Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award

We have selected for you our 9 most precious coffees from the most sustainable plantations around the world.

Every year we renew this choice, thanks to the commitment of the international jury of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, which awards prizes to the growers of the best coffee plantations in the world.

It’s our way to celebrate and reward sustainable quality, and give you the privilege of tasting small and unique rarities, every month, one at a time, exclusively in our illy Caffés.

Each micro-batch of coffee is judged by the illy quality experts based on its richness, the complexity and intensity of aromas, elegance and balance of flavours, to let you experience the best taste of coffee from a single harvest year.

DISCOVER WHERE TO TASTE THEM

THE 9 EXCLUSIVE COFFEES

June: Brazil

Fazenda Canaã and Novo Horizonte
Medium-bodied coffee with a highly intense aroma.
Its characteristic mellowness and strong notes of chocolate, caramel and dried fruit are heightened by hints of honey and toasted bread.

July: Colombia

Spirit of Peace Ex Combatants - Ascafé
Medium-bodied coffee with a rich aroma.
A burst of surprising notes of caramel and fresh fruit with subtle undertones of chocolate and honey.

August: Costa Rica

Coopesabalito R.L.
Full-bodied coffee with a lingering aroma.
Its notes of sugar cane and chocolate are enhanced by mild hints of honey, vanilla and orange.

September: Ethiopia

Legesse Sherefa PVT
Medium-bodied coffee with a delicate aroma.
Its exclusive floral notes of jasmine and caramel interlace with subtle undertones of citrus fruit and honey.

October: Guatemala

Finca Providencia
Full-bodied coffee with a complex aroma.
Its characteristic bold sweetness combines with notes of chocolate, caramel and hazelnut.

November: India

Suntikoppa Estate
Full-bodied coffee with a bold aroma.
The intensity of cocoa and caramel coupled with notes of hazelnut and toasted bread leave an enticing sweet aftertaste of honey.

December: Nicaragua

Proyecto Lift
Medium-bodied coffee with a balanced aroma.
Moderate notes of caramel and chocolate blend with undertones of toasted bread.

January: Honduras

Empresa Asociativa Aruco
Velvety, full-bodied flavour, smooth texture.
Moderate notes of chocolate and hazelnut blend with a bold aftertaste of caramel.

February: Rwanda

Ngamba Washing Station
Full-bodied coffee with a complex aroma.
The notes of caramel, flowers, honey and fresh fruit interlace with a mild aftertaste of chocolate and almond.

WE REWARD THE BEST OF THE BEST

The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award – named in memory of the visionary leader of illycaffè and son of the company’s founder – celebrates the work that illycaffè has been doing every day for almost 30 years with the coffee growers in order to offer the best sustainable coffee in the world.

The very best of the worlds coffee production for the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2018-2019 edition was identified in harvests from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua and Rwanda.

Among them, the “Best of the Best” award was assigned to the Colombian plantation Spirit of Peace Ex-Combatants – Asacafè, represented by Carlos Arturo López Guarnizo and Oscar Rodrigo Campo Hurtado.

The “Coffee Lover’s Choice” award was instead given for the second consecutive year to the Ngamba Coffee Washing Station in Rwanda, represented by Celine Niwemugeni.