First time participants dominate Colombia Cup of Excellence
First-place winner, Mr Feilpe Henao Triana. Photo courtesy of ACE
Alliance for Coffee Excellence has announced the 24 Cup of Excellence winning coffees from the Colombia Cup of Excellence competition. The winners – 18 of which were first time participants – represent five regions and nine varieties, including five blends. The top coffee, a chiroso variety, scored 90.03 points and earned the competition’s only Presidential Award. The winning producers now wait for the auction on 19 November for final results.
The first-place winner, Mr Feilpe Henao Triana, is a first-time participant to the contest. Upon reception of the award he said, “I still can’t believe it. I was already happy with the fact that we managed to be in the international round and I’m so grateful to God, my family, my wife and my children.”
The awards were live streamed on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram with producers waiting to hear the results while Colombian coffee supporters tuned in around the world.
Due to the impact Cup of Excellence has on coffee producers, the Asociación Colombiana para la Excelencia del Café (ASECC) and Cup of Excellence worked to adapt the different phases of the competition together both at origin and internationally, utilising Global Coffee Centers (GCCs). This was the fifth competition held at GCCs.
Beginning with Colombia, additional GCCs, representing China, The UK and the US, were added to the South American competitions. Yunjie He, international judge and coffee buyer for Latorre & Dutch in China, commented on her involvement: “First, we are so glad and honoured to have GCC here in Nanjing. It is a wonderful experience to have the chance to taste these amazing coffees, which enriched my idea of Colombian coffee and its potential. It is a special and difficult year for all of us and the efforts behind all these coffees are worthy of the appreciation.”
Though the vetting of the coffee is completed, the final outcome of the competition now lies in the hands of buys around the world. Opening prices for these coffees start at $5 per pound to encourage buyers to support quality-focused producers.
For more information on the winning coffees and details on the auction, visit: cupofexcellence.org/colombia-2020.