2017 World Coffee Cup Test Champion "Chen Le (Chan Lok)"

An interview with Chan Lok, the champion of the 2017 World Coffee Cup Test Competition

Juan Gabriel Cespedes, the World Cup test champion in the past two years, lost his third challenge in Budapest, but who shook his supremacy this time? There is no doubt that this year's new contestants are eager to try and have a strong momentum.

And the new champion of the World Cup Test God is Chen Le from Hong Kong Craft Coffee Roasters. BlackWaterIssue interviewed him, please listen to his preparation process and story of the competition.

Q) Please introduce the coffee provided in the competition.

Chan) the coffee tastes very good. Roasting is between light and medium, most of the coffee taste is clear and clean, with terroir flavor, easy to taste the origin and treatment. This shows that the Helper extraction is very good.

Q) how is the water temperature measured by the cup?

Chan) just in time. The first set of cup tests didn't feel too hot at the beginning.

Q) how to prepare for the World Series?

Chan) start preparation 6 months in advance. Use 4 coffee brewers at a time to prepare a combination of 4 cups, mix all the cups like the competition, a total of 8 combinations. The degree of baking ranges from medium to dark. In order to improve the difficulty, I will often use Latin American coffee with a weak personality, and sometimes practice with coffee from different places. Each exercise ends within 6 minutes.

Q) what's the taste of each round of coffee?

Chan) each round serves coffee with a similar degree of roasting and intensity. In the first round, the origin and treatment of coffee are different, so it is easier to find out the difference. Some coffees are red wine-flavored Latin American sun-tanned coffee, some floral East African tanned and washed coffee, and heavy Asian coffee.

But in the final, the cups of 2-3 combinations had no obvious difference, and the taste was almost the same. The intensity of the flavor is very weak, without a clear floral and fruity flavor.

Q) even so, you answered all the cups correctly. What's the secret?

Chan) this challenge is my third challenge. I was the runner-up in the Hong Kong Cup Test Competition in 2013 and 2015. Only with this experience can I get the present result. And the help of my partner Kwong Wai Ho (2016 Hong Kong Cup champion) is also indispensable. His experience helps me choose coffee, schedule time and rhythm that are suitable for practice.

In all the competitions, I have tested each cup at least twice, that is, when it is hot and when it is cold. Coffee mainly depends on its flavor when it is hot, balance and Body when it is cold. Cup tests at different temperatures in the same cup help me taste more accurately. Facing the extremely difficult cup, I Slurpping with my eyes closed, keeping my mind focused on the taste.

Q) what is your next goal?

Chan) I am the baker of Craft Coffee Roasters. I think the key to a perfect cup of coffee is raw beans. Raw beans will be affected by climate, harvesting, treatment, etc. So I am willing to take the time to find better coffee and participate in the auction. I also hope to learn from farmers and experts from the place of origin. So I am very glad that the award for the champion is to be able to participate in the tour of the place of origin of Ally Coffee and visit Brazil next month.

Q) people who are grateful

Chan) I am very grateful to my relatives and friends who supported me in this competition. The members of Craft Coffee Roasters also helped me a lot. My girlfriend Kylie is also in Budapest to help me focus on the competition. I would also like to express my gratitude to Mr Chuo of Taiwan, my first coffee teacher.