Introduction:Want to know how the world’s top pour over baristas craft an astonishing cup of coffee through attention to detail? This article delves into the brewing strategies of the six finalists from the 2015 World Brewers Cup, breaking down their carefully selected coffee varieties, unique processing methods, equipment choices, precise parameter settings, and brewing techniques — offering a comprehensive breakdown of championship-level brewing logic. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, you’ll gain practical tips and enhance your understanding and control over coffee flavors.
In recent years, pour over coffee has sparked a global wave of enthusiasm, especially among coffee lovers who value nuanced flavors. Compared to other brewing methods, pour over not only requires lower equipment costs but also vividly showcases the bean’s original regional characteristics and processing profiles. However, consistently extracting captivating coffee flavors is no easy feat — factors such as variety, water temperature, grind size, and brew time can lead to vastly different taste experiences even with the same beans. This article will take you into the 2015 World Brewers Cup, revealing the secrets of professional-grade pour over through the hands-on techniques of the six finalists.
The sixth place was awarded to Ruslan Shulga from Russia, representing “Vse Stali Coffee.” He used a rarely seen high-altitude natural-processed Geisha, sourced from La Esmeralda Estate, grown at an elevation of 1700 meters. Shulga emphasized that natural-processed beans are highly sensitive to roast curves, so he tested repeatedly with multiple roasters and various roast profiles prior to the competition to find the optimal balance that highlights fruitiness and acidity layers. During the competition, he used a Hario V60 dripper, setting the coffee-to-water ratio at 1:16.7 (15g coffee to 250g water). The resulting coffee displayed bright fruit acidity and complex layers, with a wet aroma of orange, caramel, and vanilla, and a cup flavor of icy peach tea, orange, and medium-sweet citrus notes. As the temperature dropped, the acidity became even more pronounced.
Ranking fifth was Dutch competitor Rob Kocovski, representing “Babbo Coffee.” Embodying a spirit of innovation, he chose an anaerobically fermented Catuai and Caturra hybrid from Diamante Estate in Costa Rica. The beans underwent a 20-hour anaerobic process while retaining full mucilage, resulting in a pronounced cinnamon aroma. Unbound by traditional pour over formats, he created a custom brewing system combining a hand-operated espresso machine with Chemex filters, using 18g of coffee and 300g of water at 93°C. Through 5 minutes and 30 seconds of uniform stirring, he enhanced extraction uniformity, with the entire process lasting 9 minutes and 40 seconds. The final coffee showcased crisp apple-like fruit acidity, a cinnamon aftertaste, and medium-low body, presenting a highly distinctive personal style.
The fourth-place winner was Sarah Anderson from “Intelligentsia Coffee” in the United States. She used the extremely rare Colombian Eucalyptus species, also known as the “Mother of Arabica,” which not only features intense flavors and outstanding sweetness, but also delicate acidity, with an annual production of just 200 pounds at one point. During the competition, Sarah employed the ALTOAIR paper filter pour over device, using a coffee-to-water ratio of 19g to 300g, with a total extraction time of about 8 minutes and 30 seconds. She applied a three-stage steeping and stirring technique — first letting the coffee grounds and hot water sit together for 1 minute and 30 seconds before stirring — effectively enhancing extraction layers. This coffee exhibited wet aromas of black butter and black tea, with a rich and smooth mouthfeel. Flavors included cane sugar sweetness, genmai-cha notes, melon, ripe pear, and clear apple acidity. The cup was clean and bright, leaving a deep impression on the judges.
The bronze medalist was Benjamin Brigge from Switzerland, representing “Bear and Cow Coffee.” He used SL-28/34 varietals from southern Kenya, grown at 1800 meters altitude, characterized by delicate, clean, sweet, and soft profiles. He brewed with a Hario V60, first sifting the coffee beans through 350-micron and 250-micron sieves twice, keeping only 14g of finely ground coffee. With 236g of water, he performed a 30-second bloom with 30g of water, then poured the rest in one go to minimize temperature loss, achieving a silky medium body. The wet aroma of this coffee released floral notes and dark berry tones, such as blueberry and blackcurrant, with fine and layered flavors. The overall brewing time was around 10 minutes.
The runner-up was Konstantinos Ladogiannis from Greece’s “Taf Coffee.” He also used a natural-processed Geisha from Panamanian Finca tiny, brewing with a Hario V60. The coffee-to-water ratio was 15g to 250ml, with a 96°C bloom before main extraction. He pointed out that the V60 offers excellent flow control, clearly reflecting how brewing variables affect flavor. The final coffee delivered rich layers of berries, chocolate, and stone fruits, with wet aromas of magnolia, black honey, and milk tea. Overall, it showed prominent floral notes and full fruit character, and was hailed as a “natural processed bean with washed characteristics.” The total brew time was 9 minutes and 32 seconds.
The champion was Audun Tollefsen from Norway’s “Superkraitt Kaffe,” who used Ethiopia natural-processed Geisha “Honey Kiss” from “Ninety Plus,” employing a sun-dried processing method, with only 7 bags produced globally. He emphasized that this bean was highly expressive on its own, requiring little interpretation. During the competition, he used a V60 dripper with a ratio of 20g coffee to 300g of 92°C water, performing a 45-second bloom followed by a total extraction time of 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Notably, he used low-mineral natural water from Norway’s west coast to achieve a smoother and more delicate mouthfeel. Coupled with real-time monitoring via an ACAIA digital scale, this coffee showcased sweet tropical fruit flavors like mango, apricot, and passionfruit, with a long-lasting aftertaste and elegant acidity. The entire brewing process was tightly controlled within 10 minutes, delivering a near-perfect pour over performance.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
