Coffee Competition Highlights Specialty Coffees from Around the World at The 24th Annual Specialty Coffee Association of America Event
This past weekend the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Roasters Guild awarded ten specialty coffees with the “Coffees of the Year” title at its 2012 Coffees of the Year Competition, which will be celebrated at the 24th annual SCAA Event, April 19 – 22, 2012 in Portland, OR. Over 250 specialty coffee submissions, representing 26 countries, competed in the prestigious annual event to be recognized as the best specialty coffees from around the globe from the 2011/12 crop. Experienced judges chose the winning coffees by cupping and thoroughly evaluating the sensory attributes of each coffee sample entered in the competition. The judges specifically assessed six distinct qualities of the coffee samples including fragrance, aroma, taste, flavor, aftertaste and body. The 2012 Roasters Guild Coffees of the Year Competition winners are:
| Producer Name | Will and Grace Tabios | Extreberto Caceres |
| Farm Name | The Rising Sun; Will and Grace Farms | Cielito Lindo |
| Region | Ka’u | Santa Barbara |
| Country | United States, Hawaii | Honduras |
| Processing Method | Semi-Washed | Washed |
| Varietal | Typica | Pacas |
| Score | 86.94 | 87 |
| Producer Name | Francis and Trinidad Marques | Rigoberto Herrera |
| Farm Name | Ali’i Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee | Finca Experimental Banexport – Granja La Esperanza |
| Region | Ka’u | Valle Del Cauca |
| Country | United States, Hawaii | Colombia |
| Processing Method | Washed | Washed |
| Varietal | Typica / Caturra | Geisha |
| Score | 86.41 | 86.75 |
| Producer Name | Rigoberto Herrera Correa | Cooperative |
| Farm Name | Las Margaritas | Oromia |
| Region | Caicedonia | Oromia Region |
| Country | Colombia | Ethiopia |
| Processing Method | Washed | Washed |
| Varietal | Geisha/22000 | Heirloom Varietal |
| Score | 87.84 | 88.41 |
| Producer Name | Adado | Lorie Obra |
| Farm Name | Gedeo Zone, YCFCU | Rusty’s Hawaiian |
| Region | South | Ka’u |
| Country | Ethiopia | United States, Hawaii |
| Processing Method | Washed | Washed |
| Varietal | Arabica | Typica / Caturra |
| Score | 87.28 | 86.47 |
| Producer Name | Rafael Lozano | Cafe Granja La Esperanza |
| Farm Name | Finca Buenavista | Cerro Azul |
| Region | San Agustin, Huila | Trujillo |
| Country | Colombia | Colombia |
| Processing Method | Washed | Washed |
| Varietal | Caturra | Geisha/35000 |
| Score | 86.59 | 88.25 |
Winning coffees will be recognized at the farmer or producer group level. Awards will be presented to designated representatives on behalf of the producer(s). The 10 winners of this competition will be showcased in the Coffees of the Year Competition area in the Activities Hall. Elegantly set in a café like atmosphere, the COTY competition welcomes attendees to sample the world’s best coffees alongside the producers whose skill and dedication is unmatched in the industry. If you are a true connoisseur of coffee, this is one event you have to attend. Visit www.scaaevent.org to register!
A big thanks to our team of Q Graders and volunteers who helped make this year’s cupping event a success! Special thanks to Farmer Brothers for roasting all of the samples and for the use of their incredible lab for this event. View their Facebook photo album here.
