Chefs and sommeliers from around the globe convened to evaluate various coffee products for their taste. This assessment was part of the International Taste Institute’s (ITI) Superior Taste Awards, recognized in the food and beverage domain as a prestigious taste certification. This year, numerous coffees from different regions, including whole-bean coffee, ground coffee, instant coffee, capsules/pods, and decaffeinated products, received Superior Taste Awards.
The tasting process is conducted blindly and silently by jury members, who are unaware of specific product details, only knowing their category. The products are presented without any identifying marks, and judging is based on five main criteria: first impression, vision, olfaction, taste, and texture or final sensation for drinks.
The distinction of Superior Taste Award is given to products achieving an overall score above 70%, symbolizing quality and prestige.
Among dozens of recognitions, nineteen coffees attained three-star designations. Some of these can be found in the U.S. through specialty coffee shops and online importers; others are more broadly distributed.
Lavazza’s La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Colombia, a full-bodied blend with notes of tropical fruits, lime zest, and jasmine, and Tales of Italy Canal Grande, featuring Arabica and Robusta beans with chocolate hints, secured three stars. Both are accessible to American customers.
In the overall rankings, Italian producers succeeded in gaining five three-star awards for whole-bean coffee, accompanied by contributions from Spain, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Japan, and Taiwan. Cafe San Alberto from Colombia was the singular ground coffee to achieve a three-star rating.
Costa Coffee Professional from the United Kingdom achieved three-star ratings for their coffee pod/capsule category products: Signature Medium Decaf, Podio Capsule, Signature Medium Roast, Podio Capsule, and Colombian Character Roast, Podio Capsule.
Oriental Kopi Classic White Coffee by Oriental Coffee International from Malaysia was the only instant coffee to earn a three-star distinction.
Product rankings are classified as one-star (70%-80%), two-star (80%-90%), and three-star (90% and above), each signifying various levels of quality and taste excellence.