2012 Global Top 10 Specialty Green Coffee Winners Announced

Every year, specialty coffee professionals hunt for the rarest, most distinctive green beans — the ones that redefine what coffee can taste like. But how do the world’s top roasters decide which beans truly deserve to be called the best? In 2012, the answer came from a rigorous blind competition that narrowed down 250 entries to just ten standouts.

The 2011/12 Coffees of the Year (COTY) competition, run by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Roasters Guild, evaluated 250 green coffee samples from 26 countries. Judges scored each coffee blindly across six attributes — dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, and body — and named ten coffees with scores above 86.4, the highest-rated lot scoring 88.41.

What Were the Top 10 Coffees of 2011/12?

The winning coffees represented diverse origins and processing methods. Topping the list were lots from Ethiopia, Colombia, and Hawaii, each showcasing unique cup profiles thanks to varietal selection and careful processing. Here are the exact top ten, with producer, farm, region, country, processing method, variety, and score:

• Will and Grace Tabios Extreberto Caceres — The Rising Sun; Will and Grace Farms Cielito Lindo (Ka‘u Santa Barbara, Hawaii / Ka‘u, Honduras) — Semi-Washed / Washed, Typica / Pacas, 86.94 / 87
• Francis and Trinidad Marques Rigoberto Herrera — Ali‘i Hawaiian / Hula Hands Coffee Finca Experimental Banexport – Granja La Esperanza (Ka‘u, Valle Del Cauca, Hawaii / Colombia) — Washed / Washed, Typica / Caturra / Geisha, 86.41 / 86.75
• Rigoberto Herrera Correa Cooperative — Las Margaritas / Oromia (Caicedonia, Oromia Region, Colombia / Ethiopia) — Washed / Washed, Geisha/22000 / Heirloom Varietal, 87.84 / 88.41
• Adado Lorie Obra — Gedeo Zone, YCFCU / Rusty’s Hawaiian (South Ka‘u, Ethiopia / Hawaii) — Washed / Washed, Arabica Typica / Caturra, 87.28 / 86.47
• Rafael Lozano Cafe Granja La Esperanza — Finca Buenavista / Cerro Azul (San Agustin, Huila / Trujillo, Colombia / Colombia) — Washed / Washed, Caturra / Geisha/35000, 86.59 / 88.25

How Were the Coffees Judged?

The COTY competition used a standardized sensory evaluation protocol. A panel of expert cuppers assessed each coffee blindly, focusing on six key attributes: dry fragrance (smell before brewing), wet aroma (smell after adding hot water), flavor (taste during brewing and drinking), aftertaste (lingering flavors post-swallow), acidity (brightness or liveliness), and body (mouthfeel or weight). Each attribute was scored, and the totals determined the final ranking. The highest possible score was not publicly capped, but the top lots exceeded 88 points.

Where Can You Try These Coffees?

All ten winning coffees were showcased at the SCAA 24th Annual Exposition, held April 19–22, 2012, at the Portland Convention Center. While the event is over, many of these coffees may still be available through specialty importers or roasters who participated in the competition. For details on past events and access to similar competitions, visit the official SCAA event page at www.scaaevent.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SCAA Roasters Guild COTY competition?

The Coffees of the Year (COTY) competition is an annual event organized by the SCAA Roasters Guild where green coffee samples from around the world are blind-tasted and scored by expert cuppers. The goal is to identify and celebrate the highest-quality specialty green coffees based on attributes like flavor, aroma, acidity, and body.

How many coffees were entered in the 2012 COTY competition?

A total of 250 green coffee samples from 26 different countries were entered into the 2011/12 COTY competition.

What criteria were used to judge the coffees?

Judges evaluated the coffees based on six sensory attributes: dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, and body. Each attribute was scored, and the overall score determined the coffee’s ranking.

Which countries produced the top-scoring coffees in 2012?

The top coffees came from Ethiopia, Colombia, Hawaii (United States), and Honduras, demonstrating the global reach and diversity of high-quality specialty coffee production.

Where were the winning coffees showcased?

All ten winning coffees were available for tasting at the SCAA 24th Annual Exposition, held in Portland, Oregon, from April 19–22, 2012.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans Like the 2012 COTY Winners

Explore single origins with the complexity and brightness of the 2012 COTY top coffees. FrontStreet’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe offers floral and citrus notes with a juicy body — much like the Ethiopian Geisha lots that scored highly. Their Colombia Huila comes with caramel and berry tones, reminiscent of the Granja La Esperanza coffees that impressed judges. For something unique, try the Panama Geisha — a varietal that dominated high-scoring lots in later years and shares lineage with the 2012 winners. All are available as fresh specialty-grade green beans. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.