Boram Um’s Brazilian Specialty Coffee presentation, which won the Brazilian Baristas Championship after three days of fierce competition, grabbed the show and earned him a spot in the World of Coffee 2023 event in Athens from June 22 to 24, 2023.
Um, utilized coffee varietals such as Yellow Bourbon from his family’s UM Coffee e Co plantation in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais’ southern section, Serra da Mantiqueira. The beverages had a balanced acidity with flavour characteristics of tangerine, plum, white florals, and orange flowery.
“I am overjoyed to be able to represent Brazil once more. I have been working on these events for years, and we have three titles. Now that the world championship is approaching, we must work really hard to prepare. The task is enormous, and the goal is to go to the last round and perhaps deliver a stunning prize to our nation,” stated Um.
Leo Moço finished in second position, while Hugo Silva took third. The competition, which is sponsored by World Coffee Events and organized by the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), is a component of the initiative “Brazil. The Coffee Nation” (WCE).
This championship is significant because it honours the union of specialty coffee from Brazil with the barista profession. According to Vinicius Estrela, executive director of BSCA, “Brazil has been expanding in terms of quality over the years, providing a greater repertory for the professional barista to provide more alternatives to the ultimate customer as well as a cup of excellence.
The 18 competitors were evaluated on their knowledge of the market, the items they are utilizing, and their presentation and preparation abilities for coffee. The assessors were amazed by the specialty coffee’s quality and the baristas’ presentation. “This past weekend at the competition, I drank one of the nicest Brazilian coffees I have ever tasted. The baristas themselves, as well as the coffee, presentations, and performances, all had extremely high quality, according to the chief judge and World Coffee Events representative Richard Corney.
15-year judging veteran Luiz Salomo remarked, “We watched the progress of the coffee beans and how baristas are getting more and more involved in the whole chain process. We were interested in the way the baristas combined the flavours of the coffee with the components in their drinks since it demonstrated how much they are learning about flavours and what to look for when making a drink with distinct sensory notes.