Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award

We have selected nine of the best single origin coffees from the most sustainable coffee farms around the world.

Every year we reevaluate each harvest, thanks to the commitment of the international jury of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, which awards prizes the best coffee farms in the world.

It’s our way to celebrate and reward sustainable quality. Enjoy a new coffee tasting each month to discover each of the unique single origin coffees nominated for the 2019 award exclusively in our illy Caffés.

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

DISCOVER WHERE TO TASTE THEM

THE 9 EXCLUSIVE COFFEES

June: Brazil

Fazenda Canaã and Novo Horizonte
Medium-bodied coffee with a highly intense aroma.
Features a smooth taste with strong notes of chocolate, caramel and dried fruit which 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 distinctive 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 is coupled with notes of hazelnut and toasted bread leaving an enticingly sweet aftertaste of honey.

December: Nicaragua

Proyecto Lift
Velvety, smooth, and full-bodied flavor.
Moderate notes of chocolate and hazelnut are blended with a bold aftertaste of caramel.

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 are combined 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. illycaffè strives, alongside the coffee growers, to offer the best sustainable coffee in the world.

The very best of the world's coffee production submitted 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.