Mr. Judge: Scott Conary, the Man in the Cupping

Without doubts versatile legend. He transformed his hobby into a business, and since then, he has left his mark on the industry. Bandola spoke with Scott Conary about his life, Barismo, and coffee in Central America

By Jessly Obando
Photos: Douglas López Toledo

Scott Conary is recognized as one of the best international coffee judges. We can say that in a sentence. But Scott has a lot more to share; owner of Open Eye Café and Carrboro Coffee Roasters, owner and president of Caffe Driade; he was the first American certified by the World Barista Championship (WBC), and is an active member of the Rules and Regulations Committee of World Coffee Events (WCE). He was president of the Competition Committee of the Special Coffee Association (SCA), creator of the first certification program for Chief Judge, then adapted for the WCE program, chief judge of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) program / Organizer of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (COE) throughout the world, and also works with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

In his speeches, he often repeats that he managed to transform his hobby into a business, one that undoubtedly more than his time, has stolen his heart. Conary is passionate about everything he does. Although he is a bit reluctant to talk about his private life, he can not hide that he struggles and dreams of changing the world, making a difference, and telling the story behind each cup of coffee.

How does your story with coffee begin; is there an interesting anecdote there?

Much of my profession in coffee is centered around my personality, which coincides with my love for science and learning … when I like something, I want to know everything about it. With coffee as a hobby and passion, my drive to learn led me more and more deeply to the volunteering that was necessary (at that time) to educate myself, beyond what was available at that moment, and I turned a passionate pastime into a passionate business.

How long did it take you to make that leap from student to teacher?

I spent many years with the initial learning phase (although if you do it correctly, you never stop learning), before beginning the transition from student to teacher. I started by taking the few courses available through the SCAA, and then volunteered to help manage those classes, before finally teaching them! Meanwhile, I learned everything I could (without the help of the Internet) … One of my main motivations in the last decades was to help this random learning process, which I and others had to go through, to be a path that could be followed more easily and in a way that makes sense for professional development.

In how many competitions have you been a judge? Are there any that you remember in a particular way and want to share with the readers of Bandola?

I couldn’t say how many competitions I’ve been judging since 2003, but surely there are a couple of hundred around the world. Having done that in different countries and languages means that it can be difficult to remember details, but I do remember the first competitions of the countries since they can be a bit “rougher” … I remember long hours volunteering, deprived of water, food, and sleep, generally unhealthy; but taking advantage of my athletic resilience, all for the “greater good” of pushing our industry to improve standards and skills in places where you can work. I never regretted these efforts, although I regret that people have forgotten what was necessary to get where we are today because the people with whom I had the luck to meet and work were always worth it.

How would you rate the barista experience in the Central American region? Do you have any recommendations for baristas or maybe for producers?

The barista profession in Central America has come a long way since I started helping with training and competition more than 10 years ago. There have been many people who have had great success but, most importantly, the success of these few and the example of successful baristas in competitions around the world, have served to inspire baristas of all countries. With access to the Internet helping to disseminate information, we have seen people, often with experience in competition, develop quality-based businesses with the best practices they have learned by honing their skills in competitions.

Therefore, I would continue to suggest to Baristas that they participate in competitions no matter what the results are, since they will always learn valuable knowledge and skills. I would tell the producers to see how they can help these baristas grow together and represent their farms to the public … they should also focus on quality practices so that the results are consistently displayed in the cup; either for a competition or for a buyer who is willing to pay fairly for that quality.

Speaking of properties, what is the market value of coffee in Central America?

The market seems to be growing, sometimes with the help of international support but still involving local actors (…) While there are always different qualities desired throughout the world, I believe that a universal desire for markets will be largely advancing quality to the forefront, focusing on clean and sweet coffees as the basis of that quality, followed by any unique profile they may have. Naturally, I am referring exclusively to the specialty coffee market and not to what a commercial entity may be looking for.

What do you think about the quality of coffee that is being produced in the region?

There is already a large quantity of high-quality coffee in the Americas, with much more on the edge, ready to be pushed to a higher quality. All you need is the right incentive and the desire to push for that superior quality. All producing countries also have lower-quality coffee, but the objective is to make the percentage lower; Good agricultural and processing practices will help increase the percentage of quality, and it seems that more and more producers are learning that.

And the competitions, any recommendation to improve the events?

Studying best practices through organizations such as SCA, especially in groups such as the BGA, will keep competitors informed about the best way to act behind the bar and on stage. Specifically for competitions, I recommend a focus on and a firm understanding of the rules and regulations to fully understand what is required and what should be achieved.

Could you mention the names of three Central American baristas that you remember?

Rogelio Davila – part of the Hard working & Café team in Guatemala City that included the eventual 2012 WBC Champion Raúl Rodas. Rogelio was not the protagonist, but he was a solid finalist who took advantage of this experience and, finally, not only opened his quality coffee bar, but he continued to give back to the program by coordinating the competition in recent years with ANACAFE to help develop a new generation of professional baristas.

Alejandro Méndez, another champion of the WBC who won in 2011 in Bogotá, is another good example of someone who took his fame and started a Café – 4 Monkeys focused on quality in San Salvador. He has been an inspiration … he was the first Central American Champion (or any coffee-producing country), and the others saw what was possible and kept trying to improve their coffee and the industry that surrounded them.

Rodrigo Giammattei comes from a family of producers but is also very connected with the side of roasting and retail. He is an expert and supports farmers through his activities as a judge in the COE, but also shares his knowledge with producers to help them achieve a high quality that can then help sell and/or toast in his facilities, Café Cate, for distribution to his partner in Toronto, Canada at Cafe Firebat. In addition to competing in the Brewers Cup, he has served as a judge in barista competitions in his country and Honduras. Rodrigo is a champion of farmers and promotes quality in the coffee industry in El Salvador.

What would you say is the great lesson that coffee has given to Scott?

I like to think that being a teacher has to do with learning and teaching in that sense I feel that I have a constant scholarship in coffee, a laboratory that allows me to experiment and progress …I can not say that coffee has given me a single coffee lesson, there are so many things to learn, some are repeated in different ways, but many are reduced to a simple idea: we are all human and connected, and coffee can be one of those things that unite us and allows us to share our cultures … no matter how different we see ourselves at the beginning.