1st Place Winner of the 2026 Cup of Excellence Nicaragua – Washed Category (91.44 points)

About Cup of Excellence

Cup of Excellence is one of the world’s most prestigious coffee competitions, organized by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. Each year, hundreds of coffees are submitted by producers hoping to earn recognition among the finest coffees their country has to offer.

These coffees undergo multiple rounds of rigorous blind evaluation by national and international juries composed of experienced coffee professionals. Each coffee is evaluated for attributes including flavor, aftertaste, acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, balance, and overall quality. Only the highest-performing coffees advance through the competition, ultimately earning the distinction of Cup of Excellence winners.

Unlike other coffee scoring systems, Cup of Excellence uses its own rigorous evaluation standards. Scores are not directly interchangeable between organizations such as Coffee Review, Q Grading, and Cup of Excellence. An 88-point Cup of Excellence coffee, for example, may represent an exceptionally high level of quality despite receiving a lower numerical score than coffees evaluated under other systems.

Cafe Kreyol has also had the privilege of serving on the International Jury for Cup of Excellence, giving us firsthand experience evaluating some of the world’s most extraordinary coffees.

About Abner Samuel Zavala & El Cambalache

Abner Samuel Zavala is a third-generation coffee producer and agronomist from Nicaragua whose dedication to specialty coffee has earned him recognition among the country’s finest producers. Having competed in Cup of Excellence since 2018, Samuel has consistently placed among the top competitors, demonstrating his commitment to exceptional quality and continuous improvement.

Samuel manages two coffee farms in Dipilto, Nueva Segovia: El Cambalache, which he acquired approximately ten years ago, and La Esperanza, which he inherited from his father in 2018. Across these farms, he cultivates an impressive selection of specialty coffee varieties, including Geisha, Sidra, Chiroso, Pink Bourbon, and Maracaturra. His background in agronomy allows him to combine scientific knowledge with generations of farming experience to continually improve the quality of his coffees.

In the 2026 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition, Samuel’s El Cambalache farm earned 1st place in the Washed category with an extraordinary score of 91.44 points. This achievement also earned the coffee the prestigious Presidential Award, a distinction reserved for Cup of Excellence coffees scoring 90 points or higher.

Grown at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level in the mountainous region of Dipilto, this exceptional Geisha coffee showcases the elegance and complexity that have made the variety so highly regarded throughout the specialty coffee industry.

Our selection, which we’ve named Orange Blossom, presents delicate floral notes of rose and cherry blossom, complemented by sweet orange cream and honey. Its refined floral character, vibrant sweetness, and exceptional balance make it a remarkable representation of both the Geisha variety and Samuel’s dedication to quality.

Beyond his own farms, Samuel also works with smaller producers throughout the region, sharing his agronomic knowledge, assisting with cultivation and processing practices, and helping connect farmers with international buyers. His commitment extends beyond producing award-winning coffee to strengthening the specialty coffee community around him.

We’re proud to feature Samuel’s first-place-winning Geisha as part of Cafe Kreyol’s limited holiday competition collection, offering a rare opportunity to experience one of Nicaragua’s highest-recognized coffees.

We serve whole bean coffee for maximum quality and freshness.