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Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/131835
Q: A: Was this around when you started roasting? Yes. I was involved in Centro from 1996 to 2002; in 1999 I bought a 12-kilo Diedrich roaster, and in 2000 I started my roasting company, Ecco Caffe. I liked the idea of roasting because, just like with cooking, I wanted to know more about where my ingredients were coming from and I wanted to get more involved. I hired Willem Boot [of consulting company Boot Coffee] to help me learn how to roast, and he gave me some key advice: You need to get a sample roaster, and you need to learn to cup and evaluate coffee. He told me I needed to have a methodology for tasting so I could trust my palate for buying coffees. Q: A: What were the early years of Ecco like? Well, 2001 was a bit of a turning point for Ecco because it was the year I tasted my first Cup of Excellence coffee, through Erna Knutsen [of Knutsen Coffees], the woman who coined the phrase Òspecialty coffee.Ó At this time Cup of Excellence was in its fledgling state, and I just remember tasting this coffee and going, ÒThis is the best Brazil coffee IÕve ever tasted; itÕs like nothing else.Ó If we go back to before Cup of Excellence, the idea of Òsingle originÓ coffees didnÕt really existÑ even stellar coffees were blended in with everything else, and individual farmers and regions werenÕt being identified. So that changed the game. Q: A: Did you develop a roasting style at Ecco? Our whole approach was to roast much lighter than our colleagues. I thought that by roasting lighter I could get a sweeter profile. Back then a lot of EccoÕs wholesale customers would tell me they wanted something a little darker; it was like swimming upstream roasting light. And itÕs interesting now because so many of my colleagues that are doing a great jobÑStumptown, Four Barrel, Square Mile, Coffee CollectiveÑ are roasting in a lighter style. It has become more accepted and more mainstream. But IÕve never been a proponent of always roasting lightÑmy philosophy is to find that intersection of balance where you can express the natural sweetness inherent in the fruit. Q: A: When you were at Ecco, you also served as a judge for the World Barista Championship. What was that like? That was a very humbling and fortunate experience. I was able to taste all these different coffees and espressos from the worldÕs best roasters, and it really opened my mind and made me think about where Ecco fit into it all. It was really the best education. ThereÕs a test for WBC judges, and because I got one of the highest scores ever, it allowed me to be a sensory judge for the 2006 World Barista Championship, when Klaus Thomsen [who now co-owns DenmarkÕs Coffee Collective] became the World Barista Champion. The shot that Klaus made was just extraordinaryÑitÕs something IÕll never forget. continued on page 40 Fresh Cup Magazine • freshcup.com 39