Lasso Wbeimar Bolaños was crowned last weekend as the National Champion Cupping during the Second International Specialty Coffee Fair (ExpoEspeciales) 2009, held in the capital of Tolima.
In addition to recognition of the union local coffee, also won the international juries, three million pesos in cash and as a reward 'major', will represent Colombia in the World Cup Master Championship, to be held in London next year.
The event, supported by the National Federation of Coffee Growers, was organized (technically) by the Norwegian Alf Kramer, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and organizer of Tasters World Championships since 2004, the U.S. also CQI Kelly Peltier and instructor training, and the Colombian Nicolas Rodriguez, technical director of the Specialty Coffee Association of Colombian and instructor training for coffee tasters.
The competition was enrolled 42 participants from across the country, belonging to all the links in the chain of production and marketing of coffee, who underwent trials of cupping coffees.
The organizers said that this championship will seek to honor the great work of Colombian coffee tasters and give them equal status and credibility of the wine tasters. Likewise, it seeks to stimulate interest in coffee cupping, through an entertaining, fast, fair and friendly competition.
The winner is agroindustrial engineer, is 28 and hails from San Pedro de Cartago (Nariño), while his family is dedicated to coffee in that department. In the race he was accompanied by 41 other participants from around the country, including producers, tasters import and export companies, the National Federation of Coffee Growers, the committees and the grain growers' cooperatives. David Molina Gomez, Caldas (Antioquia) was second, Cristina Garces, the third, and Eliezer Pinzón, the fourth.