The Cupping Table - By M-Cultivo

In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, David Paparelli sits down for the fourth time with Gabriel Agrelli, the Product and Market Development Director at Daterra Coffee in Brazil. Drawing from the transcript provided in, we explore the groundbreaking lots featured in De Terra's upcoming annual masterpieces auction on November 24th. Gabriel explains how the unique, rain-free harvest season of the Cerrado ecosystem allows them to buck industry trends and produce incredibly sweet, clean coffees by drying varietals like Geisha and Harar directly on the tree. We also dive deep into Daterra's agricultural innovations, including a wild experiment grafting fragile Geisha tops onto robust, nematode-resistant Canephora rootstocks to see if it improves yield without compromising cup quality. Finally, we discuss the rising consumer demand for naturally low-caffeine, highly floral varietals like Laurina and Aramosa (an Arabica and Racemosa hybrid). Content:00:00 - Welcome & Daterra’s Masterpieces Auction   00:48 - The "Rule-Breaking" Dry-on-Tree Geisha   03:53 - Controlled Darkrooms vs. The Cerrado Terroir   08:43 - "Our Coffee Doesn't Like to Be Washed"   11:15 - Testing Rare Ethiopian Heirloom Genetics   13:25 - The 1970s Expedition That Shaped Modern Geisha   18:15 - 20 Years of Organic Farming: Rethinking Icatú   21:59 - The Big Experiment: Grafting Geisha onto Canephora (Robusta)   24:08 - Did It Work? Gabriel’s Verdict on the Grafted Geisha   29:52 - Laurina & Aramosa: The Rise of Naturally Low-Caf Coffees   36:16 - Does Lower Caffeine Create More Floral Flavors?

In this episode of The Cupping Table podcast, David Paparelli sits down with Jamison Savage, Founder and Producer of Finca Deborah, Iris Estate, and Savage Coffees. Jamison shares his journey from global-macro investment manager in Florida to pioneering the Fourth Wave of coffee through innovation. Discover how an early experiment in Carbonic Maceration triggered a processing revolution in coffee and how his innovations continue to lead the space, how his coffees powered multiple World Barista Champions to victory, and why he believes terroir-not processing-is responsible for the majority of cup quality and expression.Jamison also reveals the vision behind the Origin Auction Vault, a landmark collaboration with 2015 World Barista Champion Sasa Sestic. Featuring 35 ultra-exclusive lots, many prototype micro-lots (some as small as 1 kg) across renowned estates. This auction will also be pledging 5% of gross sales to global coffee Producers in need.🗓️ Auction Date: November 26th 🔗 Register for the Origin Auction Vault: https://www.originauctionvault.com/Episode Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: Jamison Savage & The Origin Auction Vault 01:23 - Leaving Wall Street: Hedging Inflation With Panamanian Agriculture 04:30 - Planting Geisha & Building Savage Coffees as a Family Business 07:23 - The Evolution of Specialty Coffee: From Pyramid Tip to Approachability 14:45 - 1kg Vacuum Bricks & Direct Producer Accessibility 18:04 - Collaborating With World Barista Competitors 23:36 - Partnering With Sasa Sestic & Launching Origin Auction Vault 28:19 - Why Terroir Matters More Than Processing 29:55 - The Birth of Carbonic Maceration & Koji Fermentations 32:45 - Giving Back: 5% Gross Sales to Producers in Need 33:27 - Ultra-Small Lots & Why There Are No Sample Sets

Has coffee processing gone too far, or is traditional terroir clinging to the past? In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, host David Paparelli sits down with Vicente Mejia, founder of ClearPath Coffee, to unpack the evolving world of Colombian specialty coffee and the launch of the 2nd Colombia Legends Auction.From the controversial rise of co-fermentation and "three-dimensional coffees" dominating the World Barista Championship to the brutal realities of farm financing and the disappearing 85-point "middle class" of specialty coffee, Vicente pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to bring ultra-rare lots to the global stage.In this episode, we cover:- Why ClearPath chose an invitation-only format over traditional competitions- The friction between traditional washed coffees and modern fermentation techniques- How the Colombian coffee federation initially rejected naturals and honeys- Why the specialty coffee market is splitting into cheap blends vs. hyper-luxury lots- What makes rare varieties like Eugenioides, Wush Wush, and Laurina worth the obsessionRegister for the Colombia Legends Auction (November 16) & Order Sample Sets: www.mcultivo.comTIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Can coffee processing go too far?1:00 - Welcome back Vicente Mejia (ClearPath Coffee)2:15 - Why an invitation-only auction instead of a competition?5:30 - Curation, trust, and working with 15 legendary producers9:45 - The untold reality of coffee financing and bank collateral in Colombia15:10 - The co-fermentation debate: Are competitive lots here to stay?19:00 - Eugenioides, Geishas, and the return of hyper-clean terroir23:45 - History rhymes: When honeys and naturals were considered "illegal"27:10 - The disappearing middle: Why 85-86 point coffees are dying out32:40 - How to cup the auction lots & final details

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 & Welcome03:00 - 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 Wholesale44:00 - 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 auction01:05 - How Best of Taiwan works07:58 - The new zero-baseline cupping form21:18 - The 7-Eleven baseline37:45 - Cupping as a conversation48:50 - The top 20: Geisha, SL34 and Red Bourbon1:00:02 - Single tree cupping and tea heritage1:07:39 - Parting ways with ACE1:25:46 - How to register for the auctionTaiwan Coffee Auction: October 28–29Register at www.mcultivo.com to receive email alerts and find cuppings near you.Download TCL Cupping form:📌 Cupping Formhttps://lihi1.me/DTGlk📌 User Guidehttps://lihi1.me/4RV6FSubscribe 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 – Intro02:18 – The Six Farms of Cafe Granja La Esperanza 03:15 – Introducing Panamanian Geisha Seeds to Colombia04:10 – The Diversity of High-Specialty Colombian Coffee05:40 – CGLE's Philosophy: Genetics and Microbiology09:23 – Reading Microorganisms vs. Controlling Fermentation15:40 – Eliminating Cup Defects and Increasing Consistency20:10 – Advanced Dehumidification Drying Technology23:45 – Why Drying Quality Determines Coffee Longevity34:12 – Palate Calibration Across Global Origins41:38 – Accessibility to Knowledge for Next-Gen Producers50:40 – Auction Overview: 15 Exclusive Nano-Lots51:38 – Unveiling the Exclusive CGLE and Mandela Cultivars56:10 – "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!