Recapping Day 2 of the 2012 World Barista Championship, reporting live from Vienna, Austria. Our coverage is powered all week by direct support from Nuova Simonelli. Follow Sprudge on Twitter for up-to-the-second updates as they happen at #wbc2012. All times CEST.
29. Craig Simon, Veneziano Coffee, Australia @craig_simon [Full Performance Video]
8:17 mr. simon competes with 2 coffees from el sal santa ana – visited the farm repeatedly over the last several years
8:22 espressos – tart red cherry, “balanced beautifully by rich dark chocolate” 70% natural 30% washed – 100% bourbon
8:28 mr. simon personally roasted both of these el salvadoran coffees – a running theme for several top competitors at #wbc2012
30. Miki Suzuki, Maruyama Coffee, Japan [Full Performance Video]
8:36 up now, competing with two types of nicaraguan natural coffees, it’s multi-repeat japanese barista champion miki suzuki
8:37 miki memorizes her international competition scripts – the amount of joy and personal expression that shines through is remarkable
8:44 there’s a lot going on on miki’s stage here – so much elegant flatware – sig drink has flavors of “berry and peach”
8:50 it’s impossible to watch miki compete without smiling, but make no mistake, her routine spotlessly wracks up points
31. Ryan Tan, Strangers’ Reunion, Singapore @RyanKieranTan @strangersreu [Full Performance Video]
8:59 mr. tan begins his sig drink by combing and heating toasted hazelnuts, vanilla pods, and cream
9:01 mr. tan is a multi-year champion of singapore – read more about his cafe Strangers Reunion
9:11 a layered signature drink, firmly in the “dessert” category – vanilla cream, espresso, strawberry reduction – calls time at 14:35
32. Chia-Cheng Chien, Jim’s Burger, Taiwan [Full Performance Video]
9:17 jim’s burger is indeed exactly that – a burger joint in taipei – whose coffee program has steadily progressed to very high caliber
9:20 mr. chien’s sig drink production are looks like a clandestine chemistry lab or something#brewingbad
9:27 mr. chien’s coffee is a geisha variety from volcan, panama – he uses legos to explain processing! legos!
9:31 mr. chien’s sig – lychee flower honey, espresso, served cold- “sweet and balanced…exactly how the coffee cherry tasted in panama”
33. Natalia Ostapyuk, Cafe “Svit Kavy” (“World of Coffee”), Ukraine [Full Performance Video]
9:46 ms. ostapyuk offers some good old fashion 12 hour cold brew coffee as base for her sig drink! “fruit notes open up in this method”
9:50 ms. ostapyuk sig drink also includes apple juice ice (with seed inside) and sparkling water – “like drinking champagne with coffee”
34. Roberts Mbabazi, Barista Pro Consulting, Uganda [Full Performance Video]
10:01 mr. mbabzi competes using two coffees from western uganda, grown at elevation average of 1900 meters
10:02 mr. mbabzi is one of several national champion baristas to compete using coffees from their own country – makes for a personal #wbc2012 set
10:05 “clean, spicy chocolate aftertaste” on these espressos from eastern uganda
35. Chak Sum Chan, 18 Grams, Hong Kong @18grams [Full Performance Video]
10:20 @18grams is “hong kong’s premiere espresso cafe” – learn more here http://www.18grams.com/
10:30 a professional and straightforward routine from mr. chan – “this cappuccino reminds me of peanut butter cookies”
36. Wayne Oberholzer, Origin Coffee Roasting, South Africa @Wayne_Obie @OriginRoasting [Full Performance Video]
10:44 mr. oberholzer competes using rwandan coffee – grown at 1720 meters, 100% red bourbon from the kayumbu cooperative
10:46 mr. oberholzer’s company, @originroasting is located in beautiful, fashionable cape town, zed A – learn more: http://www.originroasting.co.za/
37. Matt Toogood, Raw Coffee Company, United Arab Emirates @rawcoffee [Full Performance Video]
11:03 settling any debate, mr. toogood (barista champ of the UAE) makes things clear – “hello judges, i’m matt toogood, and i’m a kiwi”
11:13 now i’m going to introduce you to the funnels of doom” – this sig drink is a whole thing – frozen calcium lactate, & seawood to “create a molecule” orange, cardamom, basil – espresso dropped on that molecule
11:16 140 characters are not nearly enough to explain what just went on here. molecular gastronomy, funnels of doom, matt toogood
38.Refik Emre Tolan, Kahve Diyari, Turkey @Kahve_Diyari
[Full Performance Video]
11:24 can’t stop, won’t stop #wbc2012 – up now is Refik Emre Tolan, barista champion of Turkey, representing @Kahve_Diyari
11:27 mr. tolan’s signature drink includes ethiopian espresso, a vanilla cream, and mineral water, meant to imitate eating a pastry
39. Joona Suominen, Café Art, Finland @joonja [Full Performance Video]
11:38 the blog @nordiccoffee has a nice feature up on joona suominen’s shop in Turku, Cafe Art
11:48 mr suominen on hiscapps: “notes of malted milk and milkshake, with sweetness from the el salvador coffee”
11:50 mr. suominen’s signature drink is a take on the “shrub” cocktail – we saw a few of this in the usbc cycle, notably from SCRBC finalist Caitlin Corcoran
11:52 his sig served up in a coupe glass, with aromatic orange peel – fine cocktail influence throughout @joonja‘s excellent #wbc2012 routine
40. Dailess Nalwamba, Blue Moon Café, Zambia [Full Performance Video]
12:12 zambian barista champ ms. nalwamba’s shop, blue moon cafe, is an “american-style coffee shop” in Lusaka, zambia’s capital
12:14 blue moon cafe supports the Chikumbuso Women and Orphan’s Project – learn more here: http://www.chikumbuso.com/ – and here’s her shop online http://bluemooncafezambia.com/
12:18 ms. nalwamba’s signature drink features zambian honey, “to balance the acidity”, espresso, and cream over ice
12:21 wood carved settings bearing the name “zambia” – routine w/ music from one of her regulars in zambia – coffee from zambia – zambia!
41. Stefanos Domatiotis, Taf, Greece @stefanosook @tafcoffee [Full Performance Video]
12:22 “good afternoon judges, i am stefanos!” – single estate coffee from @aidabattle in el salvador – huge smile on @stefanosook‘s face
12:25 multiple cascara extractions start @stefanosook‘s routine at #wbc2012 – “elegant body”, “reminds me of a port wine”
12:30 sig drink features grecian herbs grown on the island of santorini, orange zest carefully prepared on stage by a very focused mr. domatiotis
12:38 carnival atmosphere in the crowd throughout this routine – he thanks @aidabattle, thanks @tafcoffee , thanks tracy allen – @stefanosook beyond impressive. time at 14:58
42. Goran Huber, Kaffee-Institut Goran Huber, Austria @CoffeeExplorer [Full Performance Video]
12:43 goran huber: “coffee is almost my obsession – just ask my wife! she can tell you a story or two about that…”
12:56 goran huber rightfully enjoying his home-field advantage at #wbc2012 – big crowd of austrians to support & clap along to “we will rock you”
43. Jordi Mestre, Nomad Espresso & The Borough Barista, Spain@nomadespresso @boroughbarista [Full Performance Video]
1:02 a spanish barista living and working in london, this is jordi’s first competition cycle, and thus our first time watching mr. mestre compete
1:06 mr. mestre on his capps – “pineapple acidity, then becoming warm, freshly baked flap jack”
1:08 mr. mestre’s coffee is a blend of bourbon, caturra, and red & yellow catuai coffee varieties – “a very complex coffee in the cup”
1:16 mr. mestre asks judges to stand up, hands each a balloon filled with aromatics, judges pops their balloons, sniff, then drink – heck of an image, 4 sensory judges popping balloons and huffing the fumes
44. Louis Donck, Donko’s Koffie, Belgium [Full Performance Video]
1:23 “my name is louis, and i’m here to talk about one of nature’s most beautiful products – coffee!”
1:25 coffee is sourced from nicaragua, in the matalapa growing region
1:26 coffee served comes with information on social obligation – houses, bills, medication – as well as organic agricultural practices
1:27 naturally shade grown, hand-picked washed peaberry pacamara – fermented, sun dried, both mechanically and manually screened – mr. donck was there during harvest
45. Philipp Meier, Independent, Switzerland [Full Performance Video]
1:40 mr. meier’s routine featured a 50/50 blend of san rafael colombia and sidamo ethiopia
1:47 Philipp Meier cappuccinos with “malty, light finish” – offers an aeropress service of his coffee to the judges as a starter
1:59 mr. meier on his espresso course – “fine acidity, berries, honey sweetness, and a bit of orange”
46. Colin Harmon, 3FE (Third Floor Espresso), Ireland @dublinbarista @3FE [Full Performance Video]
2:10 mr. harmon has the judges pour their own signature drink components – “since you’re helping me, in a way you’re scoring yourself!” – it’s a trust exercise
2:12 shows the judges a cartoon picture of himself! “this is a caricature – this is exaggerated!” trust & flavor
2:16 mr. harmon competes using a pulp natural pacamara from nicaragua, andmilk from “europe’s largest organic farm” in ireland
2:18 visual aids for the color of his crema – printed on cards with little cartoon bears next to the comparative shades
2:21 “our number one strategy should be building trust through taste” – colin harmon, irish national barista champion
47. Coen van Sprang, Lebkov & Sons, The Netherlands @lebkov [Full Performance Video]
2:30 “hi, my name is coen – i want to share my love for ethiopian coffees with you” – a love for both washed and unwashed “raw diamonds”
2:32 mr. von sprang traveled to yirgacheffe last year, for a project that combined both natural and washed processes
2:35 semi-washed yirgacheffe “the characters of elegant washed coffee, as well as raw naturals”
2:39 elderflower reduction in mr. von sprang’s sig drink, along with lemon, meant to accentuate washed characteristics
48. Walter Mitre, Café Cabrales, Argentina [Full Performance Video]
2:53 mr. mitre of argentina is the second competitor at #wbc2012 to employ a translator – his coffee is a blend from colombia, guatemala, & kenya
3:05 mr. mitre calls time at 15:55, escaping DQ by 5 short seconds – we’re still without a DQ on the international stage at #wbc2012
49. Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, Colonna and Small’s, United Kingdom@Colonna_Smalls [Full Performance Video]
3:09 mr. colonna-dashwood’s shop is located in the city of bath – check their website here http://colonnaandsmalls.co.uk/
3:11 mr. colonna-dashwood competes w/ caturra & typica coffee varieties grown in bolivia at 1600 meters – dry fermentation, fully washed from finca valentin
3:17 “this coffee is really exciting – a sticky feeling all over your mouth, with a clean, crisp dryness on the tongue”
3:23 grapefruit juice, sparkling water – then a licorice and star anise infusion -with impacted espresso sips after each
50. Ricardo Azofeifa, Costa Rica Coffee Institute (ICAFE), Costa Rica@ICAFE_COSTARICA [Full Performance Video]
3:30 “producers, roasters and baristas have an open dialogue that has evolved into a new coffee dictionary – fortunately costa rica is part of that movement”
3:34 a very special coffee used here by mr. azofeifa – “black honey geisha”, a coffee that did not exist 10 years ago, calling for coffee cherries with over 24% total sugars
3:35 requests that the judges stir their capps repeatedly, to taste “different textures in the same cup”
3:38 this is a really subtle routine, but all of mr. azofeif’s drinks look gorgeous
51. Daniel Mendez, Viva Espresso, El Salvador @VivaEspresso1 [Full Performance Video]
3:51 spotted on stage fordaniel mendez – pulper, TDS meter, vac pot, bowl of cherries, a little storage box on his side of judges table for used spoons, towels, whatever else he needs
3:55 mr. mendez competes using finca santa petrona 100% red bourbon – he has it in cherry form, de-pulping live on stage
3:59 mr. mendez’s table setting features these gorgeous, matte-black, rotating little baby lazy susans
4:02 for sig drink, pours espresso through macerated coffee cherries held in a filter above a cup -“you will enjoy this”
52. Thomas Schweiger, Green and Bean, Germany @greenandbean [Full Performance Video]
4:23 this is the first peruvian coffee served at #wbc2012 – mr. schweiger has spent quite a bit of time there sourcing for@greenandbean
4:26 “get connected and stay connected, from seed to cup” – thomas schweiger, barista champion of germany
4:32 sig drink employs a hand pump, using pressure to reduce volume of his drink and also to bring the temperature down. sorta looks like a chrome bike pump…big cheers from crowd
53. 3:51PM Carlos Figueroa, Independent, Chile @BaristaCarlosF [Full Performance Video]
4:39 mr. figueroa is the first-ever competitor from chile at a WBC event
4:48 mr. figueroa’s signature drink employs ice cubes made from plum and fig, along with chili powder and espresso
54. Salome Corea, Café Don Paco, Nicaragua @CafeDonPaco [Full Performance Video]
4:58 ms. corea competes using two distinct coffees, one caturra, one margogype – both sourced from nicaragua
5:01 as per her translator, ms. corea is serving the judges “an especially sweet cappuccino – floral and citrus”
55. Raul Rodas, Paradigma Coffee Roasters, Guatemala @raultigre [Full Performance Video]
5:28 mr. rodas splits up the judges a la @charlesbabinski – two get a washed profile sig drink, the other two a natural profile sig drink
5:28 then asks judges to “please switch drinks” – to show judges how versatile his coffee is, but also to stay within the rules
5:29 on his pulp natural capps – “caramel and toffee up front – have two sips, then set aside your cappuccino for now”
5:40 mr. rodas’ pulp natural guatemala is another example of nontraditional “experimental” processing at origin – a running theme at #wbc2012
