altitude: 2050m

Processing Method: Natural

Coffee Variety: Typica

Roast Level: Medium-Light

According to SCA recommendations, pour-over coffee uses 15g of coffee grounds with 90-91°C hot water for 225ml, with a water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15.

This coffee bean was auctioned in the 2020 Ethiopia Cup of Excellence (COE) and achieved 22nd place with a cupping score of 87.64 points.

It presents floral and fruity acidic notes with citrus, lychee, and honey characteristics. The aroma is abundant, the acidity bright, and the aftertaste long-lasting.

Cup of Excellence (COE)

Cup of Excellence, abbreviated as COE, is a premium coffee grading system.

C.O.E. refers to (Cup Of Excellence) International Coffee Cupping Competition. C.O.E. judging is the most credible in top-tier coffee competitions.

The outstanding candidates who emerge from the strict competition are the highest quality coffees from that country for that year.

They must consistently maintain high scores in each cupping to rank among the top, and only then can they be awarded the C.O.E. winning designation.

The winning estate's coffee beans are auctioned through a unified specific online auction method, allowing buyers worldwide to bid on coffee beans in an open and transparent manner.

This approach allows excellent award-winning farms to rapidly gain recognition, while competition batches of coffee can fetch better prices.

It is held annually, where specialty coffee growers submit their best coffee beans for review by domestic or international judges from this association. After at least five evaluations,

the highest-rated coffee beans will be awarded the COE designation. This evaluation system was first adopted by Brazil's coffee production groups in 1999,

subsequently gaining widespread adoption in places like Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, showing a trend toward popularization.

Each coffee farmer association carefully selects approximately 25-35 bags of about 60kg each, which are sent to the competition warehouse for storage until the auction ends.

Approximately 500 farms from participating countries enter the competition. The first stage is preliminary, the second stage is semi-final, and the third stage is called TOP 10.

In each stage, the total of individual item scores must reach at least 84 points to qualify. Under this strict competition system, only about 20-30 farms or estates remain, ranked by their scores in the competition.

The COE scoring sheet has eight evaluation categories, each with a maximum score of 8 points and a minimum of 0 points, weighted 36 points, for a total of 100 points.

6 points represents that this item meets CoE competition-level standards and belongs to good quality. If completely unacceptable, 0 points are given. If the quality is average, 4 points are given.

2 points for coarse quality, and if excellent or even perfect, 8 points are given.

A total score between 70-79 points indicates this sample belongs to generally superior commercial beans. A total score in the 80-83.5 point range indicates this sample belongs to specialty coffee.

A total score reaching 84 points or above indicates this sample belongs to CoE competition-level, representing the high standard of winning beans.

In Ethiopia, most coffee beans are processed using natural methods because local small-scale coffee farmers dry them in their own courtyards, on rooftops, or even by the roadside.

This makes their costs much lower than washed processing, but this crude processing can cause rough and inconsistent coffee bean quality. In comparison, natural coffee processed in cooperation with cooperatives

and washing stations offers more stable quality. They manually and evenly turn the beans until the moisture content drops to 25%,

requiring turning every 30 to 60 minutes to avoid over-fermentation flavors. The COE #22 coffee bean auctioned by FrontStreet Coffee is shown as Typica in the official information,

the oldest native variety in Ethiopia, from which all Arabica varieties derive. Typica has bronze-colored young leaves and oval or slender-pointed beans; the flavor is elegant,

but the plant constitution is weak, disease resistance is poor, and fruit yield is low. FrontStreet Coffee, through cupping Typica from different origins,

has found that regardless of where it's grown, Typica carries its characteristic subtle and clean flavor, balanced characteristics, and mouthfeel across coffee growing regions worldwide.

The Significance of Cup of Excellence

What is the significance of the Cup of Excellence? The traditional coffee industry primarily pursues mass marketing and commercial transactions, but driven by huge profits and commercialization,

the quality and origin of coffee have gradually gained attention. Before the advent of Cup of Excellence, most coffee beans were processed as mixed batches,

where the wonderful flavors of different coffee beans could not be highlighted, and flavor characteristics were submerged in national or regional names. Truly excellent beans were often buried in this process.

Important Notice :

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