Trabocca’s Stijn van Mourik on the Roast Masters™ 2020 competition coffee.
The Roast Masters™ competition, in which everything revolves around the art of roasting specialty coffee, subjects roaster-barista duos from all over Europe to the ultimate test. At a rapid pace they will be tested in two disciplines: blending espresso and roasting a single origin. For their blends the roasters bring their own coffees, but for the single-origin round all roasters receive 5kg of the same green coffee beans one month before the competition. This year Trabocca provides this coffee. During a cupping session a five headed jury will decide who has developed the best roasting profile with this coffee. So, which coffee will the roasters be using to prove themselves with this year?
Hi Stijn! Why did you step up as Roast Masters™ coffee sponsor this year?
Because we love to do what we are good at, supplying high quality coffees to roasters. We would like to do the same for Roast Masters™.
Which coffee have you selected for Roast Masters™?
A washed guji-1 coffee of the Suke Quto Farm. This farm of farmer Tesfaye Bekele is one of our main suppliers and partners in Ethiopia. The coffee is complex, elegant, citric, floral, en exceptionally sweet.
Tesfaye Bekele. Photo by William Forsman
Why have you specifically chosen this coffee?
It is the ideal coffee for cupping. It keeps slowly changing as the temperature drops. Apart from that the Suke Quto is an amazing ‘base-coffee’ for roasters. With this coffee you can go into many different directions. You can opt for acidity, sweetness and mouthfeel. With these factors in mind you can determine the perfect balance as a roaster.
What is the secret to creating a good blend?
The secret lies in determining the desired flavor profile beforehand. After that it’s a matter of roasting different coffees in such a way as to accomplish this profile. Continuity is also very important. Whether you are blending pre- or post-roast, the art lies in the consistency of the flavor profile you have created.
What is the biggest challenge for roasters these days?
To in the long run buy and supply fresh, high quality and stable coffees, for an affordable price.
Curious which roasters will take up the challenge of working with Trabocca’s versatile guji-1? Click here for the complete line-up of participating coffee roasters.