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Permalink Reply by Mark Pfaff on July 12, 2008 at 10:35pm

Well of course you have to begin with the ever-present 'subjectivity disclaimer'. No two judges' palates are made alike. What is 'best' will vary from judge to judge, especially between flights and definitely between competitions and regions.

So I think the challenge is finding/crafting a coffee that will blow them ALL away. It has to be so good there's just no debate. It's also about innovating, bringing something they've never experienced before so there is always an element of 'bending the rules' to create something truly extraordinary.

SO's are particularly good if you can find an outstanding coffee with balance. They're just more interesting than a blend many times because you get an intimate experience of that exclusive coffee.

You can learn a lot from the judges rule book on the scaa.org website, which I bet you've already perused.

A few things:

Balance: They are looking for a harmonious complexity of flavors without one taste distinctive overshadowing the other. That means that the citrus notes that maybe hit the front of the mouth intermingle and step aside for the caramel/dark chocolate at the end. Some SO's are very good and balanced but others can have very over-powering characteristics that may be pleasant but create an unbalanced cup.

Sweetness: If there's one thing a judge might want a bit extra of it would be sweetness. It's kind of the creme de la creme of flavor distinctives and major brownie-point earner.

Robusta: I don't know what the bias of your judges would be, I think a good judge would set preconceptions aside and give it a chance if you really had an amazing robusta to offer.

Consistency between your speech and the cup: They MUST taste what you describe! If you mention a taste distinctive (lemon, clove, bittersweet chocolate etc) it needs to be dominate enough for the most "undiscerning" judge to pick up :)

Sig Drink: It's always coffee first, I would never gear a blend to a sig drink. It just goes against what the competitions about.

Story: If you want to win, story is crucial. Where did it come from? Who grew it? How did they grow it? How does that affect the flavor? etc Having an in-depth understanding of the source really isn't optional if you want to stand out.

Don't forget the finish: a good coffee should have a lingering, pleasant aftertaste. Many coffees can taste great but sabotage themselves with an unpleasant bitterness or tang left on the tongue.

So all that said find an amazing SO or try to make a blend that is balanced, heavy on the sweetness, and has a few taste distinctives you can describe and then produce in the cup. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Benza Lance on July 14, 2008 at 4:03pm

Pretty much what Mark said. One of the things I was most impressed about at this years WRBC, was how in depth Baca knew about his coffee (used a s.o. ... Brasil Sao Palo, I wanna say). Definately set him apart from almost everybody else there. I would think the more you know about your coffee (or coffees, if its a blend), even if its minute shit about the farmers, is crucial. Just shows your knowledge and dedication.

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