Over the weekend of 16-17 November 2024, I had the pleasure of competing in the Brewers Cup at the Community Coffee Championships in Perth. This event serves as a gateway to the Australian Coffee Championships in 2025. The Brewers Cup is a filter coffee competition where participants are tasked with presenting three stellar pour-overs to a panel of discerning judges, along with a detailed presentation about the coffee and the brewing techniques used. Although I didn't snag a spot in the national comp next year, the experience was worth every moment and if you've ever toyed with the idea of competing, I highly encourage you to take the leap next year!
The Coffee - Natural Gesha Microlot from La Divisa
For my competition coffee, I chose a Natural Gesha microlot from La Divisa, a family-owned coffee farm in the Circasia region of Quindío, Colombia, led by Sebastian Gomez. This exceptional lot was grown at altitudes between 1700-1800 masl in rich volcanic soil, which contributes to its bright, refined acidity and enhances its floral and tropical fruit notes.
The cherries were meticulously hand-picked to ensure only the ripest were harvested. The processing began with a 16-hour anaerobic fermentation in sealed tanks. After this, the cherries were moved to raised drying beds in a temperature-controlled environment until they reached the target moisture content of 11%. This dual anaerobic natural/natural processing in a highly controlled environment resulted in a coffee that was incredibly consistent to work with, and features an intense sweetness, a syrupy/juicy body, and an outstanding mix of fresh and jammy tropical fruits like pineapple, strawberry, mango and blood orange. This Gesha microlot also boastes floral notes of rose and hibiscus.
Why This Coffee Stood Out
The character-forward taste profile, high levels of sweetness, delicious tropical fruits, and bright, tangy acidity made this coffee stand out on a cupping table with 25 other potential competition-level lots. It was so impressive that it was independently chosen to be Five Senses' Christmas Special Release for 2024. Great coffee minds think alike!
The Recipe: One-Double-One
With the coffee chosen, I needed to develop a recipe to bring out the best it had to offer. After weeks of tinkering and testing, I settled on a recipe I call the One-Double-One. This simple yet effective pouring structure splits the full weight of brew water into four even parts: one part for the bloom, double that for the first pour, and one final quarter for the second pour, hence the name One-Double-One
For my onstage recipe, I used 15.5g of La Divisa Natural Gesha and 240g (split into four 60g parts) of 93-degree brew water (a 1:15.48 ratio for the coffee nerds). The large bloom of around four times the coffee weight ensures that all the grounds become fully saturated and sufficiently degassed, leading to a more even extraction throughout the brew. After a 45-second bloom period, the first pour (the Double) is added at a high flow rate over 10 seconds. This introduces a good amount of agitation, turning over the coffee bed and ensuring any gas from the bloom is released from deep in the bed, bringing out the best of the high sweetness and syrupy body. The final 60 grams is then added at a slower flow rate over 8 seconds, around 5 seconds before the first pour finishes draining through the coffee bed. This ensures temperature stability until the end of the brew and brings balance to the final cup.
This recipe has led me to consistent and delicious brews of the La Divisa Natural Gesha, which has earned its place as one of my favorite lots I've had the pleasure to work with. If you pick up a can of the Christmas 2024 special release, I would love for you to give it a try yourself.
