Eighteen of the 24 winners in the 2020 Colombia Cup of Excellence were first time participants in the coffee quality competition, including the first placed Feilpe Henao Triana of the Antioquia region.

His Chiroso variety coffee, from Los Tres Mosqueteros farm, scored 90.03 points and earned the competition’s only Presidential Award.

“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,” says Felipe.

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.

The winners represent five regions and nine varieties. Three coffees were washed anaerobic processed, two were honey processed, three were naturals, and 16 were washed.

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, using Global Coffee Centers (GCCs). This was the fifth competition held at GCCs.

Beginning with Colombia, additional GCCs, representing China, the United Kingdom, and the United States, were added to the South American competitions. Yunjie He, International Judge and Coffee Buyer for Latorre & Dutch in China, comments 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 US$5 per pound to encourage buyers to support quality-focused producers.

For more information, visit www.cupofexcellence.org/colombia-2020