On 9/5, Le Quang Cuong (Nicky), born in 1989 and representing Vietnam, won the World Cup Tasters Championship (WCTC) 2026. This also marked Vietnam's first year participating in the competition.

This year's competition took place from 7-9/5 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC), Thailand. The event brought together 46 competitors from around the world to challenge their sensory skills at the highest level.

Cuong was selected to participate after winning the Vietnam Coffee Tasters Championship 2026, which was held for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City last month.

Cuong (in green shirt) poses with four opponents in the final round. *Photo: Organizers*

In each round, competitors raced against time to identify the differing coffee cup within eight triangular sets, each comprising two identical cups and one distinct cup, using the tasting method. Scoring prioritized the number of correct distinctions, followed by completion time. Winners advanced to the next round.

Tasting is a multi-sensory process for evaluating coffee beans. Competitors use their sense of smell to analyze dry and wet aromas, identifying the sample's characteristics.

Competitors perform tasting by slurping vigorously to maximize coffee contact with taste buds on the tongue and palate. They also evaluate the liquid's body in the mouth to detect differences in density.

Cuong's rankings throughout the competition were 3rd out of 46 (preliminary round), 6th out of 16 (quarter-finals), and 2nd out of 8 (semi-finals). In the final round, the Vietnamese representative correctly identified 7 out of 8 distinct cups in 3 minutes 35 seconds. The second-place finisher found 6 out of 8 cups in 2 minutes 34 seconds.

"Nicky surpassed all others, demonstrating superior speed, absolute precision, and mastery of smell, taste, and focus to claim the highest title," the competition organizers praised Vietnam's representative after the match.

Cuong stated that the organizers set very unpredictable "traps," making it easy to make mistakes without sufficient focus. In the eight groups of the final, Cuong was confident he had correctly identified the different cup in group seven, but it turned out to be wrong. After the competition, Vietnam's representative mentioned that psychological pressure and the competitive environment led him to make incorrect choices despite thorough preparation.

Another unique challenge for competitors is "olfactory fatigue."

Cuong explained that individual endurance in identifying flavors varies. Without rigorous training, competitors might experience scent neutralization and olfactory confusion after only about three rounds of smelling, making it impossible to distinguish differences.

Cuong during the competition, with coffee sets arranged in triangular groups of three cups. *Photo: Organizers*

According to Cuong, the competition results reflect the sensory skills of coffee experts. These skills are fundamental to the industry's success, guiding adjustments in cultivation, processing, roasting, and brewing. Without a strong foundation, product quality will not meet customer requirements.

"This result also holds great significance for Vietnam's coffee industry," Cuong stated. He noted that the international coffee community often recognizes Vietnam for its production volume but not its quality. The world once considered Vietnam a "lowland" in coffee appreciation culture, even ranking behind Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia.

With this shift in perception, Cuong hopes international investors and traders will increasingly seek out Vietnam for high-quality green coffee, marking a significant transformation for Vietnamese specialty coffee on the global map.

The World Cup Tasters Championship is an international competition, first held in 2004, and is part of the World Coffee Championships. This system comprises annual, top-tier international coffee competitions, celebrating skill and passion within the global coffee industry.

Tu Nguyen