Origins & Terroir
Auction Lot
A competition-grade coffee lot sold through a curated auction platform where roasters bid for top-scoring coffees. Auctions like Best of Panama and Cup of Excellence set record prices and global reputations.
Vertieft
Auction lots undergo blind cupping by panels of certified Q-graders who assign scores. Only coffees exceeding a threshold (typically 86+ for Cup of Excellence) qualify for the auction. Winning lots have commanded over $2,000 per pound for varieties like Gesha from Panama. The auction model provides price transparency, rewards quality with direct financial returns to farmers, and creates a marketing event that generates global attention for producing regions and individual farms.