Competing for America’s Best Espresso
March 5, 2014 (Published: March 3, 2014)
Later this week, Brandon Bir and Bob Cervas are headed to Coffee Fest New York to represent Crimson Cup in the America’s Best Espresso competition. We’re one of 28 coffee roasters facing off in a tournament designed to find the country’s best espresso roasts and blends.
Brandon and Bob will pull shots of our new Wayfarer Blend® for a panel of three judges at 3:20 p.m. this Friday, March 7. The judges will evaluate espressos for flavor complexity, mouth feel and appeal, and aftertaste. We face Grafton Hills in this first match-up. May the best coffee win!
Wayfarer literally means “traveler,” and we developed this blend through our sourcing trips over the past year. This is one of the most approachable espressos we’ve created using our current crop coffees. It offers something for all coffee palates.
Wayfarer is blended from a rotating selection of current-crop varietals. The blend currently includes Heirloom, Mundo Novo, Rubi, Acaia and Yellow Bourbon coffees cultivated at elevations of 1,050 to 1,900 meters. Lightly roasted, Wayfarer Blend melds the syrupy, rich and smooth notes of tree nuts and chocolate with bright accents of exotic fruits. Soft lime acidity highlights notes of plum, wild strawberry, caramel and almond, while a medium body delivers a smooth buttery finish.
This is Crimson Cup’s second appearance in the America’s Best Espresso championship. Last year, our signature Armando’s Blend advanced to the second round of competition.
America’s Best Espresso Eastern Championship competition takes place March 7 to 9 at Coffee Fest New York, a coffee industry trade show held in Hall 1 A of the Jacob Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th Street. The winner of the America’s Best Espresso title will be crowned Sunday afternoon. Wish us luck!