The Philippines’ Laguna Liberica and Benguet Arabica have won medals at the Global Coffee Championship (GCC) Signature Coffee Awards held at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Gyeonggi, South Korea.
Filipino barista Michael Harris Conlin won two Signature Coffee Awards for the Philippines: Silver in the Latte category for Liberica Coffee of Sta. Maria, Laguna, and Bronze in the Brewer category for Arabica Coffee from Balili, Benguet.
Conlin shone among 30 competitors in each category competing for honors, with Philippine coffee flavors and aromas receiving nods during the blind taste tests by 12 world-class judges.
The 2019 Philippine National Barista Champion and President/CEO of Henry & Sons Trading and Manufacturing Co. Inc. praised how the competition placed the coffee in the spotlight unlike in usual competitions where the barista is in the center.
“Most barista competitions put focus on the Barista. It’s rare that the barista takes the back seat, and the coffee gets a chance to take the main stage to compete in a global coffee competition… I felt it was the best way to put my skills and Philippine coffees to the test vs. some of the best baristas and coffees from around the world,” Conlin wrote in his Facebook post on October 8, 2022.
Conlin dedicated the wins to the coffee producers and farmers from Sta. Maria, Laguna, and the Dado family of the Agnep Heritage Farm in Benguet.
The GCC awards show that Philippine coffee is certainly rich in flavor, much like its lengthy history dating back to the 1740s.
Coffee has been a staple in Filipino households even as research, training, and opportunities to showcase the homegrown treasure continue to unlock the potential of Philippine coffee.
SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to Michael Harris Conlin and the farmers and producers behind the award-winning Laguna Liberica and Benguet Arabica coffee!
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