Crimson Cup Brings Home 6 Medals from Golden Bean North America

Crimson Cup brought home six medals from the fourth annual Golden Bean North America roasting competition. Competing in a field of over 900 entries from 500 roasters, our Wayfarer Blend, our Ethiopian Kossa Kebena, Tired Goat Blend, 1959 Colombia Mokka and Oxapampa Peru Gesha coffees brought home silver medals. Wayfarer Blend also won a bronze medal.

Our entries were sourced and selected for Golden Bean judges by Coffee Sourcing and Education Director Brandon Bir, who also served as one of five category judges at the competition. The contest took place Sept. 19 through Sept. 22 at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Portland, Oregon.

“As a roaster that distributes coffee nationally and internationally, Crimson Cup’s reputation depends on the quality of our coffee,” Brandon said. “We’re proud that our coffee continues to be judged among the best in North America by our roasting peers.”

Crimson Cup was named 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine. Our Ethiopian Kossa Kebena coffee won a 2017 Good Food Award, and our Wayfarer Blend has brought home trophies from the America’s Best Espresso competitions at Coffee Fest New York and Coffee Fest Chicago as well as the 2016 and 2017 Golden Bean North America competitions.

At the Golden Bean contest, coffees in 10 different categories and brew methods were judged through blind tasting by roasters attending the event. Crimson Cup won medals in all five categories that we entered.

Wayfarer Blend won a silver medal in the Franchise/Chain Milk-Based Espresso category and a bronze medal in the Franchise/Chain Espresso category. Wayfarer, which means traveler, is blended from a rotating selection of current-crop coffees. The blend currently has Heirloom and Bourbon varietals cultivated at elevations of 1,700 to 2,000 meters. Lightly roasted, Wayfarer Blend melds the syrupy, rich and smooth notes of tree nuts and chocolate with bright accents of exotic fruits.

Ethiopia Kossa Kebena won a silver medal in the Single Origin Espresso category. Directly traded through Crimson Cup’s Friend2Farmer program, Ethiopian Kossa Kebena grows in Western Ethiopia’s Limmu Kossa District, in the highlands of the Kebena forest. Heirloom varietals grown at an altitude of 1,900 to 2,100 meters are naturally processed on raised beds to produce this outstanding coffee.

Tired Goat blend won a silver medal in the category of Decaffeinated/Milk Blend. Comprised of Fair Trade Organic Swiss water processed decaffeinated coffees from Central America, South America and Indonesia, this blend offers a clean and balanced cup that is perfect for a use in a drip brewer or pour-over.

Two new coffees – Café 1959 Colombian Mokka and Oxapampa Peru Gesha – both won silver medals in the Franchise/Chain Filter category. Crimson Cup sourced the coffees through its Friend2Farmer direct trade program.

Café 1959 Colombia Mokka comes from La Sedelia Estate & Café 1959 in Colombia, where it grows at elevations of 2,150 meters. This cherry-dried coffee displays tasting notes of strawberry, cherry and caramel.

Brandon discovered Oxapampa Gesha coffee through NARSA (NEGOCIACIONES AGROINDUSTRIAL AREVALO S. A.), a private co-op founded by Don Julio Abel Arevalo Tello that assists Peruvian small-plot coffee farmers in marketing their coffee. Farmer Hector Portocarrero grows the coffee at elevations of 1,750 meters. This cherry-dried coffee has tasting notes of  tropical fruit, watermelon,  and pomegranate.

The award-winning Wayfarer Blend, Ethiopian Kossa Kebena and Tired Goat Blend coffees are available at Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Columbus and Tallmadge, Ohio. Both Café 1959 Colombian Mokka and Oxapampa Peru Gesha coffees will be featured on the coffeehouse brew bars in the coming weeks.