How is our national roasting champion preparing for the grand final?

Our head roaster, Beca Silva, won the national roasting championship last March and that means only one thing: she will participate in the world finals on April 27. In the meantime, Silva is not standing idly by but practicing to become the world roasting champion.

Silva, who came to the coffee industry when he was 18 years old as a hobby, worked in coffee shops to cover college expenses. "When I really became passionate about it was understanding specialty coffee and all that a cup means," he says. "I quickly understood that coffee was much more than a beverage; behind every cup there was effort, dedication, talent and a lot of knowledge."

The roaster loved the coffee ecosystem, from which she highlights the people, be they producers, importers, baristas or clients, both for their talent and because they are united by the same passion for coffee. "Another thing I like the most is that coffee is a constant learning challenge and this is a challenge that motivates me to improve."

To prepare for the grand final he is tasting a lot: "I do sensory analysis of different samples and find the different roasting curves to show the different characteristics of each coffee and its processes in a precise way". In addition, he continues with the exercises that served him so well in the national final and with the support of Fran González, our coffee director.

The grand final is structured just like the previous test, and only one more roast must be made. In total, two roasts, one single origin, with the same coffee and the same process, and one blend, with several coffees mixed in different proportions. "Both have the same goal in common: to be described on the tasting sheet accurately and impeccably for the judges." In the meantime, Silva has selected and roasted a coffee that we already have for sale, Hartmann, a Panama geisha omniroast, a limited edition with notes of lemongrass, blackberries and yogurt, with floral and fruity nuances.

Hartmann, for those who do not know it, is one of the most reputable farms in Panama, in Chiriqui, at an altitude of between 1,300 meters and 2,000 meters, where coffee has been cultivated for more than a century with special attention to sustainability and the ecosystem of which they are a part. For example, cultivation takes place under natural shade thanks to the abundant vegetation in the area, which also has a positive impact on the fauna and, again, on the crops. The hand-picked and carefully selected coffee makes Hartmann coffee one of the most highly valued coffees.

It is processed by the classic natural method, in which the ripe cherries, with a content of between 20 and 22 degrees Brix, are transported to African beds located at an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level, with a relative humidity of 63%, where they are dried for 12 days. After 3 more days in a dark room, in which a mechanical method of humidity extraction is applied, the coffee is ready.