The auction was to include only the top 20 coffees, as determined by the panellists the last few days. You can read more in the post: Mexico Aromas 2019 Auction Report Back.
The final order of the top ten was finalised after another morning of cupping. We were then invited to bid on the top 20.
The auction was quite laid back; it was held under the trees near the hotel’s beach. There were some producers there too.
Top 10
The top ten were:
- A washed carbonic maceration Geisha, from Oaxaca, producer Enrique Lopez, score 86.75.
- A washed Typica, from Oaxaca, producer Gloria and Juan Carrizoza Avendaño, score 86.73.
- A black honey Geisha, from Oaxaca, producer Enrique Lopez, score 86.48.
- A natural cold anaerobic Geisha, from Oaxaca, producer Robin Clever, score 86.43.
- A washed Typica, from Oaxaca, producer Paula Reyes, score 86.13
- A natural Borbon-Caturra, from Veracruz, producer Victoria Marini De Bernardi, score 86.1.
- A washed Mondo Novo, from Oaxaca, producer Clara Casimiro, score 85.83.
- A washed Typica, from Oaxaca, producer Theodore Ruiz Casimiro, score 85.68.
- A washed Typica-Borbon-Caturra, from Veracruz, producer Samuel Altamirano Juárez, score 85.60.
- A washed Pluma, from Oaxaca, producer Juana Santos, score 85.55
The Auction
The auction started with lots 20-11 first. These first lots all went for between $6-7, and biding was quite relaxed. We had liked lot 1730, and we were able to secure for $6.20 FOB in Mexico. It is produced by Theodore Ruiz Casimiro, it is a natural Typica, and the panel score was 84.88.
Once we hit the top 10 the competition heated up quite a bit. We bid on a few of the top 10, but once the bidding got over $12, we had to stop. From our experience of the South African market, we have had little success selling a whole lot that costs more than $12 FOB at origin. This translates to approx $16 per pound landed cost, which means selling the coffee for over R1,000 per kg, including VAT.
The lot that sold for the most was actually in the third place, and it sold for $34 per pound.
Comments
The experience of attending the auction was strangely rewarding having been one of the judges, and also seeing the producers at the auction getting excited when lots went over $10 a pound.
It made an effort put into cupping and assessing the coffees rewarding.
It would have been great to have a sit down with the producers and perhaps taste coffees with them or talk to them. Language is a barrier that could have been overcome with the number of able-bodied people able to speak both Spanish and English — thereby allowing us a link back to the producers, who are the lifeblood of the industry.
