Ecuador has a new champion: Juan Begué will represent us at the 2025 World Cup.

Ecuador continues to make its mark on the international coffee scene, and this time it's thanks to Juan Begué, co-founder of HUMA Specialty Coffee Lab, who was recently crowned the 2025 National Coffee Tasting Champion. This championship brought together the country's best tasters, highlighting not only the individual talent of the participants, but also the potential of the Ecuadorian coffee industry.

What is the national tasting championship?

It's a competition that tests participants' sensory precision and technical knowledge. One of the main challenges is triangulation, a test designed to identify a different cup within a group of three. This involves detecting minimal variations in flavor, aroma, body, and acidity, requiring an exceptional level of concentration and sensory experience.

This year's competition was fraught with tension and great talent, but it was Juan Begué who stood out not only for his precision but also for his speed. His performance was outstanding , achieving eight correct shots in a record time of 2 minutes, 54 seconds.

Juan Begué
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Time: 2:54:04

With this victory, Juan has secured his place as Ecuador's representative at the 2025 World Coffee Tasting Championship , which will be held in June in Switzerland. This event brings together the world's top tasters, serving as a platform to highlight the hard work of coffee producers and the diverse sensory profiles offered by different regions.

At HUMA, this victory reflects our commitment to quality and the development of the coffee industry in Ecuador. "This achievement isn't just mine; it's recognition of the daily work in our laboratory, thanks to our collaborators and clients who have believed in our vision ," Juan said after his victory.

The Ecuadorian coffee community is already preparing for this great challenge, hoping that their effort and dedication will be rewarded internationally.