How Two Coffee Champions Guide You Through Flavor and Grind

If you’ve ever wondered how professionals really taste coffee—or why your espresso sometimes tastes sharp, sour, or just flat—this event delivers hard answers. On April 23, 2014, at Guangzhou’s Crème Coffee Training Center, two former national and regional champions led separate morning and afternoon sessions covering both the sensory and technical sides of high-level coffee work.

In one day, you’ll cup six carefully selected single-origin coffees with a Hong Kong cupping champion, then explore how six common commercial grinders affect espresso and filter coffee flavor—with live scoring. All in one location, with limited spots.

Morning Session: Cupping with a Hong Kong Cup Tasting Champion

From 10:00 to 12:30, 2013 Hong Kong Cup Tasting Champion Jacob Tang (also an MTC Group quality control specialist and WBC Hong Kong certification judge) guided participants through professional cupping techniques and evaluated six distinct single-origin coffees. The session broke down how to assess sweetness, acidity, bitterness, aftertaste, aroma, and overall quality—skills essential for any serious coffee professional.

Session Agenda (Morning)

• 10:00–10:15: Participant and instructor introductions
• 10:15–11:00: Explanation of cupping steps, its importance, and introduction to the six coffees
• 11:00–12:30: Guided cupping with discussion of results

The Six Coffees

• Ethiopia Sidamo Saxota Farm (Washed): Organic, part of the Red Cherry Project
• Kenya Yacurima (Washed): A blender of multiple regions and washing stations, tailored for roasters
• Guatemala Granja La Paz Pacamara (Honey Processed): From a farm known for its many pomegranate trees—does the coffee echo that?
• Guatemala Granja La Paz Bourbon (Honey Processed): Same farm and process, different variety—how does flavor differ?
• Panama Carmen Estate (Washed): Multiple Best of Panama award winner
• Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kercha (Natural Processed): Classic Yirgacheffe sun-dried coffee

Afternoon Session: Grinder Impact on Coffee Flavor

From 14:00 to 17:30, 2014 China Barista Champion Jeremy Zhang took over to focus on how different commercial grinders affect the taste of brewed and espresso coffee. Participants learned to identify the characteristics of common grinder types, explored how grind selection influences extraction, and tasted the results in both AeroPress/Clever Dripper-style filter coffee and espresso. They also scored the outputs and discussed the differences firsthand.

Session Agenda (Afternoon)

• 14:00–14:20: Instructor introduction
• 14:20–15:00: Overview of commercial grinder types, features, and selection criteria
• 15:00–15:30: Filter coffee tasting to compare grinder impact
• 15:30–16:10: Hands-on espresso brewing with different grinders, with live analysis of taste, balance, and flavor
• 16:10–16:50: Instructor summary and key insights
• 16:50–17:20: Open participant discussion and sharing

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 (All-day event)
• Venue: Crème Coffee Training Center, 7F, Fushi Textile Building, 318 Guangyuan Middle Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou
• Target Audience: Coffee shop owners, baristas, and coffee enthusiasts (only 6 spots remained)
• Registration Deadline: April 21, 2014
• Fee: 500 RMB per person
• How to Register: Email name, phone, email, workplace, and position to zs@crema.cn
• Contact: Kelly Chan at 13710253028

Frequently Asked Questions

Who were the two instructors leading the coffee event on April 23, 2014?

Jacob Tang, the 2013 Hong Kong Cup Tasting Champion and MTC Group quality control expert, led the morning cupping session. Jeremy Zhang, the 2014 China Barista Champion, led the afternoon grinder and brewing session. Both are highly credentialed industry professionals with competition and training experience.

What kinds of coffee were cupped in the morning session?

Six single-origin coffees were cupped: washed Sidamo from Ethiopia (organic, Red Cherry Project), washed Kenya Yacurima (blended for roasters), honey-processed Pacamara and Bourbon from Guatemala’s Granja La Paz, washed Panama Carmen Estate (multiple Best of Panama winner), and natural Yirgacheffe Kercha from Ethiopia.

What grinders and brew methods were used in the afternoon session?

Jeremy Zhang discussed various commercial grinder types and their impact on extraction. Attendees brewed and tasted coffee using both filter methods (like Clever Dripper) and espresso, comparing results from different grinders. They also participated in live scoring of the cups.

How many people could attend, and when did registration close?

Only six spots remained for the full-day event, which required registration by April 21, 2014. The cost was 500 RMB per person.

Was hands-on grinding and brewing included in the event?

Yes. In the afternoon session, participants had the chance to use different commercial grinders, brew coffee via multiple methods, and evaluate the flavor differences themselves, including live scoring and discussion.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans Featured at the Event

While the event highlighted a range of sourced coffees, FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Heirloom and Panama Boquete Geisha offer similar profiles to the cupped lots. The Yirgacheffe brings vibrant citrus and floral tones typical of washed Yirgacheffe, while the Geisha highlights complex stone fruit and jasmine—echoing the Panamanian cup profiled. Both are excellent examples of high-scoring single origins. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.