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In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, host David Paparelli sits down with Mariana Iturralde Costa, owner of Finca Takesi, the most sought-after coffee farm in Bolivia. From fetching a record-breaking $3,000/kg in their recent auction to navigating competition with local gold mines and extreme high-altitude microclimates, Mariana reveals what it truly takes to produce world-class specialty coffee. We dive deep into:- The truth behind Finca Takeshi's high-altitude growing conditions.- Why specialty coffee isn't an instant fix for farm economics.- How Finca Takesi structured an invite-only auction to protect traceability over raw profit.- The reality of labor, team building, and keeping workers in a gold-mining region.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: Mariana Iturralde Costa & Record-Breaking Auction Results01:25 - The Anomaly of Tarija: Where Wine Country Meets Specialty Coffee05:10 - History & Migration of Coffee Across Bolivia's Diverse Terroirs 09:10 - Is Bolivia’s Coffee Future Commercial or High-End Specialty? 13:19 - The Specialty Coffee Myth: Does High Quality Always Mean Higher Profits?17:11 - Brand Identity: How Finca Takesi Represents Bolivian Coffee Nationally22:12 - What Surprises Visiting Farmers About Finca Takesi’s Crops 26:00 - Extreme Labor Challenges: Competing with Local Gold Mines & Coca Leaf33:05 - Inside the $3,000/kg Live Auction: Why They Banned Deep-Pocketed Bidders42:15 - The Legacy of Finca Takesi & The Future of Bolivian Coffee

What does it actually take to build a sustainable, high-end coffee business around rare, unique, and auction-lot coffees? In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, hosted by M-Cultivo co-founder David Paparelli, we sit down with Paul Ross: two-time UK Barista Champion and founder of Special Guests Coffee. Paul shares a rare look behind the curtain at the financial, operational, and philosophy-driven decisions that govern Special Guests. From implementing a pure cost-plus pricing algorithm for green coffee to using single-dose freezing to stall bean aging and maintain brew consistency, this conversation dives deep into the true economics of specialty coffee. In this episode, we explore: - Sustainable Coffee Economics: Why Paul uses a mathematical algorithm to price coffee based strictly on green costs rather than speculative value. - Auction Lots & Rare Varietals: Sourcing strategy, balancing Geshas with overlooked species/varietals, and communicating farm stories to retail consumers. - The Science of Freezing Coffee: Using single-dose frozen tubes to control variables, eliminate waste, and keep peak-rested coffees on the menu longer. - Filter-First Hospitality: Why meeting consumers on a spectrum without judgment creates a viable market for high-value coffees. - The Business of Scaling: Navigating London’s competitive landscape, paying above living wages, and protecting business longevity. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome 03:00 - The Spectrum of Coffee: Meeting Consumers Without Judgment 07:15 - Sourcing High-End Lots & Navigating Feature Menus 08:09 - Freezing Single Doses: Stalling Aging & Creating Brew Consistency 17:11 - The Real Cost of Auction Coffees & Sourcing High-Value Lots 21:28 - Beyond Gesha: The Value of Unique Varietals & Species 29:41 - The Green-to-Retail Pricing Algorithm & Sustainable Business Models 36:38 - Balancing Coffee Shop, Roastery, and Wholesale 44:00 - Technical Realities of Commercial Coffee Preservation 52:00 - Scaling Responsibly: Overhead, Wages, and Business Longevity

Taiwan is one of specialty coffee's most surprising origins, and this October you can bid on its best lots. On October 28–29, the Taiwan Coffee Auction goes live on M-Cultivo.In this episode of The Cupping Table, M-Cultivo co-founder David Paparelli sits down with Leo Liu, Director of International Affairs at Taiwan Coffee Laboratory and coordinator of the Best of Taiwan Invitational. They discuss how the competition works, the new zero-baseline cupping form Taiwan Coffee Laboratory developed, and what's behind this year's top 20 coffees. In this conversation: - How Best of Taiwan and the Taiwan Coffee Auction work, and what "Winners" and "Selects" mean. - Why Taiwan Coffee Laboratory created a new cupping form with a zero baseline. - A 7-Eleven Americano as a quality benchmark. - The results: the top seven coffees scored above 90, and the 20th place scored 88.9. - Why SL34 and Red Bourbon are competing with Geisha. - How Taiwan's tea-farming heritage shapes its coffee producers. - Why Taiwan Coffee Laboratory and ACE parted ways. Chapters: 00:00 - Welcome and the auction 01:05 - How Best of Taiwan works 07:58 - The new zero-baseline cupping form 21:18 - The 7-Eleven baseline 37:45 - Cupping as a conversation 48:50 - The top 20: Geisha, SL34 and Red Bourbon 1:00:02 - Single tree cupping and tea heritage 1:07:39 - Parting ways with ACE 1:25:46 - How to register for the auction Taiwan Coffee Auction: October 28–29 Register at www.mcultivo.com to receive email alerts and find cuppings near you. Download TCL Cupping form: 📌 Cupping Form https://lihi1.me/DTGlk 📌 User Guide https://lihi1.me/4RV6F Subscribe for more conversations with the people behind the world's best coffees.

What happens when the philosophy behind one of Panama's most celebrated coffee farms was never written down, only lived? In this episode of The Cupping Table, David Paparelli sits down with Noemi and Sophia of Longboard Specialty Coffee to talk about Wild Dynamics, the minimal-intervention philosophy their father Justin developed before passing away last year, and what it means to carry it forward for the first time as their own.We get into what Wild Dynamics actually means at the farm and in processing, why they harvest based on lunar cycles, how blind cupping can identify which farm a lot came from, why they refuse to make their coffee replicable, and the personal rituals (naming each lot, choosing a song for it) that turn a harvest into a story. Their nano-lots from Misty Mountain and Windy Ridge go to auction October 8th.00:00 – Intro: meet Noemi and Sophia of Longboard01:58 – What "Wild Dynamics" actually means05:43 – Minimal intervention in farming and processing09:08 – Harvesting coffee by lunar cycles18:17 – Why they refuse to make their coffee replicable23:28 – Blind cupping can tell you which farm a lot is from32:11 – From cupping notes to storytelling34:20 – Naming a coffee lot like naming a child42:03 – A year later: taking ownership of their father's legacy50:57 – What they learned meeting fans in China56:00 – Closing thoughts + October 8th auction reminderRegister for the Longboard auction:https://longboard.auction/Follow M-Cultivo:https://www.instagram.com/mcultivo.coffeewww.mcultivo.com

What does it actually take to turn a coffee-growing region into the most sought-after luxury coffee origin in the world? In this episode of The Cupping Table, David Paparelli sits down with Ricardo Koyner — a 30-year veteran of Panama's coffee industry — to unpack how Panama went from an overlooked producer to the home of record-breaking Geisha auctions.We cover the scandal that first revealed Panama's coffee was worth protecting, the science behind why coffee grown two kilometers apart can taste completely different, how the Best of Panama competition is building the world's first Geisha "typicity" flavor wheel, and why the market still doesn't understand what it's paying for when it buys sustainable coffee.0:00 – Intro1:20 – Why this year's harvest is smaller — and better3:51 – One valley, two climates: Panama's microclimates explained6:37 – Inside Panama's collaborative coffee culture9:52 – Founding the Best of Panama competition16:11 – The Kona scandal that changed everything16:56 – From onion farms to luxury coffee20:52 – Mapping Geisha genetics and building a flavor wheel40:56 – $30,000 a kilo: is the Geisha market a bubble?49:49 – The real problem: educating the market on value51:52 – Quality, environment, social: the three pillars56:05 – Closing thoughts + this year's auctionFollow M-Cultivo:www.instagram.com/mcultivo.coffeewww.mcultivo.com

In this episode of The Cupping Table podcast, host David Paparelli sits down with Luis Alfredo, Quality Analyst at the world-renowned Cafe Granja La Esperanza (CGLE) in Colombia.  Luis shares how CGLE stays at the forefront of the specialty coffee industry through advanced microbiology, meticulous drying control, and innovative genetic development. Learn how CGLE reads natural micro-flora to dictate processing paths, why drying speed is the true key to cup longevity, and how they developed exclusive varieties like CGLE and Mandela by crossing Colombian and Ethiopian genetics. Plus, get an insider look at their upcoming "Metamorphosis: The Quiet Alchemy" auction featuring 15 ultra-exclusive nano-lots.   00:00 – Intro 02:18 – The Six Farms of Cafe Granja La Esperanza  03:15 – Introducing Panamanian Geisha Seeds to Colombia 04:10 – The Diversity of High-Specialty Colombian Coffee 05:40 – CGLE's Philosophy: Genetics and Microbiology 09:23 – Reading Microorganisms vs. Controlling Fermentation 15:40 – Eliminating Cup Defects and Increasing Consistency 20:10 – Advanced Dehumidification Drying Technology 23:45 – Why Drying Quality Determines Coffee Longevity 34:12 – Palate Calibration Across Global Origins 41:38 – Accessibility to Knowledge for Next-Gen Producers 50:40 – Auction Overview: 15 Exclusive Nano-Lots 51:38 – Unveiling the Exclusive CGLE and Mandela Cultivars 56:10 – "Metamorphosis: The Quiet Alchemy" Theme Explained   Register for the CGLE Auction: https://cafegranjalaesperanza.mcultivo.com/auction/metamorphosis-the-quiet-alchemy

What makes a single bag of coffee worth tens of thousands of dollars? ☕️🇵🇦In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, host David Paparelli sits down with Wilford Lamastus Jr.—4th generation producer at the legendary Lamastus Family Estates (Elida, El Burro, and Luito Estates) in Boquete, Panama.Wilford shares the inner workings behind their upcoming "First Light" Auction, winning the washed category at the Best of Panama competition, and what it really takes to grow award-winning Geisha coffee at extreme altitudes over 2,000+ meters above sea level. We also dive into why the world's top Michelin-starred restaurants are missing out on specialty coffee—and how the Lamastus family continues to push the boundaries of global coffee culture.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:28 - The "First Light" Auction Theme & Branding08:24 - Micro-lots & The Story of Luito Geisha Estate21:00 - High-Elevation Farming: Extreme Risks at 2,200 MASL43:54 - Specialty Coffee in Michelin-Star Restaurants & Fine Dining58:30 - Winning Best of Panama & The Future of Panamanian CoffeeLearn More & Register for the Auction:• Register for the Lamastus Family Estates Auction: https://mcultivo.com• Official Lamastus Estates Website: https://lamastusfamilyestates.comSubscribe for more deep-dive interviews with world-class coffee producers, roasters, and industry pioneers!

Welcome back to the Cupping Table podcast! In this episode, host David Paparelli catches up with Tamiru Tadesse, founder and CEO of Alo Coffee. Known for producing some of the most sought-after nano-lots in Ethiopia out of the Sidama region, Alo Coffee shocked the industry by breaking the record for the highest price ever paid for Ethiopian coffee at an astounding $1,739 per kilogram. Tamiru breaks down the meticulous, high-control processing techniques behind these historic nano-lots, how he is preparing for the upcoming Echoes of the Peak private auction, and his bold experiments bringing Panamanian Geisha seeds back to high-altitude Ethiopian soil. Key Takeaways From This Episode:Behind the $1,739/kg Record: What it takes to produce a coffee that commands world-record pricing, and why micro-volumes (5kg–15kg lots) create unparalleled demand for specialty roasters. Light Deprived Environment (LDE) Drying: How drying coffee in a complete, light-deprived dark room for 50+ days preserves delicate aromatics, extends shelf life, and adds 1–2 points to a coffee's cupping score. Precision Stainless-Steel Fermentation: Why Alo Coffee transitioned to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks set at a constant 15°C with automated pH cut-offs at 4.0 to eliminate defects and maximize cup clarity. The Sidama High-Altitude Terroir: Exploring the unique characteristics of single-varietal 74158 grown between 2,400 and 2,580 meters above sea level. Panama Meets Ethiopia: Tamiru's project planting world-champion Elida and Esmeralda Geisha seeds in Sidama, and what to expect when these lots mature.Register for the Alo Coffee Echoes of the Peak Auction on August 10th at alocoffee.mcultivo.com!

Welcome back to the Cupping Table podcast! In this episode, host David Paparelli sits down with Richard Hide, founder of Africa Coffee Connect and co-founder of The Best of Congo Cooperatives. With over two decades of on-the-ground experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Richard shares the gripping story behind a 20-year "overnight success story" in specialty coffee. From overcoming extreme logistical hurdles to empowering 26 smallholder cooperatives, this episode uncovers how high-altitude Lake Kivu Arabica went from being completely smuggled and forgotten to taking center stage in global competitions.Key Takeaways From This Episode:- The Forgotten Origin: How world-class Arabica growing at 2,000 meters lost its identity for decades after being smuggled across borders.- Extreme Export Logistics: The harrowing journey of transporting coffee across Lake Kivu, securing clean containers in landlocked Eastern Congo, and shipping 2,000 km to the nearest port.- The Power of Community Cooperatives: Why 26 cooperatives—representing thousands of smallholder farmers—are driving economic resilience, community infrastructure, and women's leadership.- Auction Highlights & Innovation:A look inside The Best of Congo Cooperatives auction lots, featuring Congo's very first anaerobic lots, natural processing, and top-scoring women-led coffees.- A Groundbreaking Global Jury: How this competition calibrated blind-cupping panels simultaneously across London, New York, Seoul, and Goma.Don't miss out on The Best of Congo Cooperatives Auction, taking place September 1–3, 2026! Head over to register and order your sample sets.

Welcome back to the Cupping Table podcast! In this episode, host David Paparelli is joined by fourth-generation Costa Rican coffee producer Enrique Navarro of Monte Copey.
They were pioneers in Costa Rica’s micro-mill revolution, and now Enrique is leading the charge into the next era of coffee: the Ultra-Specialty Nanolot Revolution. He pulls back the curtain on his highly anticipated Aurum Series Private Auction (happening August 24–26, 2026), revealing the radical, scientific processing methods he uses to make Monte Copey coffees taste unlike anything else on earth.
 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: - The "Nocturne" Night Harvest: Why Enrique harvests Geisha cherries in the cold of night (below 15°C) to halt micro-fermentation. - The 60-Day Dark Room: How slow-drying coffee inside a hyper-controlled dark room amplifies sweetness and body to an extraordinary degree. - Transforming Citric to Red Fruit: How resting freshly picked cherries in plastic liners for 24 to 48 hours naturally shifts sharp citric acidity into rich notes of strawberry and red apple. - Microlot vs. Nanolot: Enrique’s definitive rule for what makes a true nanolot and why it should make drinkers ask "Did you add flavoring to this?"
 - The Aurum Series Collections: A deep dive into the unique concepts behind the Rubicon, Golden Hour, Prototype, and Nocturne auction lots. 
 Whether you are a coffee roaster, producer, or fanatic, this episode is a masterclass in agricultural innovation, branding, and the power of true human connection over simple transactional trade.
 Register for the Monte Copey Aurum Series Auction (August 24–26, 2026) at www.mcultivo.com

Welcome back to the Cupping Table podcast! In this episode, host David Paparelli sits down with Michael Girma, CEO of Romina—one of Ethiopia’s highly diversified agribusiness and hospitality brands. Managing a massive supply chain that includes 25,000 smallholder farmers, 20 washing stations, 5 dry mills, and a dedicated export arm, Michael has an extraordinary perspective on what it takes to move coffee from remote Ethiopian hillsides to global markets.Michael pulls back the curtain on his 16-year journey, detailing the extreme realities of coffee logistics, massive financial risks, and why the old centralized exchange systems ultimately crumbled in favor of modern specialty traceability.Key Takeaways From This Episode:Mortgaging Everything for Two Containers: Michael shares the terrifying early days of his business when he had to put his parents' house up as a mortgage to finance his first two containers of coffee—and why he physically chased the trucks down to the processing stations. Why the ECX Failed: A deep dive into the collapse of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) and how its failure to upgrade and address the global market's demand for strict traceability shifted the entire landscape toward vertical integration.Surviving Unpredictable Global Crises:From the Red Sea shipping disruptions to local diesel shortages that left coffee delayed for over 100 days, learn how Romina builds extreme business resilience and manages anxious international buyers.The Future of Commercial Integration:Why the Ethiopian government is actively encouraging exporters to step into the farming side to stabilize yield, improve agricultural practices, and de-risk supply chains.This episode is a masterclass in agricultural entrepreneurship, structural economic shifts, and the sheer grit required to run a world-class coffee export operation. Don’t forget that the Taste of Harvest Ethiopia Auction is coming up from August 25th to August 27th 2026.

Welcome back to the Cupping Table podcast! In this episode, host David Paparelli sits down with Endale Asfaw, the founder and managing director of Aroma Coffee Trading and Consultancy Services. With over 30 years of experience across Ethiopia's coffee value chain and a definitive background as a Senior Cupper and Technical Manager at the Coffee and Tea Authority's Coffee Quality & Inspection Center, Endale brings unmatched insight into the past, present, and future of Ethiopian specialty coffee. - The Magic of the Sidama Region: Discover why the Sidama Highlands consistently produce some of the highest-scoring specialty coffees in the world, boasting flavor profiles of jasmine, bergamot, and tropical fruits. - Decoding Ethiopian Variety Codes: Learn the history behind iconic coffee varieties like 74110 and 74112, including how the Jimma Agricultural Research Center selected these rich indigenous populations back in the 1970s. - Next-Level Processing Innovations: Explore how forward-thinking private producers are moving beyond washed and natural processes to embrace anaerobic honey, experimental fermentations, and cold fermentation. - The Evolution of Private Auctions: Understand the shifting dynamics of the industry as flexible, market-driven platforms emerge, highlighted by the upcoming Sidama Crown Coffee Auction taking place August 3 to 5, 2026. Join us for this expert deep dive as we explore how the global coffee conversation has fundamentally shifted from "is this coffee acceptable?" to "what makes this coffee unique?"

Finca Sophia is one of the most high-demand, high-altitude coffee farms on the planet, growing elite Geisha varieties at over 2,000 meters in Nueva Suiza, Chiriqui, Panama. But this year, they are doing something completely unprecedented.In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, host David Paparelli sits down with Willem Boot and David Pohl to discuss their monumental decision to skip the legendary Best of Panama competition. Instead, they are putting their ENTIRE year's harvest into a single, high-stakes, first-of-its-kind auction on July 13th, 2026.We unpack the high-altitude climate realities guiding this harvest, how they use controlled "darkrooms" to de-risk flavor profiles, and why their processing methods draw inspiration from master painter Gustav Klimt.If you are a specialty coffee professional, competition brewer, or entrepreneur looking at how elite brands break the rules to innovate, this breakdown is for you.

There are limits to what is possible in Uganda—until you choose to push past them. In this live episode of The Cupping Table recorded at the London Coffee Festival, host David Paparelli sits down with Kenneth Barigye, the founder and Managing Director of Mountain Harvest. Kenneth shares how his team is challenging old stereotypes, bypassing volatile macro market pricing models, and establishing a new paradigm for Ugandan specialty coffee through localized innovation and a landmark private auction.Whether you are a coffee roaster, an importer, or a specialty coffee enthusiast, Kenneth’s insights into value-chain collaboration, social contracts, and ethical pricing provide a masterclass on reforming global agriculture.

Description: Ian Kissick is a titan in the specialty coffee world—holding the titles of 2023 UK Barista Champion and consecutive 2024 and 2025 Irish Barista Champion, alongside placing 6th in the world. But after 9 years at the peak of competitive coffee brewing, he is walking away.  In this episode of the Cupping Table podcast, M Cultivo co-founder David Paparelli sits down with Ian to unpack the exact realities of elite coffee culture. They explore the astronomical cash investments required to win the World Barista Championship (where companies routinely spend up to £100,000 on a single run), the high-stakes logistics of sourcing legendary Geisha lots in Panama during supply down-years, and why Formative Coffee openly refuses to offer pre-ground coffee to its customers. We also dive deep into the fascinating post-COVID shift where home coffee setups are skyrocketing into tens of thousands of pounds, and how a modern coffee brand scales a cafe showroom into an independent, multi-channel roastery institution. Check out Formative Coffee: https://formative.coffee