A panel of over 250 chefs and sommeliers recently assessed coffees worldwide for taste. This evaluation was part of the International Taste Institute’s (ITI) Superior Taste Awards. ITI claims these awards are highly prestigious within the food and beverage sector.
This year, various coffee products including whole-bean, ground, instant, capsules/pods, and decaf earned accolades from the ITI. Products achieving a score above 70% are granted the Superior Taste Award, highlighting their quality and prestige. Additionally, these products receive ratings of one, two, or three stars based on their scores.
The judging process remains blind and conducted in silence, focusing solely on taste without prior knowledge of the products.
The evaluation involves criteria such as first impression, visual appeal, aroma, taste, and texture or final sensation.
Nineteen coffee varieties achieved the coveted three-star rating. Some are accessible in the U.S. via specialty retailers or online platforms. Notably, Lavazza’s La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Colombia and Tales of Italy Canal Grande, both available in America, received top honors. According to Italy Best Coffee, La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Colombia offers aromatic notes of tropical fruits, lime zest, and jasmine.
This 100% Arabica blend, perfect for espresso, is sourced from Colombia.
Tales of Italy Canal Grande blends Arabica and Robusta beans with chocolate notes, holding a high intensity rating, as noted by Walmart.com who imports this from Great Britain.
Global Recognition
Five whole-bean coffees from Italy attained three-star recognition. Spain contributed three, while South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Japan, and Taiwan each offered one. Café San Alberto, the only ground coffee awarded three stars, hails from Colombia.
Costa Coffee Professional from the UK received three three-star awards in the coffee pod category, including Signature Medium Decaf and Podio Capsule varieties.
The sole instant coffee with a three-star recognition is Oriental Kopi Classic White Coffee from Malaysia.
On ITI’s rating scale:
- One-star products score between 70-80% and exhibit high taste quality.
- Two-star products score between 80-90% and are notable within their category.
- Three-star products excel with scores over 90%, deemed exceptional.
Teresa Mull contributes as a freelance writer to Fox News Digital’s Lifestyle team.
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