This year, both Sam and Bruno showcased extraordinary coffees at the Irish Barista Championship that tell powerful stories of flavour, place, and connection.

From Colombia’s Acevedo, Huila, Sam selected a Java variety from Finca Villa Betulia, grown by Luis Aníbal Calderón. With origins tracing back to Ethiopia, Java is prized for its resilience and Gesha-like qualities. This lot underwent 45 hours of aerobic fermentation before slow parabolic drying, resulting in a cup bursting with fruit-forward sweetness, florality, and complexity. For Sam, it shone as playful, vibrant, and full of character.

Meanwhile, Bruno chose a Red Geisha from Fazenda Rio Verde’s Cuore Di Minas, Premier Cru Diamond Edition in Brazil’s Serra da Mantiqueira. Dried on-tree for much of the cherries life, and then again on raised beds for over 328 hours, this lot delivers profound orange blossom florals, dense sweetness, and layered fruitiness. For Bruno, the choice was deeply personal too - his first job in coffee was at a São Paulo café run by the same Ipanema collective behind this farm.

Two unique paths, two remarkable coffees, one shared stage.