COLUMBUS, Ohio, U.S. — On November 19, Australian coffee professionals explored coffees of the world with Brandon Bir, education and sustainability director for Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea. Over a dozen attended the one-day seminar at the Golden Bean Australia/New Zealand roasting competition. Both events took place at Australasian Cafe School in Port Macquarie, New South Wales.
“Part sensory science, part history, and lots of tasting, this workshop helped coffee professionals develop calibration skills to make informed purchasing decisions,” Brandon Bir said.
The course covered sensory analysis, cupping protocols, the coffee flavor wheel and differences in coffee profiles due to processing, variety and region.
“In one short day, we tasted our way through coffees from Central and South America, Africa and Asia,” Brandon Bir said. “We touched on elements of the Q Grader exams as students learned about sensory analysis through triangulation.”
A coffee triangulation involves three cups. Two contain an identical coffee. The third holds a different variety. Tasters must correctly identify the different cup.
Certified as Q Grader by the Coffee Quality Institute, Bir contributes to sensory skills course development for the Specialty Coffee Association. He holds 10 different coffee and tea certifications, including Authorized SCA Trainer (AST), SCA Specialized Instructor and STI Level One.
In September, Brandon Bir led Crimson Cup to the 2019 Golden Bean North America Small Franchise/Chain Championship. He also served as a judge at the Golden Bean North America and Golden Bean Australia/New Zealand competitions.
