Meet the 2024 World Cup Tasters Champion
Dionathan Almeida talks about the first time he had coffee, why he decided to compete and why he thinks he won
As a little break from my regular programming, I thought I’d share this with you my interview with the newly crowned 2024 World Cup Tasters Champion.
I loved meeting Dionathan. Because there is just so much I love about his story:
The first international flight Dionathan ever took was the one he took to Chicago to attend Specialty Coffee Expo.
At just 29 years old, he is also the first Brazilian to ever win the title.
Until the day he won the title, he had primarily cupped Brazilian coffees.
He clinched victory in the final round of the World Cup Tasters Championship with an impressive time of 2 minutes and 19 seconds.
Enjoy. I did.
Please introduce yourself to our audience.
Hello, I’m Dionatan Antunes de Almeida. I’m from a city called Três Pontas in the south of Minas Gerais – Brazil. I started working with coffee in 2011 when I was 16 years old - I started working on coffee farms. In 2015 I started learning about coffee tasting and in 2016 I took over quality control at the Caxambu and Aracaçu farms, where I still work today.
In 2022 I participated in the Brazilian Cup Taster Championship for the first time. I came in third place. The next year I was the Brazilian champion, which qualified me to represent Brazil in the world championship in Chicago.
Tell us about the first time you had specialty coffee and what made you want to do it for a living?
When I started working on a farm producing specialty coffees in 2011, I was enchanted by all the processes involved in producing quality coffee - all the affection, care and diligence shown by everyone involved. And in 2015, when I learned more about the sensory evaluation of coffees, this passion increased even more, which awakened in me the desire to learn more and more about specialty coffees, discover new profiles and origins.
Today, specialty coffee is part of my life. In fact, specialty coffee changed my life, taking me to places I always dreamed of. I have contributed to Brazilian specialty coffees for a few years. I was a judge at the CUP OF EXCELLENCE Brazil three times and on two occasions I was part of the international jury.
Why did you decide to compete?
Well, as I said, I’m passionate about coffee. I love my profession. When I discovered that there was a competition for coffee tasters I was extremely excited, despite not feeling prepared at that moment. So I decided that first I needed to prepare myself and gain more experience. In 2022 I understood that it was time to compete. I wanted to have this experience and also put myself to the test. Another factor that really motivated me was the possibility of representing my country and being able to bring this unprecedented title to Brazil.
Why do you think you won?
I believe that preparation was fundamental for this achievement - all the training and focus for this competition. I also cannot fail to highlight all the help I had, with guidance from other Brazilian competitors, friends, my boss UCHA, my coach JACK ROBSON, and my entire family. These people gave me all the support I needed.
I believe that my arrival in the USA seven days before the competition was also important for adapting and accessing coffees from other countries.
And finally, my career in coffee allowed me to have several experiences that helped me a lot, as I was born and raised on a coffee producing farm where my parents worked.
What’s your advice for baristas who are thinking about competing?
Prepare as much as possible. Train hard. But also try to have fun. Competing demands focus but also passion for what you do. Believing and dedicating ourselves, we are all more capable than we imagine.
What’s next for you?
Well, the idea is now to move forward with some projects, some socially focused, such as providing tasting training for young people, introducing the world of specialty coffees and discovering new talents. Also carry out training for those interested in the world of coffee, mainly in the area of tasting. And, last but not least, disseminate Brazilian coffees, all the quality of our product and also of the professionals who are here.
If you’re keen to hear from more champions, check out the interviews I’ve done with previous champions on my instagram. All photos courtesy of the BSCA.