ONA COFFEE SWEEP THE ASCA CENTRAL REGION BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Angus Mackie of Ona Coffee has won the 2019 ASCA Central Region Barista Championship for the second year in a row. Competitors from Ona Coffee rounded out the top three positions, with two-time Australian Barista Champion Hugh Kelly placing second, and Joao Carlos Henriques placing third. The competition was held at Specialty Coffee Curators in Marrickville, New South Wales from 27 to 28 October.
On stage, Angus used a washed SL34/SL28 coffee from the Nyeri region of Kenya. His performance focused on the tasting systems and how flavour is generated. For his espresso, Angus used custom built temperature gauges to guide the judges through their taste experience.
For the milk course, Angus used an Ethiopian heirloom varietal and textured his milk with The Milk Cloud steamless machine.
For his signature beverage, Angus calibrated the judges’ palates by instructing them to smell melted chocolate before tasting his beverage. He also asked the judges to apply nasal strips to the bridges of their noses, to open their air passages and allow for a better aroma experience.
“By guiding the judges through this and thinking about our tasting system, we can better understand the flavours that we have in the cup and create a better taste experience,” Angus said.
Angus and the rest of the winners from the Central Region Coffee Championships have earnt spots in the ASCA Australian Championships, taking place at MICE from 7 – 9 February, 2019. Public and trade tickets are on sale now!
This article originally appeared in BeanScene, and can be read in its entirety here.
