Hello again from Knoxville, Tennessee! Sprudge Media Network is pleased to bring you this day two barista competition coverage of the Knoxville qualifying competitions for the 2017 U.S Coffee Championships. Coverage comes to you live from Knoxville, TN, produced by Zac Cadwalader with photography by Charlie Burt and Elizabeth Chai. Thanks for following us at @SprudgeLive on Twitter for all our live coverage of the barista competition this weekend, and for following @Sprudge on Instagram and Facebook for the sights and sounds from around the event.
Sprudge.com’s coverage of the 2017 US Coffee Champs is made possible by Urnex Brands and Nuova Simonelli.
Jon Lewis, DEEPER ROOTS COFFEE, Cincinnati, OH – 158.5 pts
And we’re off! Our first competitor of Day Two is Jon Lewis of Deeper Roots Coffee in Cincinnati, OH @letitflow
“the coffee I brought to you today is like sunrise in a cup” – @letitflow
Here Comes The Sun playing in the background for @letitflow, who is in fact, letting it flow. Lewis is always great to watch.
For his sig bev, @letitflow is using fruit ice from mango and pineapple juice, oaked evaporated milk, and Kenyan spro.
Aaron Rivkin, INDABA COFFEE ROASTERS, Spokane, WA – 177 pts (DQ)
“6 years ago I was incarcerated for heroin possession.” @aaronjohnathon is bringing a very personal experience w/ change to the comp stage
oleo saccharum, espresso, cream, ice cube, and raw sugar in @aaronjohnathon’s sig bev that goes from warm to cold, bitter to sweet.
That sig bev starts with the bittersweet from the spro, ending with a lemon green tea candy sweetness.
Dawn Shanks, SMALL PLANES, Washington DC – 221.25 pts
.@dawnshanks is a wonderful contributor who has written many great articles for us.
Read them here:
http://sprudge.com/author/dawn-shanks
@dawnshanks competes with a Burundi coffee produced by @longmilescoffee, w/ a tart fruitiness, nuttiness, & oolong tea finish.
Fresh sliced canteloupe & reduced date syrup in the sig bevs for @DawnShanks that is “refreshing, candy sweet, and has a floral fruitiness”
Shane Hess, JUBALA COFFEE, Raleigh NC – 266 pts
Coffee for Hess is produced by Cueva de los Llanos from Nariño, Colombia, roasted by @counter_culture.
A Caturra variety, spro for Hess has a green grape acidity, subtle apricot flavors, and almond finish.
Sig bev for Hess includes apricot, green grapes and spro infused with nitro and some bubbly water.
the name of the sig bev for Hess? “The Carolina Foamy Delight”
Daniel Shoup, FERRIS COFFEE ROASTERS, Grand Rapids MI – 144.5 pts
Shoup competes with a washed Bourbon from San Sebastian in Antigua, Guatemala, grown at 1550MASL and “slow dried”
Notes of red fruit, floral-like honey, malic acidity, and hazelnut in that San Sebastian spro for Shoup.
For sig bev, “I’ll be serving a mocha. With a Twist. I call it the Smoky Mocha.” – Daniel Shoup
Apple cider reduction, cocoa powder, smoke, and spro in Shoup’s sig bev, his take on sipping chocolate.
Danielle Anderson, NEW HARVEST COFFEE ROASTERS, Boston, MA – 198 pts
Coffee for @dandy______ is a natural processed offering from Finca Cual Bicicleta in Honduras.
Intense floral aroma, fig, blackberry, lilac, with a long brown sugar finish for @dandy______’s espresso course.
If I can just have a quick aside with @dandy______, 6 underscores? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really?
Sig bev for @dandy______ includes an orange blossom water ice cube and a solution of brown sugar, salt, white peppercorn, and clove.
Penelope Hearne, TOBY’S ESTATE COFFEE, Brookyln, NY – 210.5 pts
coffee for Hearne is from Finca El Faldón in Colombia, a wash processed blend of Bourbon and Caturra, grown at 2000MASL.
strawberry aroma, lime like acidity, with notes of tropical fruits and butterscotch for Hearne’s espresso course.
Compote of passion fruit, guava, and mango, butterscotch, grains of paradise pepper seed tea, aromatic strawberry spray in Hearne’s sig bev
Maxwell Mooney, NARRATIVE COFFEE, Everett, WA – 243.5 pts
Biggest crowd yet is here to see birthday boy @MaxwellAMooney
coming from Kayanza, Burundi, spro for @MaxwellAMooney is fully washed w/ notes of cherry tobacco, dark chocolate, & meyer lemon acidity
Sig bev for @MaxwellAMooney includes dried juniper berry, clove, all spice, alder wood smoked sea salt.
That’s all getting poured over dry ice to create an “aromatic fog” for @MaxwellAMooney.
Andrew McCaslin, KALDI’S COFFEE ROASTING CO, St. Louis, MO – 241 pts
Can An Mac? Damn right @anmccan
Whoa, @anmccan is bring the first Myanmar coffee to this year’s comp, maybe the first ever for USBC. We need a fact check on that.
Notes of strawberry preserves, plum, and raisin w/ a dark chocolate finish for @anmccan’s spro from Myanmar.
there’s a strawberry fruit roll up note in @anmccan’s sig bev. And now I want a fruit roll up. Or at least a fruit by the foot.
Austin Redington, VIGILANTE COFFEE CO, Washington DC – 180 pts
Redington invoking the guest judge new to the comp this year, which I must say, is a very very cool addition.
30% Guatemala 70% Kenya for that blend from Redington.
Tasting notes in Redington’s Kenya/Guat blend include citrus zest, bergamot, and roasted hazelnuts
spro and earl grey tea aeropressed as part of Redington’s sig bev to bring out the bergamot notes.
Moriah Claud, BONGO JAVA ROASTING CO, Nashville, TN – 140.5 pts
Coffee for @moriahdarling is the Idido from Ethiopia. This is the first coffee thus far to be used by multiple competitors.
Idido espresso for @moriahdarling have “Strong smell of bergamot, citrus flavor, and stonefruit sweetness in the finsh.”
Macerated oranage peel, fig, and oregano in the sig bev for @moriahdarling
I bought a bag of oregano off a barista at the throwdown last night. and if i see him again, I’m getting my $20 back.
Robert Hays, BATDORF AND BRONSON, Atlanta, GA – 199 pts
“Consider what you’re hands have done over the last two hours” – Robert Hays. You don’t want to know, Robert. Trust me.
Espresso for Hays is a Grade 1 natural processed coffee, with notes of blackberries, a grapefruit like acidity, and a floral finish
Some very nice jazz going down right now during Hays routine.
Shaken iced espresso as part of the sig bev for Hays.
Amelia Wimmer, TRIED & TRUE COFFEE CO, Corvallis, OR – 233 pts
One of Wimmer’s favorite parts of being a barista: “inciting curiosity in customers.”
Coffee for Wimmer comes from Nyeri, Kenya, grown at 1900MASL and roasted by @BespokenCoffee
Raspberry jam acidity, tea like body, with notes of orange rind, black tea, and baking spice for those Kenyan spros by Wimmer
Concentrated Hunan tea ice cubes, homemade raspberry jam, and a rose water spritz in the sig bev for Wimmer.
Sean Hundley, ONE LINE COFFEE, Columbus, OH – 201 pts
Shout out to Hundley for his “SEAN” monogrammed towel.
Micro-lot Catuai black honey processed coffee from Finca La Loma in Terrazu, Costa Rica for Hundley
Sig bev for Hundley is his take on a classic sour cocktail, the Jack Rose.
Pomegranate syrup, splash of lemon juice, and spro, all whisked together for the sour cocktail inspired sig bev.
Jason Mundie, PREVAIL COFFEE, Opelika, AL – 211.5 pts
Coffee for Mundie is a washed, triple sorted, zero defect, YirgZ from Ethiopia, sourced through @keffacoffee
“Dark chocolate, black tea, with a mixed berry finish” in Mundie’s YirgZ espresso course.
Blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry simple syrup, tonic water, and YirgZ for Mundie’s sig bev.
Hana Kaneshige, VERVE COFFEE ROASTERS, Los Angeles, CA – 217 pts
Floral aromatic, notes of jasmine and citrus blossom, nectarine, and a lime like acidity in Kaneshige’s Ethiopian spro.
“Today I’ve created a drink for you reminiscent of an experience” of boba tea for Kaneshige.
Cream, grapefruit juice, spro, and a big ole boba straw for Kaneshige’s sig bev.
Cole McBride, Independent, Las Vegas, NV – 277 pts
Getting a little “Freedom” from @GeorgeMichael. It’s the first GM song we’ve heard in the comp, which is pretty surprising frankly.
Notes from @colecoffee’s spros: Granny smith apple acidity, brown sugar & caramel aftertaste, milk and dark chocolate, & tart bing cherry.
It’s a Colombian coffee for @colecoffee, a triple washed Castillo variety.
Activated carbon, CO2, and espresso mixed together to make the base of @colecoffee’s sig bev.
Jessica Spangler, RED ROOSTER COFFEE ROASTER, Floyd, VA – 210.5 pts
Spangler competes with the Finca Las Lajas from Central Valley, Costa Rica, a 70/30 blend of black honey processed and full natural
Citrus blossom aroma, blood orange acidity, dark fruit and baking spice mouthfeel in Spangler’s Las Lajas spro.
sig bev for Spangler included using a percolator to reduce dark fruits.
Baking spices and orange zest round out that sig bev for Spangler.
Marcos Iglesias, VP COFFEE, Raleigh, NC – 231 pts
Iglesias starts off his routine with a cover of “Hotel California” by The Eagles. You know what The Dude says about the Eagles…
Iglesias is using an Ethiopian Shakisso coffee. It’s a direct trade coffee, not through the ECX, which is pretty rare for Ethiopian coffees
Iglesias is using coffee roasted on Nov. 16th, over three months ago, that he has frozen.
Sig bev for Iglesias includes green oolong, soda water, and Shakisso, and tastes like sour lemon candy.
Matthew Scott, LEMONJELLO’S COFFEE, Holland, MI – 188 pts
Coffee for @sirlemonjello is 100% Caturra grown at 2050MASL from Pasto, Narino, Colombia, roasted by @madcapcoffee
bright acidity, plum sweetness, and a tangerine finish in @sirlemonjello’s Colombian espresso.
It’s an Americano style sig bev for @sirlemonjello, using water, plum juice, and maple syrup.
Steph Caronna, New World Coffee, Apex, NC – 248.5 pts
Coffee for @coffeesteph8876 is a natural processed Red Catuai variety from Hacienda Sonora in Central Valley, Costa Rica.
Stone fruit notes with a lemon lime citrus, and milk chocolate and cherry finish for @coffeesteph8876.
For her sig bev, @coffeesteph8876 is taking the flavors of the hot spro and making a cold sig bev out of them.
Homemade cherry simple syrup, lemon zest, and a sugar cane rim pair with @CoffeeSteph8876’s chilled espresso for her sig bev.
T. Ben Fisher, LA COLOMBE COFFEE, Philadelphia, PA – 255.5 pts
Oh that @ScarfNinja1812. He gives us a taste of the Hakuna Matata for a few seconds before calling time and changing music. Clever clever.
Using coffee from Nyeri, Kenya, @ScarfNinja1812’s spro has notes of meyer lemon, red berry, and a brown sugar finish.
sig bev for @ScarfNinja1812 includes blood orange juice, costa rican dark chocolate, date simple syrup, and egg whites.
Hannah Craig, QUILLS COFFEE, Louisville, KY – 252 pts
A Castillo variety, Craig is using a coffee from Cauca, Colombia for her espresso course.
Lots of @shakira in Craig’s soundtrack. If her sig bev isn’t shaken, it’s a real missed opportunity. B/c, you know, Shake-ira.
Whoa, Craig has only been specialty coffee for 9 months. Would not have known it from her performance thus far.
Craig knew what she was doing with that Shake-ira soundtrack. Sig bev is in fact shaken.
Sugar, house made almond milk, orange bitters, and chilled espresso, shaken for Craig’s sig bev.
Reef Bassette, SAINT FRANK COFFEE, San Francisco, CA – 234 pts
coffee for Bassette comes Santa Barbara, Honduras from the Las Nubes farm.
Bassette’s sig bev includes date honey, blackberry blood orange juice, vanilla rosemary simple syrup and heavy cream, all nitrous charged
Fully washed, the Las Nubes espresso for Bassette has notes of dates, blackberry, and blood orange.
Tracy Gill, JOE VAN GOGH, Durham, NC – 193.5 pts
Gill is using a washed Heirloom variety from Ethiopia by the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative.
Notes of grapefruit, brown sugar, a juicy body with a crisp lime finish for Gill’s espresso course.
Lime and lemon, honey simple syrup infused with thyme, basil, and Serrano pepper, shaken over ice for Gill’s sig bev.
Samuel Lewontin, EVERYMAN ESPRESSO, New York, NY – 287.5 pts
Coffee today for @coffeeandbikes is the Idido in Ethiopia, which will have notes of clementine, nectarine, and praline.
“coffee is the seed of a fruit, and exceptional coffee taste like it” – @coffeeandbikes #truth
Macerated lime peel, nectarines, and mango with white vinegar and apple cider vinegar for @coffeeandbikes sig bev.
flavors of mandarine orange, canteloupe, and dark chocolate in the @coffeeandbikes sig bev.
This Idido coffee, unlike most Ethiopian coffee, is more than just “heirloom varieties”. It is in fact just the Kurume variety.
Andrew Burgason, WINDMILL COFFEE ROASTERS, Ames, IA – 210.5 pts
Espresso for Burgason is from Lake Kivu in Rwanda, with notes of green tomato, sweet sage, and lemongrass
Oh he’s Bunsen burnin’ some almond milk and mint and lemongrass tea concentrate. Get it, Andrew Burgason.
all those sig bev ingredients for Burgason are getting a nitro charge.
Lotta nitro charging this year. Anyone else notice that?
Bethany Hargrove, WRECKING BALL COFFEE, San Francisco, CA – 267 pts
“Roasting coffee was an interesting solution to a hunter/gather type problem? What do we do with these leftover seeds?” – @B_Harg
It’s a wash processed Ethiopia from the Shilcho cooperative in Sidama for @b_harg.
Rose hips are the primary factor for @b_harg’s sig bev, being utilized in 3 ways.
Rose hip vinegar, rose hip syrup, and rose hip foam from wild rose hips in @b_harg’s sig bev. how many times can i say rose hips? rose hips
Matthew Barahura, INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE, Los Angeles, CA – 266.5 pts
Barahura is serving a coffee from Addis Ababa in Ethiopias. @Intelligentsia
Pomegranate, ripe mango and pineapple sweetness, and a clean orange blossom finish for Barahura.
Cranberry reduction, apricot juice, and a star anise rinse for Barahura’s sig bev.
