Siip Partners with Cup of Excellence: Access the World's Top 1% of Coffees
We are thrilled to announce that Siip has partnered with Cup of Excellence, the most prestigious competition and award program in specialty coffee. This partnership brings award-winning, farm-traceable coffees directly to Siip subscribers, representing an exciting step forward in our mission to connect coffee lovers with the very best coffees in the world.
What Is Cup of Excellence?
Cup of Excellence (CoE) is the premier coffee competition, operating in over a dozen producing countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Since its founding in 1999, the program has set the global standard for identifying and rewarding exceptional coffee quality.
The evaluation process is rigorous. Thousands of coffees enter each national competition, but only a select few survive multiple rounds of blind cupping conducted by panels of international judges. These judges, experienced cuppers from roasteries, importeries, and quality labs around the world, evaluate each coffee without knowing its origin, producer, or variety. Only coffees scoring 87 points or above on a 100-point scale earn the Cup of Excellence designation, placing them in the top 1% of all coffees produced in that country.
Winning lots are then sold through transparent online auctions, where roasters worldwide compete to purchase them, often at prices many times above commodity rates.
What This Means for Siip Subscribers
Through this partnership, Siip subscribers on the Premium tier gain access to select Cup of Excellence award-winning lots as part of their monthly coffee delivery. This is a rare opportunity. CoE coffees are typically available only to roasters who win auction lots, and quantities are extremely limited. By working directly with winning roasters in our network, we can allocate portions of these exceptional coffees to our subscribers.
For those on our best specialty coffee subscription plan, this means discovering coffees that have been independently verified as among the finest in the world, without needing to track auctions or compete with professional buyers.
Why Cup of Excellence Coffees Are Special
What sets Cup of Excellence coffee apart from other high-quality specialty coffees?
Blind evaluation eliminates bias. Judges do not know which farm, region, or variety they are tasting. The coffee must stand entirely on its own merit. This ensures that every award-winning coffee delivery through Siip has earned its distinction purely through quality.
Traceability to specific farms. Every CoE lot is traceable to a specific producer and farm. Subscribers receive full details on who grew the coffee, where it was cultivated, the variety, processing method, and altitude. This level of transparency aligns perfectly with Siip's commitment to structured, meaningful coffee data.
Consistency through competition. A coffee that survives five or more rounds of cupping by dozens of international judges demonstrates remarkable consistency and complexity, qualities that translate directly into an outstanding cup at home.
How Siip's Taste Matching Works with CoE Coffees
Siip's taste-matching algorithm does not simply send you the highest-scored coffee available. Instead, it considers your personal flavor preferences, built from every coffee you have rated in the app, and matches you with the CoE lots most likely to align with your palate.
If your profile leans toward bright, fruit-forward cups, you might receive a natural-processed Ethiopian CoE winner bursting with berry and citrus. If you prefer balanced, chocolatey profiles, a washed Colombian lot with caramel and stone fruit notes could be your match. The algorithm ensures that even among the best specialty coffee subscription offerings, you receive something tailored specifically to you.
This personalized approach means that two Premium subscribers might receive different CoE coffees in the same month, each one selected to deliver maximum enjoyment based on individual taste data.
Why This Matters for Producers
The impact of Cup of Excellence extends far beyond the cup. For producers, winning a CoE award is transformative.
Recognition on a global stage. Many CoE winners are smallholder farmers who have spent years perfecting their craft in relative obscurity. A Cup of Excellence title puts their name in front of the global specialty coffee community, opening doors to direct trade relationships and long-term partnerships.
Premium prices that support sustainable farming. CoE auction prices regularly exceed ten times the commodity rate, and top lots have sold for over $100 per pound. These premium prices provide producers with the financial resources to invest in sustainable farming practices, better infrastructure, improved worker conditions, and continued quality improvements.
A model for regional development. When a farm in a lesser-known region wins Cup of Excellence, it draws attention to the entire area. Neighboring producers benefit from increased interest and investment, creating a rising tide effect that aligns with Siip's vision of giving coffee regions their own identity, much like wine appellations.
By subscribing to Siip's premium coffee subscription and enjoying CoE coffees, you are directly contributing to a system that rewards quality, transparency, and sustainability at the farm level.
The Road Ahead
This partnership with Cup of Excellence is one of many steps we are taking to bring the world's most remarkable coffees to your door. As we continue to expand our network of award-winning coffee sources, we will unlock even more opportunities for subscribers to experience coffees that were previously accessible only to industry insiders.
Whether you are a seasoned specialty coffee enthusiast or just beginning to explore beyond your usual brew, Siip's partnership with Cup of Excellence offers something extraordinary: a direct connection to the producers, regions, and coffees that represent the absolute pinnacle of quality.
Your next cup might just be the best you have ever had.