No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsArts and CultureCosta Rica Coffee Cupper wins World Coffee Tasting Championship

Costa Rica Coffee Cupper wins World Coffee Tasting Championship

A 29-year-old Costa Rican was named the world’s best coffee taster in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Thursday.

Juan Gabriel Cespedes beat out 36 other coffee tasters from around the world to become the first Latin American to win the 2015 World Cup Tasters Championship, an annual challenge hosted by World Coffee Events.

“I believe that my experience helped me manage it very well and not let me get down at any time during the quarterfinals, semifinals or the final. Thanks to this, and God, today I’m World Champion,” Cespedes said, according to a statement from the Costa Rican National Coffee Institute (ICAFE).

Competitors must use their sense of smell and taste to pick out slight differences in the coffees they taste as quickly as possible to win the championship. Eight sets of three coffees are presented to each cupper, two of which are the same. The taster must identify the most “odd” cups of the coffee faster than their rivals to advance, according to the WCE rules.

Cespedes won the final round with a perfect score, beating out Mateusz Petlinki of Germany, Krisse McGregor of New Zealand, and Yoeri Joosten from the Netherlands.

This was Cespedes’ third appearance at the competition. In 2013, Cespedes reached the semifinal round but did not advance.

Cespedes got his start in coffee as a quality control taster at ICAFE’s research center in Barva, Heredia.

Trending Now

When Will Poás Volcano National Park Reopen? Here’s What We Know

Although Poás Volcano has entered a more stable phase and the alert level has been lowered to green, the national park will remain closed...

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

Costa Rica’s Pride March 2025 Defies Restrictions and Celebrates Diversity

A large crowd gathered in Paseo Colón, San José, to participate in the LGBTIQ+ Pride March 2025. It began at noon, as people marched...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

Costa Rica’s Chaves Slams Supreme Court as “National Disgrace” in Corruption Case

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Chaves didn’t hold back. In his weekly press conference, he slammed the Supreme Court, calling it a “national disgrace” that’s...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica