What is the Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence?

The Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence is our annual selection process dedicated to identifying and offering the finest coffees we produce each year. More than just a quality check, it is a disciplined pursuit of excellence, bringing together farmers, roasters, and trained tasters to refine each coffee to its highest potential.

This process begins at origin, where our team works directly with farming families across different regions. These family farms are the foundation of our craft, and it is here that the journey of excellence begins. Through careful harvesting and processing, each lot carries the unique character of its land, climate, and the hands that cultivated it.

A Rigorous Standard of Excellence

Our team conducts intensive cupping sessions, evaluating and scoring a series of exceptional lots under Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards. These globally recognized benchmarks allow us to measure each coffee with precision and consistency.

We are currently working within the following classifications:

• 90–100 points: Exceptional / Outstanding Specialty Coffee

• 85–89.99 points: Excellent Specialty Coffee

Each coffee is selected based on:

• Cup clarity and balance

• Aromatic complexity

• Clean finish and structural integrity

• Consistency across roast profiles

From Origin to Roast

The Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence does not stop at selecting great beans, it continues through the roasting process.

Our team experiments with multiple roast profiles for each lot, carefully developing each coffee to reveal its fullest expression. We collaborate with SCA-trained coffee tasters, ensuring that every profile highlights the inherent qualities of the bean rather than masking them.

This process allows us to take what is already excellent and refine it further, bringing out the nuance, depth, and balance that define a truly exceptional cup.

A Commitment to the Best Cup Possible

At its heart, the Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence is about one thing:

Bringing you the most excellent cup possible

Every decision, from farm selection to final roast, is made with this goal in mind. It is a process that requires time, discipline, and a shared commitment to craftsmanship.

More Than a Process, a Tradition

The Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence is not a one-time event. It is an annual tradition, which we documented this year through photographic journalism. We will be continuing to grow, improve, and deepen each year with intent to open the event up to our customers. 

It reflects our belief that excellence is not accidental. It is cultivated through careful work, collaboration, and a willingness to continually refine what we do.

The Result

The coffees selected through the Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence represent the very best of our offerings, limited selections that embody the highest standards of specialty coffee.

Each cup is the result of:

• the dedication of farming families

• the discipline of our cupping team

• the expertise of trained tasters

• and the careful craft of roasting

This is the Guadalupe Gold Cup of Excellence, where great coffee becomes extraordinary.