Building UAC 2026: A Stage for Roasting and Cup Tasting

On 28 March 2026, Espresso Academic opened registration for Ultimate Academic Champion 2026. The programme brought together two competition paths: Geisha Roasting and Cup Tasting, giving coffee professionals a place to test their skills and gain experience.

Geisha Roasting invited competitors to work with a distinctive coffee under competition conditions. Cup Tasting focused on tasting accuracy, recognition and decisions under pressure. The announcement also introduced an opportunity for winners to represent the competition in Taiwan.

This was the launch of the 2026 programme, ahead of the planned 27–29 April rounds shown on the original poster. It records the start of a competition created by Espresso Academic to support learning and connect the coffee community. The original announcement is preserved below as part of that history.