Johanna Moncaleano Torres | American Comandante Champion

What is your job and where do you live and work?

I am from Colombia and I am a Latina coffee lover. I own my coffee shop ACDT SPECIALTY COFFEE, also located in Colombia, Bogota. There, we sell our in-house coffee as a beverage. We also have our coffee available to export.

What does coffee mean to you and what do you love about it?

Coffee is happiness for me; it is my hobby, my work, and my passion. As a lawyer in my country, I was not as passionate about what I was doing. Now, working with coffee has given me the tranquillity and happiness I was seeking. What enamoured me about coffee is what it signifies. Not just the culture, but the beauty of the process as a whole. It all starts with the farmers (caficultores), then the lovely chapoleras, they are the ones that pick and choose the coffee cherries. Next in the process is enriching the beans with flavour. The roasters’ search to give the bean incredible flavour and the sensory-skilled individuals select the best profiles. Finally, the barista is given something amazing to create art. As a barista and competitor, I need to learn everything I can about processes and recipes. I search for ways to experiment with coffee to always improve and innovate.

What is your experience with Comandante grinders and what do you like about them?

When you want to do something amazing and try your hardest to do the best you need to have the proper tools. I started gathering information and searching about grinders and what was going to help me to have the best grind, uniformity, and consistency. When I heard about Comandante Grinder, it was not that easy for me to obtain one in Bogota. I like to compete so I had the chance to try it and I fell in love with the grinder immediately. Its size makes it easy to travel with. It is also easy to use, and fast at grinding. As I said before, the consistency of the grind makes it not only an amazing tool but also an advantage. But hearing about, and seeing with my own eyes, how effective the grinder is made it more than worth it to travel and buy my own Comandante.

Why did you apply for the Comandante Grind & Brew Cup?

I did sensory SCA certification and they usually send information about events. I saw the Portland Coffee Expo and I knew I had to go. I was already following Comandante on social media, so while I was planning the trip, I saw The Comandante Grind & Brew Cup information. Luckily, it was going to be held on the days I was over there.I like to compete, I love coffee, and I had my Comandante ready. So I signed up online and hoped for the best.

How was the competition for you?

It was amazing, a great experience for me. The people were so nice, the Comandante crew was incredible, and the atmosphere of the place, the other competitors were amazing brewers and some of them were big names in the coffee industry. It was like a dream getting to know these people and that they were just so nice. Then the competition itself tested our skills. We all felt the rush and people that did not know me were cheering and smiling and everyone just enjoyed themselves and were in the moment. At first, I was just thinking about participating, and how this experience would give me confidence and be one of the people representing Colombia in a USA competition. But when it got closer to the end and I saw I had an opportunity to win, I got excited and nervous, because in my mind the competitors in Comandante were out of my league. The prices were to dream of. I was thinking about buying some things to improve my Comandante. It ended up being that I won everything I wanted or needed in the prize boxes. The Comandante crew were all supportive, nice, and caring. That is the best experience I’ve had and I won’t forget all of this.

What are your future goals?

As a barista, I want to continue competing and growing. I am shy, but I love the feeling that I get, knowing that it is something I am both knowledgeable in and passionate about. I would like to keep growing as a barista. I would also like to keep growing my business. Not only on sales but also I want to teach and bring people to the good side of specialty coffee. I am from Colombia, a coffee-producing country, and our product and culture make us very proud. I would like more people to share this passion, this understanding, and more than anything, further appreciate coffee.

What is your advice for future competitors?

My advice is to have fun and enjoy. To laugh and meet the people who are around you. These people are amazing at what they do, they’ve been all over the world and we have so much to learn from them. Love what you do, love the coffee, and enjoy the time you are brewing. You can have fun, but also be professional; coffee is love and is not as easy as everyone may think. When you are given your sample, you have to learn about your coffee and how a recipe can improve it. Analyze always what and how you are doing your brewing, and always be aware that your tools help you to be consistent and get the best out of what you are given.