Tetsu Kasuya of Coffee Factory in Japan is the 2016 World Brewers Cup (WBrC) Champion.
After three attempts at a national title and his first presentation on the world stage, Tetsu can return to Japan with his head held high, in what has been a very successful World of Coffee Show for Japan. Fellow countryman Yoshikazu Iwase of Rec Collective was runner up in the World Barista Championship, just missing out on giving Japan the clean sweep of titles from Dublin.
Through tears and sheer disbelief, Tetsu simply described the winning moment as “a dream”, and thanked his supporters.
Mikaela Wallgren of The Coffee Collective in Finland placed runner up, Chad Wang of Jascaffee China in Taiwan placed third, Benny Wong of The Cupping Room in Hong Kong placed fourth, Todd Goldsworthy of Klatch Coffee in the United States placed fifth, and Odd-Steinar Tøllefsen of Supreme Roastworks AS in Norway (2015 WBrC champion) placed sixth.
More than 30 of the world’s best brewers competed in this year’s event over three days in Dublin, Ireland at the World of Coffee Show from 22 – 25 June, but only one could be victorious.
As the 2016 Champion, Tetsu wins a new VST Refractometer, a trip to Brazil from Ally Coffee, a $500 gift voucher for goods and services from Bonavita, a Lighttells CM-100 Roast Analyzer, and a gift set from Cafe Taf.
The WBrC highlights the craft of filter coffee brewing by hand, promoting manual brewing techniques and service excellence.
For his 10-minute routine, Tetsu began and concluded with a powerful statement: “I am not a farmer. I am not a roaster. I’m just a barista, the brewer,” he told the judges. “My passion has been learning different brew methods until I found the best one.”
It seems he did.
Tetsu selected a natural processed Geisha coffee from Ninety Plus Geisha Estate in Panama, and used 20 grams of this coffee to 300 grams of water at 92°C. He used a course grind to achieve clean, bright flavours from his coffee. His water had a pH of 6.6 and TDS of 1.3.
He then presented the international panel of judges with his own unique recipe he called “the four, six brew method”.
He divided his total water into 40 per cent and 60 per cent volumes. In his first pour, using a V60, Tetsu poured 40 per cent (50 grams) of water over two pours. This, he said, determined the balance, acidity and sweetness of his coffee. In the last pour of the remaining 60 per cent of water, he said it determined the coffee’s strength.
“A simple method but a perfect method,” he said. “The end result is a light, sweet and powerful coffee.”
He described its aroma as having peach and black cherry tones, flavours of peach and strawberry, and acidity that’s bright and clean with strawberry and pineapple notes.
“A great coffee is one with a lingering sweetness, and I believe this is my coffee,” he said. “The balance of acidity and sweetness is perfect.”
Australia’s Devin Loong of Slater St Bench and Bench Projects in Melbourne competed in the WBrC, however did not make it past the first round. We congratulate Devin on representing Australia so well at the world level.
The 2017 WBrC will take place at Hungexpo in Budapest from 13 – 15 June, 2017.
Image credit: World Coffee Events, Jake O, and Dennis Hicks
