Every year, Café Imports takes a group of coffee professionals to different departments in Colombia and engages in what can only be conceived as a coffee buyers dream; three days of cupping through some truly exceptional microlots, meeting with producers and exporters, and then having a massive auction for the top 15 lots which is then followed by a somewhat raucous celebration.

The Best Cup program was conceived as a way to connect roasters with microlot producers in regions that were not getting the spotlight they deserve for the quality they were producing. To help better incentivize the incredible hard work it takes to produce world class coffees, Café Imports and Banexport would invite everyone from each region (Cauca, Nariño, Tolima, and Huila) to submit their coffees for evaluation and selection into the auction. The top 15 were then chosen, cupped again, ranked, and then put up for auction. The prices paid for these coffees reflect not only their quality, but represent  up to 10x what the producer usually gets in the normal supply chain.

This particular lot was a finalist in Huila's Best Cup and produced by Clara Deicy Lopez Lasso. It is also one of the more elegant coffees I’ve tasted all year, walking a tight line between delightfully tart and sweet. There are distinct orange blossom florals, dried fruit and citrus notes, as well as a very deep and lingering sweetness throughout.

We’ve been on a Colombian buying streak the past few months and with coffees like this coming out of the country, I don’t see us letting up anytime soon.

Enjoy!