This year the 9th Cup Tasters Competition took place during the SCAE Event in Maastricht 22-24 of June 2011. The participants of this competition come from countries around the world. Only the winner of each country is allowed to participate in the World Competition. For the Competition preparation, coffees are selected and roasted very carefully and according to the SCAE specifications and standards. Then, coffees are brewed to have the best possible result inside the cup for the purposes of the competition.

The Cup Tasters Competition started on Wednesday the 22nd of June with the first round, on Thursday the 23rd the semi-finalist round took place and on Friday the 24th of June there was the final round and the winner of the Competition.

Taf’s contribution to the Competition was to offer the coffees Don Jose micromill from Costa Rica and Finca De La Batea from El Salvador. These coffees are included in the Taloumis Family Limited Reserve and Single Estate coffees respectively.

The Cup Tasters Competition awards the professional cupper who demonstrates speed, skill and accuracy in defining the tasting differences between specialty coffees that have been selected for this particular purpose.

Specialty coffees have many distinct tasting and aromatic characteristics and competitors under time pressure have to pick out of eight sets of three which coffee is different from each set. When competitors end up with an even score, the person with the shortest time is the winner.

Using skills of smell, taste, attention and experience, each competitor has to identify the odd cup as fast as he/she can. The top 8 competitors with the most correct answers and the fastest time proceed to the semi finals round. To top four compete in the finals to determine the World Cup Tasters Champion.