Inhandig Tribal Multi Purpose cooperative (ITMPC) from Malaybalay, Bukidnon won this year’s Kape Pilipino Green Coffee Quality competition for the Arabica category while Kape Maramag of Maramag, Bukidnon won the Robusta category.  Both winners will send their representatives to Seattle, Washington this April to attend the Specialty Coffee Association Expo. The Arabica scored 85.84 points  while the Robusta scored 83.75.

Shaun Ong and La Lida smell the coffees

The results were announced by the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) with ACDIVOCA’s Chief of Party Thelonious Trimmell and Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) judges led by Samuel Gurel of Torch Coffee.

Thelonious Trimmell (standing)

There were 78 coffee samples submitted from up in CAR to down in Region XI and Sulu. The judges pared them to 12 in Arabica and 10 in Robusta all scoring above 80 points.

“Some flavor notes reminded me of Ethiopian Sidamo,” says Q grader and judge Mbula Musau of Kenya. “The Robustas are like our Uganda fine coffees,” she continues.

Mbula Musau (sitting) checks the coffee beans

“I’m totally amazed by the taste profiles of the winners” says Gurel. Both winners used the natural process and brought out Floral and dark chocolate notes for Robusta , and floral and caramel for the Arabicas.

Pouring while being timed

These coffees will now command a higher price in the specialty coffee market. The Kape Pilipino is part of the project MinPACT or Mindanao Productivity in Agriculture, Commerce and Trade. This project is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded and is implemented by ACDIVOCA. PCBI is the grantee organization which conducted the events for better quality consciousness of producers for Specialty Arabicas and Fine Robustas.

Select photos by Samuel Gurel