Inside the Cup: Judges' Notes on Every Gento Coffee at the 2026 Global Coffee Awards

What the panel tasted, and what they told us to do next

Winning a medal tells you the outcome. The judges' notes tell you why, and where the next percentage point is hiding. Every coffee Gento submitted to the Global Coffee Awards LATAM 2026 came back with a full sensory breakdown and roast recommendations from an anonymous, double-blind panel. Here's what they found, coffee by coffee.

Finca de Dios

Submitted in two categories with two very different outcomes.

As Espresso, Classic Roast Profile, this was one of the strongest results in the whole submission. The panel opened on red cherry, toffee, and graham cracker, moving into brown sugar, cinnamon, and a syrupy, cedar-toned body with chocolate, caramel, and toasted sesame in the finish. Their note: dark, deep tones with no burn or carbon character, and a wish that every classic roast espresso tasted this good. Gold, and close to nothing to change.

As Flat White Dairy, Classic Roast Profile, the same roast behaved differently against milk. Judges picked up saltine crackers, low vanilla, and a cereal-like profile: corn, oatmeal, cream of wheat, buckwheat. Sweetness from the coffee itself was largely absent under the dairy. Their recommendation was to push the roast further toward the milk-focused style to mask any defects and bring sweetness forward.

What it means: the profile built for straight espresso isn't the one that shows up once milk enters. A separate, heavier development for the flat white application would likely close that gap.

Los Volcanes

The most consistent coffee across the whole submission, entered in four categories.

Espresso, Blend came back balanced and clean: chocolate candy, citrus, cinnamon, and vanilla into a sweet, chocolate-focused finish, with peach, plum, and orange acidity against brown sugar. Judges said it kept improving the longer they sat with it, with little needing to change.

Flat White Dairy, Blend built directly on that strength. Panel called it an amazing espresso for a flat white, with caramel shining through the aftertaste and nice weight in the milk. Their only ask: manage a slight bitterness in the aftertaste a touch more.

Flat White Plant-Based, Blend brought toast, malt, and roasted almond character with butterscotch and caramel candy, low acidity, and a coffee presence judges said held up well against the milk. The note here was a touch of dryness that more sweetness would round out.

Flat White Plant-Based, Classic Roast Profile ran smokier: toasted marshmallow, a slightly burnt edge, chocolate and graham cracker through a dry finish. Judges liked the heavy coffee presence and called the profile appropriate for the category, asking for more sweetness and fruit character to round it out.

What it means: four categories, four medals, and the same small note showing up in three of them: a bit more sweetness. That's a narrow, specific target rather than a broad rework.

Gento Blend

Three categories, three different reads on the same coffee.

Espresso, Blend showed fudge, chocolate pudding, and dark cherry through a thick, syrupy body, with citrus and bright citric acidity in support. Judges liked the cherry and citric character but noted some chalkiness and muddling, and asked for a bit more acidity alongside slightly less development.

Filter, Blend was the toughest result of the three. Dark chocolate, spiced caramelized notes, and dry roasted nuts came through, but judges felt acidity, sweetness, and complexity all ran low, with a dry finish that leaned bitter. Their suggestion: build caramelization for sweetness without over-roasting, and bring more acidity forward.

Filter, Experimental Blend was the standout of the three. Panel called it a simple, sweet daily drinker with caramel, citrus, and a clean black tea finish, backed by complex tartaric, malic, citric, and phosphoric acidity. The only note was that the body could carry the flavor a little further.

What it means: the same coffee reads best in its experimental filter form and weakest as a standard filter blend, which suggests the two need different roast approaches rather than one shared profile.

Armonía

The most heavily tested coffee, entered in four categories spanning espresso, filter, and both flat white formats.

Espresso, Single Origin opened on caramel, lime, and cherry into a long, sour finish, with peachy, vanilla, and black tea character. Judges liked the very clear flavors but felt acidity overtook sweetness, and suggested extending the Maillard phase or raising the end temperature to rebalance.

Filter, Classic Roast Profile brought roasted almond, tangerine, and lemon peel into sweet red apple and Ceylon black tea tannin through a lightweight body. Panel enjoyed the acidity but said the cup lost some liveliness in the roast, and asked for a little more development.

Flat White Dairy, Single Origin was the strongest showing for this coffee. Graham cracker and mild caramel opened into marshmallow, vanilla, and marzipan, with judges calling the sweetness harmonious against the milk. One judge called it excellent as-is.

Flat White Plant-Based, Single Origin was the weakest result. Salty peanut butter and roasted almond came through with low acidity and low sweetness, reading as light and a touch unbalanced. Judges asked for clearer acidity and more sweetness to offset a drying finish.

What it means: Armonía's delicate acidity works in its favor against dairy but works against it in espresso and against plant-based milk, where the panel consistently wanted more heat or development to bring sweetness forward.

Marisela

Entered in two filter categories, with the same underlying note in both.

Filter, Single Origin showed citrus, floral, honey, and white grape opening into stone fruit, nuts, and milk chocolate through a smooth, drying finish. Judges loved the aroma and the skill on display, but called the cup somewhat one dimensional, suggesting a faster roast with more airflow at the finish for more dynamic character.

Filter, Washed brought flat cola, dull red fruit, and a papery quality into sweet vanilla, citrus, and hazelnut. Panel enjoyed the hazelnut aroma but flagged the cup as reading a touch baked, recommending a slightly heavier roast and a check on storage conditions.

What it means: both notes point toward underdevelopment. A modest increase in roast development looks like the shared fix across both formats.

Geisha Natural

Entered under both the Geisha and Natural subcategories, with the most consistent "push it further" feedback of the whole submission.

Filter, Geisha opened on baking spice, apple, and lime juice into bright grapefruit and black tea acidity. Judges enjoyed the bright, juicy acidity but said it lost itself a little in the cup, with a hint of dryness and bitterness at the finish. Recommendation: further development and a slightly lighter roast to let the apple and nutty notes come through more clearly.

Filter, Natural showed a thin, silky body with sugar cane sweetness but minimal acidity and limited overall flavor. Panel liked the sweetness but read the coffee as underdeveloped and possibly baked, with bitterness in the aftertaste. They suggested increasing both temperature and airflow.

What it means: this is the coffee with the clearest, most repeated signal in the entire report. Both entries came back underdeveloped, and both recommendations point toward more heat and airflow.

Anaerobic Caturra

A single entry, and the cleanest result in the report.

Filter, Single Origin Experimental brought caramel, lemon, almond, and prunes into a nicely balanced cup with real structure and complexity, with acidity building as the cup cooled. Judges called it well executed and said little needed to change, flagging only that the acidity slightly overshadows the sweetness as it cools.

What it means: this one is close to finished. The acid-to-sweetness balance on cooling is the only variable worth testing further.

What the Full Report Shows

Read across all nine coffees, one note repeats more than any other: a touch more sweetness, a touch more development. It shows up in Finca de Dios's flat white entry, three of Los Volcanes' four categories, Gento Blend's standard filter entry, three of Armonía's four categories, both Marisela entries, and both Geisha Natural entries. That's not nine separate problems. It's one recurring adjustment showing up across formats and processing methods, which makes it the clearest place to start for next year's cycle.

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FAQ

How many Gento Coffee coffees were judged at the Global Coffee Awards 2026?
Nine distinct coffees were submitted across Espresso, Filter, and Flat White (Dairy and Plant-Based) categories, several in more than one subcategory, for a total of 18 individual entries.

What was the most common feedback from judges?
Across the submission, the most frequent note was to bring more sweetness forward or extend roast development slightly, a pattern that appeared in entries from six of the nine coffees.

Which coffee received the cleanest feedback?
Anaerobic Caturra, entered in Filter Single Origin Experimental, drew the fewest suggested changes, with judges calling it a well-executed, structured cup.