Last week we revealed to you the 2016 Good Food Awards finalists for coffee. Twenty-five coffees were selected amongst twenty-four roasters for this event, a celebration of diverse deliciousness that happens each year in San Francisco. In composing that feature, we noticed a few GFA trends: lots of coffees were coming from Ethiopia and Panama, the gesha variety was everywhere, and quite a few of this year’s GFA finalists are newcomers.
Using this data set, we decided to dig a little deeper by asking what else? How much? Who won what when? Sprudge staff writer and resident data dweeb Zac Cadwalader was asked to dig a little deeper, and dig deep Zac dug.
Let’s take a look at what he found out.
California and Wisconsin are represented well.
California is a big state with big dreams and has a growing number of incredible roasters. California roasters Bird Rock, Red Whale, Klatch Coffee, and Equator Coffees are represented this year at the Good Food Awards. State taking second place for most finalists? Wisconsin! JBC Coffee, Kickapoo Coffee, and relative newcomer Ruby Coffee Roasters.
Panama and Ethiopia are coffee growing finalist leaders.
Ethiopia and Panama coffees continue to razzle and dazzle judges at the Good Food Awards. Many factors are involved in the cause of this: both countries have coffees that are highly traceable, sustainable, delicate, delicious, delightful.
Nearly one third of finalists are gesha coffees.
Gesha, gesha, gesha. Award winning gesha variety coffees from Finca La Mula, Finca Sophia, Granja La Esperanza, Carmen Estate, and Elida Estate made this year’s Good Food Awards finalists list. Mula and Carmen won finalist spots for four roasters.
Nearly half of the finalists are new to the Good Food Awards.
Welcome to the GFA Finalist Club an exciting crop of newcomers: Abundancia Coffee, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, JBC Coffee Roasters, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, NEAT Coffee, Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, Red Whale Coffee, Ruby Coffee Roasters, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee, and Spyhouse Coffee Roasting Co.
Welcome back Blue Bottle Coffee, Commonwealth Coffee, Equator Coffees & Teas, Evans Brothers Coffee, Joe Coffee Company, Kickapoo Coffee Roasters, Klatch Coffee, Noble Coffee Roasting, Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, Onyx Coffee Lab, and Square One Coffee.
Klatch Coffee has won a Good Food Award in the past. Square One Coffee and Noble Coffee Roasting have won two. Kickapoo Coffee Roasters have won three.
Over half of the finalists have never won a Good Food Award.
Previous finalists like Commonwealth Coffee have yet to win a Good Food Award. Will this be their year? We’ll find out in January!
Also, only two finalists are natural processed coffees.
Washed coffees seem to be the coffees of choice for Good Food Awards judges. Colombia Granja La Esperanza Margaritas from Onyx Coffee Roasters and Panama Esmerelda Estate, Lino Lot from Bird Rock Coffee Roasters are the lone natural processed coffees on the list.
Are you asking “what does ‘natural process’ even mean, Sprudge?!” We’re glad you asked. Find out here.
The winners will be announced Friday, January 15, 2016.
Zac Cadwalader contributed to this reporting.
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