- Held during the Vietnam–Korea Friendship Street Festival in My Dinhthe awards ceremony takes place on the festival main stage
- Every entrant gets draw tickets for the official competition grindera Felice X60W grind-by-weight grinder (FMK); one ticket per entry, so more entries mean better odds
- Espresso: anaerobic-processed coffees are not allowed
- House Blend: any process is allowed, including anaerobic
- Single Origin designated green coffee: Simexco Daklak Anaerobic RobustaFine Robusta, the future of Vietnamese coffee.A Robusta is rarely chosen as a competition coffee, and this one is anaerobically fermented.It was introduced to Korean consumers at the Seoul Coffee & Tea Fair last October,and the same lot is exported to Korea, so Korean and Vietnamese roasters start from the same green coffee and compete on roasting alone.
About
The Golden Coffee Award is a roasted-coffee competition first held in Korea in 2012. It was created to give cafés and roasters in a saturated market new motivation, raise the quality of roasted coffee, and support the sustainable growth of café culture.
Competitors register in categories such as Espresso, Milk Base, House Blend, Single Origin, Drip Bag and Cold Brew, submit their roasted coffee, and are evaluated by professional judges.
Since 2018 the award has also been held in Guangzhou, Qingdao and Shanghai, China, and in 2024 in Kenya, building a bridge between Korean coffee culture and coffee cultures around the world.
In February 2025 the first IGCA Vietnam was held successfully in Hanoi, with 109 coffees and 27 judges from Korea, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its Single Origin category used specialty Arabica from the Ara-Tay Cooperative in Son La, introducing the quality and potential of Vietnamese specialty Arabica to international judges.
In 2026 it takes place on December 3–5 at Patisserie, My Dinh, Hanoi, bringing together cafés, roasters and judges from Korea, Vietnam and China. The awards ceremony is held on the final day on the main stage of the Vietnam–Korea Friendship Street Festival.
Schedule
| Date | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 3 (Thu) | Judges’ workshop | Patisserie, My Dinh |
| Dec 4 (Fri) | Main round | Patisserie, My Dinh |
| Dec 5 (Sat) morning | Final | Patisserie, My Dinh |
| Dec 5 (Sat) afternoon | Awards ceremony | Main Stage, Vietnam–Korea Friendship Street Festival |
Times will be announced later. The schedule may change.
How to take part
Coffee entry
| Eligibility | Coffee companies, cafés or individuals |
|---|---|
| Categories | Espresso, House Blend, Single Origin |
| Multiple entries | You may enter several categories, and also submit more than one coffee in the same category. |
| Registration | Open · closes Dec 1 (Tue) |
| Sample delivery | Nov 23 (Mon) – arriving by Dec 1 (Tue) |
| Sample size | Espresso 1 × 500 g · House Blend 1 × 300 g · Single Origin 1 × 300 g |
| Entry fee | 1,200,000 VND per entry (per coffee) |
Judges
| Eligibility | Coffee professionals holding a coffee certification |
|---|---|
| Registration | Open · closes Nov 25 (Wed) |
| Workshop | Dec 3 (Thu) |
| Fee | 2,200,000 VND (apron, medal and certificate of appointment) |
Sponsors
| Registration | Open · closes Nov 25 (Wed) |
|---|---|
| Benefits | Your logo printed on banners and event materials · Sponsor logo printing on the official Golden Coffee Award apron available (please enquire) |
Payment details and the sample drop-off address will be sent to each applicant.
Awards
- 10 awards per category: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and 7 Finalists — 30 in total across 3 categories
- Presented by representatives of the hosts, organizer and sponsors
The Felice X60W grind-by-weight grinder used as the official competition grinder will go to one entrant by lucky draw at the awards ceremony. Every entrant takes part, award or not; you get one ticket per entry, so more entries mean better odds.
The prize is handed over at the ceremony. The winner must be present or must name someone to receive it on their behalf.
Grinder model: Felice X60W (grind-by-weight) ↗
Worth KRW 1,800,000 (Food Machine Korea retail price)
Evaluation
- Espresso: Visual (crema colour, shine, pattern), Persistence of crema (yes 3 / no 0), Acidity, Sweetness, Flavor, Mouthfeel, Aftertaste, Balance, Overall
- House Blend · Single Origin: Acidity, Sweetness, Flavor, Mouthfeel, Aftertaste, Balance, Overall
- Each attribute is scored on a 7-point scale in 0.25 steps. For calibration, judges start each attribute from 3.5 (Neutral); distinctive qualities earn bonus points and defects lose points.
See the official score sheets and the evaluation PDF below for details.
Organization
| Hosts | Coffee Roasters Alliance of Korea (CRAK), IGCA Vietnam Organizing Committee   |
|---|---|
| Organizer | Korean Association in Hanoi  |
| Main sponsor | Patisserie Mỹ Đình (venue)  |
| Official coffee supplier | Simexco Daklak  |
| Official machines & equipment | Coffee & Tea Vietnam (espresso machine rental), Food Machine Korea (grinder), Friends Coffee Roasters (automatic brewer and grinder rental)   |
| IGCA Vietnam Organizing Committee | Chair Kim Young Min (K-COFFEE CENTER) · Members Choi Jeong Boo (Morvening), Lee Jung Sun (Nocturne Cafe) |
Downloads
- Official score sheet — Espresso (CRAK 2026, Korean/English) (PDF)
- Official score sheet — House Blend · Single Origin (CRAK 2026, Korean/English) (PDF)
- Quy định hạng mục (Tiếng Việt) (PDF)
- Tiêu chí đánh giá (Tiếng Việt) (PDF)
- 대회요강 (한국어) (PDF)
- 부문규정 (한국어) (PDF)
- 평가기준 (한국어) (PDF)
Designated green coffees by year
| 2026 Vietnam (2nd / Korea 15th) | Designated green coffee for Single OriginSimexco Daklak Fine Natural Robusta (Dak Lak, Vietnam)Anaerobic Natural process (anaerobic whole-cherry fermentation, slow drying on raised nets)Grown above 800 m, hand-pickedScreen 16–18Cup notes (provided by Comansa): apple, strawberry, jackfruit, sugarcane, barley tea, almondBuy in Vietnam: Simexco Daklak simexcodl.com.vn (contact Trần Phi Hùng, +84 901 936 663) |
|---|---|
| 2025 Vietnam (1st / Korea 14th) | Designated green coffee for Single OriginVietnamese specialty Arabica from the Ara-Tay Cooperative, Son La (Korean importer Golden Nine smartstore.naver.com/cafeteras) |
Past editions
2025 review · Winners · Photos →
Contact
| Chair, Vietnam Organizing Committee | Kim Young Min (Director, K-COFFEE CENTER) · +84 378 601 471 · kcoffeecollege@gmail.com |
|---|---|
| Member, Vietnam Organizing Committee | Choi Jeong Boo (CEO, Morvening) · +84 936 253 669 · choiboodeko@gmail.com |
| Member, Vietnam Organizing Committee | Lee Jung Sun (CEO, Nocturne Cafe) · +84 947 103 442 · whiteyubin@naver.com |
| Coffee samples | Nguyễn Thị Minh Tâm · +84 347 102 641 · bemyfriendvn@gmail.com |
| Korean–Vietnamese interpreter | Nguyễn Mai Phương · +84 379 115 628 · bemyfriendvn@gmail.com |