Cup of Excellence® (COE) international jurors determine the winners during the final week of the three-week competition. This provides jurors an opportunity to evaluate some of the world’s best coffees and meet these winning farmers. Touted by some jurors as “the best experience of their professional coffee career”, the week promises to exceed the expectations of even the most stringent sensory professional.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we are not currently hosting International Juries in country. Instead, the competition coffees are being evaluated at our Global Coffee Centers (GCCs).

• Company participation in past COE Auctions
• The intent of the applicant or applicant’s company to serve as a dependable buyer of the country’s coffee
• Broad country representation on the panel including the Americas, Europe and Asia
• Applicant’s availability
• Applicant’s skill and attitude according to statistics and contribution to previous COE juries
• Date and time of jury application registration

• Be a skilled cupper willing to adhere to competition protocols
• Be a professional working in the coffee industry
• Understand and speak English

In order to be an International Juror, you must have participated as a juror or an observer in a prior Cup of Excellence competition. New jurors on any COE International Jury must participate the first time as an observer. Observer scores are not included in the overall score of the jury. Observers that demonstrate sufficient cupping expertise can apply as a juror for future COE competitions.

• Select up to 4 countries, in order of preference. Juries have limited capacity and fill up quickly. ACE will offer qualified jurors one (1) of the four (4) requested countries. International juries must be balanced geographically. If the jury in a country of choice is full for your region, you will be offered another country.
• Pay the one-time jury fee. This fee will be valid for one jury spot.
• International Juries must be balanced geographically. Therefore, registration does not guarantee a particular country.
• ACE will contact you via email with the formal invitation letter asking you to respond to the invitation for your assigned country. Further information (location, hotel, and farm tours) will then be provided. Please do not purchase air transportation until you have received a formal invitation.

The jury fee, for both International Jurors and Observers, is $250 USD. Jury fees are returned to the COE host country to offset the cost of the competition.

International Jurors will need to buy their air fare to and from the competition. Observers will need to pay for all in-country expenses (transportation, meals, accommodations, etc.). Estimated expenses to be provided by the country coordinator.

If you accept a jury invitation and need to cancel, please let us know immediately. Hotel reservation deposits are often nonrefundable and therefore, lost if we are unable to find a juror replacement. We may offer you a spot on another jury (subject to availability). Paid jury fees are non-refundable unless you have chosen 4 countries and we have been unable to place you on one of your 4 country choices without an acceptable substitute.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we are not currently hosting International Juries in country.