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Cuong secured the title during the World of Coffee Bangkok 2026 event, marking a historic milestone for Vietnam's rapidly growing specialty coffee industry.
The tournament, organized by the Specialty Coffee Association from May 7 to 9 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center, was the first time the championship had taken place in Southeast Asia.
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Le Quang Cuong (2nd, L) poses with the other three finalists at the 2026 World Cup Tasters Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo courtesy of the contest's organizing committe |
The World Cup Tasters Championship is regarded as one of the coffee industry’s most demanding sensory competitions, requiring contestants to distinguish the different coffee among three cups under strict time pressure.
Each triangular set consisted of three cups, including two identical coffees and one different sample. Using their sense of smell, taste, concentration and sensory experience, competitors had to identify the odd cup as quickly as possible.
Contestants were given a maximum of eight minutes to complete the challenge. Rankings were determined first by the number of correctly identified cups and then by the fastest completion time.
Cuong said the organizers had created highly unpredictable "traps" throughout the competition, where even a brief lapse in concentration could lead to mistakes.
He said each person’s ability to detect and distinguish aromas differs, adding that without proper training, competitors may lose their sensory sharpness after smelling the samples only a few times.
After about three attempts, the aromas can begin to feel neutralized, causing the sense of smell to become confused and making it difficult to identify subtle differences between the coffees, he added.
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Le Quang Cuong tastes coffee at the 2026 World Cup Tasters Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo courtesy of the contest's organizing committe |
After progressing through multiple elimination rounds, Cuong advanced to the final where he scored seven out of eight cups in 3.35 minutes.
He was followed by Catherine Queiroz of Switzerland, Mehmet Sogan of the U.S. and Mizuki Tagami of Japan.
"Cuong rose above all competitors, demonstrating outstanding speed, absolute accuracy, and mastery of aroma, taste, and concentration to claim the highest honor," organizers said following the final round.
Cuong represented Vietnam after winning the inaugural Vietnam Cup Tasters Championship held in Ho Chi Minh City in April.
His victory is being celebrated as a major breakthrough for Vietnam’s specialty coffee sector, which has expanded rapidly in recent years with the rise of specialty cafés, roasteries, and professionally trained baristas.
