The Pre Open de Cata – Brazil was held for the first time in a Producer country in July 2025, during the Santos Coffee Festival, on July 11 and 12.

This event brought together cuppers from all over Brazil, who had the opportunity – in many cases for the first time – to participate in a cupping with international coffees, beyond the usual Brazilian origins.

During the event, microlots from six Producer countries were tasted: Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

In the sensory memory classification round, participants tasted two coffees from each origin, all belonging to the same Variety, which significantly increased the level of difficulty in identifying the Profiles.

For the sensory memory of the semifinal, the coffees from El Salvador and Honduras surprised for their complexity and freshness, all of them of anaerobic fermentation.

And finally, in the final, coffees from Guatemala were chosen, with exclusive Processes created by Mare Terra Coffee.

After intense tastings, the finalists were:

• 4th place: Ramón Ribeiro
  
• 3rd place: Luis Fernando Melo
  
• 2nd place: Bruno Megda
  
• Winner: Igor Costa, who scored 4 points and earned a place to compete in the Cata de Open 2026 in Barcelona.
  

The festival was also an opportunity for producers and roasters of specialty coffee from Brazil, especially from the São Paulo region, to share their passion and products with the public. In summary, the Pre Open de Cata – Brasil was not only a competition event, but a celebration of coffee, of quality and of the work behind each bean. Undoubtedly, an enriching experience for all involved.

See you in Barcelona!