Cup of
Excellence

At Ascension, we seek out the most beautiful coffees in the world, delivering wonder and delight in every cup. We believe it is our responsibility to conscientiously source coffee, build long-term partnerships with coffee producers who are experts in their craft, and ensure they are rewarded for their work. These coffees are skillfully roasted to highlight their uniquely inherent qualities. We are proud to showcase these rare coffees from farm to cup.

THE SEARCH

The search begins with identifying world-class coffees from a number of established and up-and-coming producers across the globe.

When a coffee is considered for the Cup of Excellence program, it undergoes a rigorous review process. This process includes a review of the farm that produces the coffee alongside various social, fair-trade, and environmental considerations in an effort to support the ongoing sustainability of operations for the farm suppliers.

Villaure

Hoja Blanca, Guatemala

2019 COE Winner (89.72)

Rosma

Huehuetenango, Guatemala

2020 COE Winner (88.33)

Don Octavio

Talquezalar, El Salvador

2020 COE Winner (87.25)

Agua Dulce

La Palma, Peru

2019 COE Winner (91.40)

La Lucuma

Rumepite Bojo, Peru

2019 COE Winner (#1 Overall: 92.28)

Fazenda Aterradinho

Ibiraci, Brazil

2019 COE Winner (88.61)

THE PRE-SELECTION

Each year, the initial pool of applications from coffee producers is narrowed down to the best 150 individual coffees comprising 1,800 distinct cups of specialty coffee.

Each of these coffees must score greater than 86 points to advance.

THE JURY DECIDES

The remaining 150 coffees
advance to the national jury
stage. After two rounds of judging, the best 40 coffees advance to the international jury. After the international jury, only the best 10 coffees are granted awards.

Of these 10 ultra-specialty coffees, only 2 are chosen each year to be Cup of Excellence coffees at Ascension.

Only the best of the best coffees are eligible to be a Cup of Excellence

International
Finalists

National
Finalists

FROM FARM TO CUP

After we've selected what we believe to be the 2 best coffees in the world from the Cup of Excellence program, we purchase the beans at international auction and ship them to our roastery in Dallas, where they are carefully roasted to perfection.

We then deliver the roasted beans to Ascension cafés and the front-doors of our subscription customers, where the world's best coffee is ready to enjoy.