Italian coffee company illycaffè has launched blind tastings to select the winner of the Coffee Lover’s Choice, a special recognition awarded directly by consumers to one of the nine finalists of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award.
From 24 to 26 October at the illy store in São Paulo, Brazil; on 29 October at the Rue Aubert store in Paris, France; and from 29 to 30 October at the illy store in Venice, Italy; consumers can taste the finalist coffees from Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, and Rwanda.
To participate as jurors, consumers will blind taste, free of charge, three of these coffee lots in espresso form and express their preferences.
The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, named in memory of illycaffè’s leader and the son of the company’s founder, honours those who sustainably produce high-quality coffee beans.
Each year, illycaffè’s quality laboratory in Trieste selects nine countries producing the best coffee of the season. From these, the top three sustainable lots are chosen for each country. Of the 27 batches, the consumer jury will blind taste the top nine, one from each country, and determine the winner of the 2024 Coffee Lover’s Choice Award.
The award will be presented to the winning grower during the ninth edition of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, scheduled for 12 November in New York, United States.