Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1492816
STiR coffee and tea 37 U.S. Customs Brokers & International Freight Forwarders Specialists in Logistics for the Coffee & Tea Trades SERVICING IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS SINCE1931 66 York Street / Jersey City, NJ 07302, USA Tel: +1 201 333 5400 / Fax: +1 201 333 4030 email: wbrauner@braunerintl.com www.braunerintl.com The Cup was initiated by the Brazil Specialty Coffee Asso- ciation (BSCA), the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE). Brazil's huge production of commercial-grade and instant coffee tended to overshadow its large and sophisticated premium sector, so the contest aims to put the spotlight on specialty producers. It also highlights environmentally sustainable methods, equitable practices, and fair trade. Most Cup of Excellence events feature a panel of national judges, which selects a first round of coffees for intensive cup- ping by a second panel of much-vetted international judges. The coffees that win the international phase are later auctioned. This year in Brazil, 469 coffees qualified in the pre-selection process. The 2022 Brazilian Cup of Excellence International Jury chose 22 winning lots. There were nine National Champi- ons, each scoring above 87 in cuppings that were repeated five times by the international jury. These came from Alta Mogiana, Campo das Vertentes, Cerrado Mineiro, Chapada Diamantina, Montanhas do Espírito Santo, Mantiqueira de Minas, Sul de Minas, Matas de Minas, Volcanico Catas and other places. The processes were natural (from coffee seeds dried as whole cherry) and pulped natural (from coffee seeds dried with- out the cherry pulp), with many variations on these, including different levels of pulping, various fermentation processes, and method and length of drying time. The most successful entrants share a mindset of experimen- tation, innovation, ultra quality control, and sustainability. Natural sustainable growing methods and innovative, multi- stage fermentation are increasingly showing up at the COE. Most high-quality growers eschew chemical fertilizers, constant- ly gauge irrigation water quality, and, of course, harvest manu- ally. Diversity is the watchword in Brazil's coffee farming, with 34 growing regions and 150 varieties. "This year really surprised me. We had aroma profiles that were mind-blowing. New styles, all the fruits that you can have in a cup, and also fabulous old school classics, with a lot of chocolate, and vanilla," said international judge Raphael Braune, co-founder of Germany's Supremo Coffee roasting company and Comandante Grinder. "To see that diversity in Brazil, is re- ally astonishing. This development is just really beautiful." First prize was won by Antônio de Oliveira Filho of Fazenda Tijuco, Bahia State.