Costa Rica Cup of Excellence 2025 Award-Winning Lot
The Costa Rica Cup of Excellence 2025 judging took place in West Valley, Alajuela San Ramon in May 2025. This year, a total of 115 lots were submitted, and after pre-selection, 83 lots advanced to the national competition held from May 19th to 23rd. 40 lots, the maximum allowed, received a score of 86 points or higher and proceeded to the international competition. The following week, from May 26th to 29th, the Cup of Excellence International competition was held, and an impressive 30 lots were awarded the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence.
This year, the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence was divided into three categories: Washed, Honey & Natural, and Experimental, with 10 lots receiving the Cup of Excellence in each category. The auction was held on July 8th and was a very popular auction among Central American countries.
Don Joel
Don Joel farm's micromill was established in 2011. Its name is derived from "Joel," the nickname of Allan Oviedo's father, Julio. The farm spans 10 hectares, and three years after the micromill's establishment, in the 2014/15 crop year, production exceeded 15 tons. The unique climate of San Luis de Grecia in the West Valley shapes the character of this coffee, and farm owner Allan Oviedo spares no effort in daily quality improvement. Don Joel farm is primarily run by Allan, his wife, and their son, with the entire family pitching in during harvest season. Don Joel farm is passionate about implementing various initiatives to produce better quality coffee. They learn new processes, work with new varieties, strive for soil improvement and conservation, and aim to provide excellent coffee to their clients.
This year, they participated in Costa Rica's domestic Blue Flag certification program and earned a three-star rating. This certification recognizes various sectors across the country for environmental conservation and sustainable activities, and Don Joel was highly praised for their environmental protection, soil conservation, and sustainable agricultural practices.
Furthermore, valuable insights gained through the Cup of Excellence program are being utilized for better coffee cultivation and efficient processing. This maximizes the characteristics of the coffee and ensures exceptional quality.
As a future initiative, considering that Don Joel's land is located along an ecological corridor for migratory birds, they will focus on planting native trees. This plans to provide habitat and food sources for both native species and migratory birds, enhancing ecosystem sustainability.
Variety and Process
SL28 is famous as a Kenyan variety, but its introduction to Central America, Costa Rica, began in the early 21st century when Starbucks handed it over to producers in Costa Rica's West Valley. San Roque is a common name for a type of SL28 widely known in Costa Rica. In 2015, the SL28 variety from Leoncio farm won the COE, and it is now spreading across Central American countries as a high-grade variety second only to Gesha.
Don Joel also submitted this Kenyan variety to the Cup of Excellence in 2022, securing an impressive 15th place. As one of the leading producers utilizing Kenyan varieties, he practices masterful techniques.
This lot, which won 4th place in the Cup of Excellence 2025 Experimental category, was produced using the following process:
Details of this lot's process:
(1) First, the cherries are de-pulped.
(2) Then, with the mucilage still on, they are rested in an open tank.
*This step is prolonged, lasting 72 hours, and conducted in a cool place to suppress excessive fermentation.
(3) After that, the mucilage is partially washed off, and then dried on African beds.
The Experimental category is often perceived as involving new, experimental processes, but in Costa Rica, it refers to processes other than washed, honey, or natural, meaning any process that is not typically performed. The reasons Allan submitted this lot to the experimental category include step (2) and the fact that in step (3), the mucilage is broken down during the fermentation process but not completely washed off or removed.
・ Costa Rica COE 2025 Experimental Category 4th Place (Score 88.94 / Top of Top)
- ・Lot Details →ACE Website
