2015 World Barista Championship Day Two Recap

SprudgeLive’s coverage of the 2015 World Barista Championship is made possible by direct support from Nuova Simonelli and VIora Lid. All of SprudgeLive’s 2015 barista competition coverage is underwritten in partnership with Square and Urnex Brands. 

We’re proud to serve as official media partners of World Coffee Events. 

This is a complete recap for Round One, Day Two at the 2015 World Barista Championship, happening April 10th in Seattle, Washington.

26. Mark Okuta Royal Suits, Uganda

Mark Okuta’s serving a coffee grown in Uganda, roasted to what he calls “an African roast profile”

Mr. Okuta’s coffee is called “Bulago” and comes from eastern Uganda, near Mt. Elba — it’s the rare Nyasaland arabica variety

Sig drink for Mark Okuta of Uganda: Brown sugar, plum extract, aloe vera extract, espresso, shaken over ice

“caramel, apple, and a nutty flavor that reminds me of roasted hazelnut” in Mark Okuta’s #wbc2015 cappuccinos

27. Alexey Kugaenko OMNI Coffee, Russia

This is Mr. Kugaenko of Russia’s second consecutive WBC appearance for OMNI Coffee. #wbc2015

“Brazilian coffee can give a brilliant cleanness and balance, but also a vibrant acidity” — Alexey Kugaenko

hints of walnut and notes of Madonna’s “Lucky Star” in this cappuccino from Alexey Kugaenko

Sig drink for Alexey Kugayenko: black currant juice, filtered pomelo juice, cane sugar, espresso and hot water

28. Ishan Natalie TriBeCa Coffee Company, South Africa

Mr. Natalie competes at #wbc2015 with a “clean washed” Geisha coffee—”bright, clean, refined and balanced”

These capps from Ishan Natalie taste like “butter pastry — very creamy, very sweet, and full bodied”

They brushed these beans. They vacuumed them. These are groomed beans, y’all, like a Best In Show bloodhound doggy.

Mr. Natalie is a career barista competitor, and among the most distinguished South African competitors in history

Signature drink for Mr. Natalie includes cranberry & cherry juice, lime peel, and a homemade Earl Grey Tea syrup

29. Ozkan Yetik Coffee Brew Lab, Turkey

Mr. Yetik is the first competitor at #wbc2015 competing with a translator — this is of course allowed but has become less common

Mr. Yetik of @coffeebrewlab competes with an Ethiopia Hachira coffee, a natural process roasted in Istanbul by Probador Colectiva

Shout out to DJ Aksak, an Istanbul beat master who produced Ozkan Yetik’s #wbc2015 music set.

sig drink for Mr. Yetik was a “smoked espresso with Bourbon scent” — he used a smoking gun live on stage! shades of @lay_luh

Unfortunately Ozkan Yetik has gone over his allotted 16 minutes, and becomes the first DQ of the tournament.

30. Sasa Sestic Ona Coffee, Australia

Not only has Mr. Sestic brought in a big crowd, he also brought in a bird house-like thing for this sig bev.

Mr. Sestic’s coffee is a Sudan Rume from Colombia produced by Camillo Merizalde.

“There are a lot in inconsistencies in coffee processing techniques, so I looked to wine makers,” @SasaSestic explains.

Shiraz grapes, reduced plums, ice, room temp espresso all in a blender for Mr. Sestic’s sig bev.

31. Linnea Vannesjö Drop Coffee Roasters, Sweden

“Today you are my customers” — @_limpan of @dropcoffee‘s serving two coffees from Huila, Colombia here at #wbc2015

espresso notes for @_limpan are “mandarin, a hint of raspberry, and an aftertaste of mandarin zest”

“A great cup of coffee speaks for itself, but i enjoy taking it one step further…to origin and taste.”

sig drink for @_limpan has notes of pomelo. #pomelo is so hot right now. it’s the it-fruit of #wbc2015

32. Jason Loo Hsien Yuen The Red Beanbag, Malaysia

This is Mr. Yuen’s second career WBC appearance, having won the Malaysian Championship previously in 2013

Mr. Yuen’s serving a “mandarin washed geisha” here at #wbc2015, from Panama’s Kotowa Finca Don K, roasted by Artisan Roastery

Capps for Mr. yuen use a coffee produced in a style called “wine processing” — an extended method that turns cherries Syrah red.

Malaysian champ Jason Loo Hsien Yuen is cool, calm, collected, and in control up there on the #wbc2015 stage

Sig Drink: “Mandarina” washed geisha, “Natural Wine” typica+geisha, Chinese wild honey, dash of milk, Yuzu, ice ball

33. Gregor Dattner Espressone GmbH, Germany

“Today I come with coffee from Costa Rica” — if you’re keeping score at home, CR + Colombia are the two most commonly served at #wbc2015

The German champ’s #wbc2015 cappuccinos have flavors of “berry and milk chocolate” — who doesn’t want that? honestly?

Sig drink for Gregor Dattner of Germany includes tomato juice. Tomato juice! He’s serving it up in a martini glass.

“This is the story of the ground. The story of the ground. My story today for you.” — Gregor Dattner of Germany

34. Giacomo Vannelli Pasticceria Vannelli, Italy

For @GiacomoVannelli he serves @hasbean coffees from Bolivia and Colombia throughout this routine, shifting between capp & espresso course

@giacomovannelli‘s themed around the idea of “espresso as a polyphasic drink” — “strawberry, raisins, and milk chocolate” capps

Polyphasic: “of, relating to, or having more than one phase”

Mr. Vannelli’s sig drink makes use of the @LaColombeCoffee @toddcarmichael Dragon Brewer! Unleash the dragon.

Dragon brewer & espresso are balanced by two infusions: red globe grapes and blackberries.

35. Emi Fukuhori Independent, Switzerland

syrupy mouthfeel and long lasting aftertaste” — 23 gram dose — that’s Emi Fukuhori of Switzerland’s Ethiopia natural espresso

“Coffee and quality is a sensation to celebrate.” — Emi Fukuhori of Switzerland

Sig drink for Emi Fukuhori includes freeze dried strawberries, yuzu water & yuzu juice, and candy floss

Subtle excellence here from the Swiss champion Emi Fukuhori, one of today’s standout routines at #wbc2015

36. Lex Wenneker Headfirst Coffee Roasters, The Netherlands

“Bergamot and orange zest…dry black tea finish” in @lexwenneker‘s #wbc2015 espressos.

“ripe peach and toffee” in @lexwenneker‘s #wbc2015 cappuccinos. Sparse crowd in the room — y’all are missing this v good routine…

The coffee shop scene in Amsterdam is fun, but the specialty coffee scene is really something special right now.

It’s an Ethiopian washed coffee for @lexwenneker here at #wbc2015 sun dried on raised African beds — “a clear acidity you can taste”

judges for @lexwenneker asked to cup through different points of the roast progression — this is a roaster-focused routine

37. Luis Blanco Valverde Dromedario, Spain

Mr. Valverde of Spain competes using a coffee grown in Spain! Typica variety, grown at Finca Los Castaños

Stuff you don’t typically see at barista comps: coffee grown in Spain. Or anywhere in Europe, really.

“Changes (Toscadisco’s Sunny LA Remix)” is like catnip to European barista competitors or something. They cannot get enough.

Sig drink for Mr. Valverde of Spain has three ingredients: Red fruit juice, Spanish honey, and cacao

38. Thiago Sabino Octavio Café, Brazil

“jasmine, black cherry, and early grey” notes in this Brazilian coffee from the Brazilian champ Thiago Sabino

50% yellow bourbon, fully washed from Brazil, paired with 50% Ethiopian coffee for Thiago Sabino of Brazil

capps for Thiago Sabino of Brazil “jasmine aroma, black currant and cherry notes”

heat induction hot plate on stage for the Brazilian champ — he’s heating up some crockery.

39. Charlotte Malaval Independent, France

“Working in coffee is a lot like attending University,” Ms. Malaval tells the judges.

Rich toffy flavor, toasty almonds, and a silky texture for Ms. Malaval’s cappuccinos.

If you’re sleeping on Ms. Malaval’s soundtrack, then you’re sleeping on some really beautiful music by @yanntiersen.

Marzipan aroma and a sweet, light, bright acidity before turning into a peach-like flavor in Ms. Malaval’s espressos.

A yellow bourbon from El Salvador’s Apaneca region – pulped natural black honey processed, grown at 1500m.

40. Francisco Alonso Garcia Lubiate Master Coffee Peru, Peru

Chants of “Vamos Francisco!” and “Peru!” come roaring in. Mr. Lubiate has brought quite a raucous crowd.

Mr. Garcia’s energy is contagious. And his hat game is on fleek.

Special sweetness from milk brought all the way from Peru for the cappuccino course for Mr. Garcia.

Rich body and vanilla sweetness in the cappuccinos for Mr. Garcia as the final course in a very nice performance here at #wbc2015

41. Julio César Ruiz Gómez Salaverria Pillersdorf Coffee Roaster, El Salvador

3 coffees from the Apaneca region of El Salvador, grown at 1500 masl – a pulped natural, a natural, and a blend of the 2

First up for Mr. Ruiz is the pulped natural for the espresso course.

sig bev – grapefruit juice and brown sugar symbolizing different flavors in the espressos for Mr. Ruiz.

2 courses down, and no coffees tasted by the judges just yet at the request of Mr. Ruiz.

Notes of caramel and butter cookies from the cappuccinos using Mr. Ruiz’s 3rd & final coffee – the natural processed

42. Cezara Cartes Starbucks, Romania

Coffees for @chocollat is El Salvador San Jose Rufati, red bourbon microlot, washed and sun dried

“raw tartaric acidity, going to raspberry…with a dark and deep chocolate aftertaste” — @chocollat on her #wbc2015 espressos

“velvety milk chocolate with a toffee filling” for @chocollat‘s #wbc2015 capps

sig drink for @chocollat has “fizz powder” — “it will imprint the flavor of my signature drink…i’m so glad I get to show this!”

43. Ariel Bravo Independent, Costa Rica

Mr. Bravo competes with a Costa Rican coffee—naturally!—from the West Valley, “Anaerobic Fermentation Process”

#TrendWatch at #wbc2015 — unorthodox processing methods. Putting coffee cherries in rivers etc.

Capp notes for Ariel Bravo: “caramel sweetness with wild fruity flavors, creamy texture and milk chocolate aftertaste”

there is a sizable, and loud, Costa Rican cheering section here at #wbc2015 for Ariel Bravo

that’s a cautrra & catuai coffee from the Costa Rican competitor, who, by the way, is turning in a really high level performance at #wbc2015

44. Diego Mejia Isveglio, Ecuador

Diego Mejia is serving coffee from Ecuador’s Finca Maputo—just 2 hours from Ecuador’s capitol, Quito

This routine form @diego_m4 has an interesting hook—working everyday to convince his fellow Ecuadorians how great coffee can be.

cascara ice cubes here in Diego Mejia’s #wbc2015 sig drink—”a juicy sensation!” that sounds pretty good Diego.

“a signature drink with intensified peach and intensified bright acidity. it’s simply delicious”

45. Sonja Zweidick La Cabra, Austria

Sonja Zweidick’s competing w/ two coffees from @granjaesperanza, a revered coffee farm in Cauca, Colombia

“lemon, orange zest…expect a light weight, juicy, and a tea-like finish”

The competitor from Austria pairs milk from Arla, Denmark with a red honey bourbon espresso from SW Colombia.

that fresh organic milk @zweidick has shipped in from Denmark is unhomogenized, with 3.5% milk fat. I want to drink that SO bad.

sig drink for @zweidick pairs gesha espresso with a cascara gesha infusion: gesha flower syrup, sparkling water, & gesha flower oil

46. Yinzhe Jeremy Zhang M2M Coffee, China

“As tasters, we simply do not want to compromise coffee in the cup.” Yinzhe Jeremy Zhang, M2M Coffee

Yinzhe Jeremy Zhang competes with @ninetyplus Panama Geisha here at #wbc2015, shouting out 90 Plus producer Joseph Brodsky

“floral, chocolate, and orange taste” in Yinzhe Jeremy Zhang’s #wbc2015 espressos, made with underwater river magic Geisha espresso.

“medium body…jasmine floral, orange, and a wonderful bergamot finish” in Chinese champ Yinzhe Jeremy Zhang’s #wbc2015 geisha espressos

47. Sudarat Changcharoen The First Espresso, Thailand

our next competitor is Sudarat Changcharoen, the barista champion of Thailand, representing The First Espresso

the Thai champion Sudarat Changcharoen’s routine is being given primarily in Thai, with partial English translation

“stir five times before drinking coffee & milk” for Sudarat Changcharoen’s capps: “blueberry yogurt”

sig drink for Sudarat Changcharoen: espresso, water, thai brown sugar

48. Mehran Mohammadnezhad Mirjani Café Yasi, Iran

There was some visa acquisition drama for the Iranian professional…but…here he is! Mehran Mirjani, the barista champion of Iran

The Iranian barista Mehran Mirjani serves an Ethiopian coffee from Dumerso, dry process and medium-light roast

“gingerbread, raspberry, sweet cherry and a full body” in Mehran Mirjani’s #wbc2015 espressos

sig drink: espresso + cascara tea poured through a Hario V60, then poured over ice spheres made from his Ethiopian espresso

and the secret ingredient in Iranian Barista Champion Mehran Mirjani’s #wbc2015 signature drink? good old fashioned @CocaCola!

Photos by Liz Clayton and Charlie Burt for Sprudge.com. Want to use our photos? Email us!

Live Twitter coverage and feature production by Jordan Michelman and Zac Cadwalader.