The Cupping Table - By M-Cultivo

M-Cultivo Coffee
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On The Cupping Table, iconic coffee producers share their stories in making world class coffees. Join us for a candid conversation about the realities of coffee production and the incredible journey that makes each coffee a unique experience.

  1. Aug 9

    Tamiru Tadesse on How This Ethiopian Coffee Sold for a Record $1,739/kg

    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!

  2. Jul 22

    Richard Hide on Discovering the Untraceable Coffee

    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.

  3. Jul 16

    Why Award-Winning Farmer Enrique Navarro Harvests Coffee at Night

    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

  4. Jul 8

    Michael Girma on Building an Ethiopian Coffee Empire with 25,000 Farmers

    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.

  5. Jul 1

    Why Sidama is Revolutionizing the Specialty Coffee Industry ft. Endale Asfaw

    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?"

  6. Jun 23

    Selling a Whole 2000m Coffee Harvest in ONE Auction? | Finca Sophia

    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.

  7. Jun 3

    Kenneth Barigye | Rewriting Uganda’s Coffee Story

    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.

  8. May 27

    Ian Kissick | Balancing Competition and the Coffee Business

    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

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On The Cupping Table, iconic coffee producers share their stories in making world class coffees. Join us for a candid conversation about the realities of coffee production and the incredible journey that makes each coffee a unique experience.

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