Coffee of the Year
Created in 2012, Coffee of the Year aims to recognize coffees that stand out for their quality and diversity, highlight different producing regions, and increase the visibility of Brazilian coffee production in domestic and international markets.
Throughout its history, the competition has established itself as an important platform for recognition, appreciation, and connection for producers from different regions of Brazil. By highlighting the best coffees of the year, COY encourages the continuous pursuit of quality, showcases emerging producing regions, and brings Brazilian coffees closer to buyers and industry professionals.
The competition is also pioneering in recognizing, since its creation, the two coffee species produced in Brazil: Arabica and Canephora. This approach broadens the competition’s representation and highlights the diversity of sensory profiles, production systems, and regions that make up Brazilian coffee production.
More than a competition, Coffee of the Year is a showcase of the quality and diversity of Brazilian coffee, connecting producers, professionals, and markets while helping bring new stories and origins from Brazil’s coffee industry to the forefront.
How it works
Producers from different regions of Brazil can enter their samples in the Arabica and Canephora categories. Participating coffees are roasted and evaluated by Q-Graders and R-Graders licensed by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).
The 180 highest-scoring samples, including 150 Arabica and 30 Canephora coffees, are available in the Cupping Rooms throughout the three days of International Coffee Week. The space allows buyers, roasters, and other Brazilian and international professionals to discover the coffees, their sensory profiles, and the producers responsible for them.
In a decisive stage of the competition, the 10 highest-scoring Arabica coffees and the 5 highest-scoring Canephora coffees are presented to the SIC audience in a blind tasting, using the pour-over method. Visitors’ evaluations are incorporated into the final score and contribute to determining the winners of the edition.
The journey of the participating coffees reaches its most anticipated moment on the final day of SIC, with the awards ceremony held in the Main Auditorium, where the coffees that stood out among the year’s top samples are announced.
What happens at SIC
A program that connects markets, knowledge and business, creating opportunities and strengthening relationships across Brazil’s coffee value chain. In 2026, SIC invites the industry to look ahead under the theme: “On the Eve of 300 Years of Coffee in Brazil: Building the Next Global Agenda.”
Join SIC 2026 and be part of the conversations helping shape the future of the coffee industry.
