Hikaru Ono ( Brewman Tokyo ) joins CROWD ROASTER team as a new member!

Mr. Ono , the JBrC (Japan Brewers Cup) 2022 champion, has mastered the art of coffee brewing.

 

Through a roasting process that starts from extraction, Mr. Ono creates coffee that emphasizes balance, a style unique to him.

Ono is also a barista who has worked internationally in Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

In this interview, Mr. Ono shared his background and the kind of flavor he aims to create.

 

I started my career as a barista after encountering an espresso machine at the Asian restaurant where I began working in my hometown of Iwate.

After hearing about Melbourne's vibrant coffee culture, I traveled there alone, even though I didn't understand English very well.

While there, I worked as a barista and experienced new trends such as the introduction of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and the shift towards drip coffee instead of espresso drinks in some areas.

 

 

In 2013, together with my Hong Kong partners whom I met in Melbourne, we launched "Brew Bros Coffee," a coffee shop in Hong Kong at a time when specialty coffee shops were still rare. We operated this shop until 2020.

 

During that time, I won the Hong Kong Aeropress Championship and competed in the 2016 World Championships. After that, aiming for an even higher level, I started competing in Japanese tournaments from 2017. With WBrC champion Tetsuya Kasuya as my coach, I won the JBrC (Japan Brewers Cup) 2022 and competed in the Melbourne World Championships.

 

Brewman Tokyo is a shop that I started after returning to Japan, using a roasting machine I purchased from someone I'd known for a long time who had given up on opening their own coffee shop. We strive to roast and brew coffee to suit each type of bean, and although it's a standing-only shop, we hope you'll be able to relax and enjoy your coffee.

 

It's often said that the potential of the beans is crucial in extraction, but I believe that roasting is a vital process that largely determines the flavor of those beans. As a brewer, the more I understand extraction, the more I realize that roasting is an indispensable element, and I intend to continue striving to improve in this area.

 

 

Personally, I don't particularly stick to categories like light or dark roast; I focus on roasting the beans to their optimal level of flavor. I also strive for roasts that are easy to balance during brewing and bring out the desired color.

My ideal roast is a coffee with clearly discernible flavors and no roast defects.

 

I use a DIEDRICH roaster. I like it because the rotation speed can be adjusted through customization, and the adjustment method is simple, making it easy to use.

 

For me, a delicious cup of coffee is one that has no negative aspects.
If a coffee tastes a little sour, or has a bitter aftertaste, and even for a moment you have doubts, I think there's probably something wrong or off about it.

 

These days, there are quite a few coffees with very strong flavors, but our coffee doesn't have an overly strong flavor. It has a nice flavor, but without any unpleasant aftertaste, and we aim for a balanced taste. Perhaps because of this, we often receive comments from customers saying that it's very easy to drink.

 

I believe that if something is truly delicious, there's always something about it that people can intuitively sense, and I want to provide coffee that allows people to experience that kind of deliciousness.

 

To commemorate the participation of roaster Hikaru Ono ( Brewman Tokyo ), we are launching a limited-quantity tasting set (50g x 3 varieties) called "ONO Brew Champion BOX"!
This is the first ever tasting set from CROWD ROASTER , packed with Mr. Ono 's meticulous attention to detail.

 

After carefully considering the compatibility of Mr. Ono with the brands, we have selected the following three unique brands.

【CSRT】Colombia/El Paraiso Farm/Castillo/Double Anaerobic Rose Tea

【ETH】 Ethiopia

【 SL28 】El Salvador/Jata Jil Selection Plant/ SL28 /Washed

We have prepared a tasting set featuring wines of different varieties, selection processes, and origins.

The operating team also conducted a cupping of the roasted beans sent by Mr. Ono , and we were able to perceive the unique characteristics and many flavors inherent in each variety, allowing us to taste the kind of coffee that Mr. Ono aims for—coffee without any negative aspects.

Enjoy the overflowing flavors created by Ono 's roasting process with this limited-quantity, value-packed special package!

[Product details]
■ONO Brew Champion BOX
Price: 2,480 yen (tax included)
・Contents: 50g x 3 bags, total 150g (roasted beans)
*This item is available for immediate purchase.

 

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