Having coffee with the Brewers Cup Champion
David Disuanco
There’s a new cafe open in Sharjah, but at the far end of Rahmania. It’s called The Hut and it’s brought to you by the guys at Archers Coffee. Safe to say, it’s not going to disappoint. I had another ulterior motive of going, to touch base with a marketer, a creative, a brewing champ.
But before I go any further, I have a very serious question to ask. Is there a career where I can sit down with people, sip coffee, and talk about life? Please get in touch immediately, because I know I have the expertise to do this. Jokes aside, that’s how I spent my afternoon earlier this week, with David Disuanco.
The Hut
People tend to ask me how I get the other person to open up to me so easily. I would simply tell them to be an open book, don’t be a loaded weapon, rather disarm yourself, humble yourself before the person and you get them to trust you.
It’s goes both ways, and will only work if you genuinely like and respect the person you are talking to. When you talk to David however, he won’t come off as a champ, there is not a drop of showiness within him, rather his demeanor is as relaxing as brewing a pour over.
Our conversation started with coffee like it always does, whoever I meet in this industry. It was interesting to know his take on traveling to coffee producing countries, it’s always so glamorous on the gram, but he was quick to tell me that a lot of work and effort goes behind the scenes.
Victoria Arduino set up in The Hut
David has been keeping himself busy between multiple specialty locations opening up, the latest one being The Hut. He also seems to be taking it easy with the World Brewers Cup taking place later this year. He didn’t take any credit for himself but rather commended his team for their support, and without them, he probably would have never competed.
What I found more interesting is that like me, even he was quite interested in the people in the industry. He featured them regularly on Narrative Coffee Company based in the Philippines. There is a sense of genuineness about him which also reflects in the work he creates and I urged him to continue where he left off. And before I end this post, I wanted to share a few words about the coffee he brewed for me.
It’s called the Enigma. What a befitting name. This natural carbonic macerated Geisha hails from the land of Geisha - Panama. The farm is the Iris Estate, and the name Jamison Savage should strike a bell, and rightfully so, he has positioned himself and Finca Deborah as one of the most sophisticated coffee producers and farm globally, and winning many prestigious coffee competitions along with it.
Panama Geisha Iris Enigma
The process ought to be as complicated as the tasting notes. Being a carbonic macerated process, the cherries are sealed in hermetic tanks infused with carbon dioxide. Naturally, the pH and temperature are monitored throughout the fermentation process, in this case about 100 hours, to ensure consistency. The cherries are then naturally dried over the course of 30 days.
A delicate process like this will only produce delicate notes: say hello to the bitterness of the orange peel complimented by some darker notes of chocolate and cherry, layering sweetness on top of the bitterness. The missing element was the fermented notes, and for the first time I’m not complaining, this is a worthy range topper offering by Archers.
The Hut
This post is still not complete before writing a bit about the space. The essence of specialty coffee are the people, the coffee and the space. The inclusiveness of all three makes the experience worthwhile. The first striking feature upon your arrival is the triangular roof exuding a sense of homely warmth. The Hut is as contemporary as it can get emanating a sanctuary of sorts.
David has got me excited about another concept cafe opening up soon, this time in Dubai. I’m not sure if I can share any more information, but I know it’ll easily take a place in my ‘top cafe list’. I would also suggest reading David’s interview on Brewing Gadgets. I really enjoyed it, and I know you will too.
