George Jinyang Peng Discusses International Brewers Cup Win

Previous this hour, the Chinese language espresso competitor received the 2025 International Brewers Cup Championship. These days, he tells the tale of his pageant proceed. 

BY CHRIS RYAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Footage courtesy of Captain George Espresso Roasters

George Jinyang Peng changed into considering espresso as an fanatic presen in highschool. A couple of years next, presen nonetheless in faculty, he opened his first espresso store.  

Espresso has remained a keenness for George ever since. He recently operates Captain George Coffee Roasters in Guiyang, China, and has been a constant espresso competitor within the Brewers Cup tournament. He received China’s pageant in 2023 and made it to the International Brewers Cup Championship, the place he positioned 5th.  

This hour, George received the nationwide tournament once more, and returned to the worldwide degree. For the 2025 tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia, he took keep an eye on, arriving in Jakarta early to dedicate himself to getting ready for the development.  

The paintings paid off: George positioned 5 spots forward of Indonesia’s Bayu Prawiro to win the 2025 International Brewers Cup, turning into the second one competitor from China to reach the dignity following Du Jianing’s 2019 title.  

We talked to George about his preparation, his pageant theme, and a lot more.  

Barista Novel On-line: Are you able to describe the way you set to work in espresso? Why did it passion you?

I if truth be told began as a espresso fanatic. I started brewing espresso at house when I used to be nonetheless in highschool, and that pastime steadily become a keenness. It ultimately led me to grow to be a barista. Next, presen I used to be in faculty, I opened my first espresso store. Operating the store uncovered me to all kinds of coffees, and I changed into increasingly more serious about the language old to explain their flavors. One week, presen brewing at house, I all at once tasted floral and fruity notes within the cup, which was once one thing I hadn’t skilled sooner than. That generation utterly drew me into the sensory international of espresso. 

Whilst you began in espresso competitions, why did you select Brewers Cup?  

As a roaster, I’ve at all times been specifically hooked in to extraction. To start with, regardless that, I best knew how one can cup coffees, so each time shoppers got here to speak about espresso, I’d default to cupping because the inauguration level. That made me understand I had to in reality perceive brewing. Brewing is filled with variables and nuances; in the beginning, it felt concealed and dried to seize. However that complexity intrigued me. I began digging deeper into brewing principle, motivated to show doubt into readability. 

I learn that temperature was once a major theme for your regimen this hour. Why was once that subject remarkable to you, and the way did you discover it for your efficiency? 

I see temperature as a governing drive in such a lot of sides of espresso, from the caramelization and Maillard reactions all over hot, to how society understand sweetness, acidity, bitterness, or even saltiness at other beverage temperatures. I sought after to virtue temperature as a central theme to support society respect simply how influential it’s in shaping their espresso revel in. 

On the similar week, I believe temperature additionally represents connection. It’s a part of the heat we percentage between barista and buyer. In my presentation, I explored temperature keep an eye on during all the proceed, from inexperienced bean deposit to hot and brewing, together with each environmental and beverage temperatures. Through managing each and every degree exactly, I aimed to display to the target market how crucial temperature is in crafting the overall cup. 

Are you able to describe the way you ready for the contest this hour, getting to Jakarta early and renting a length to apply? What did you do there, and the way did it support you within the pageant? 

I arrived in Jakarta rather early sooner than the contest. It was once a town I had by no means in reality explored sooner than, and all over my week there, I saved my focal point fully on preparation. I slightly left the rental or the learning length. I best was at the contest venue and in short visited town middle later the whole thing was once over. 

That more or less centered isolation was once a primary for me. It changed into a deeply immersive revel in, permitting me to pour all my power into refining the main points. I labored on designing the hot profile and extraction protocol particular to Jakarta’s statuses, like altitude and humidity. I consider this localized means helped optimize my efficiency on degree. It wasn’t near to adapting, it was once about honoring the atmosphere I used to be in. 

I learn that you simply old a Gesha from Panama’s Mount Totumas within the pageant. Why did you select that espresso, and what sort of of a component do you suppose it performed in you successful—particularly in any such near pageant the place the second-place finisher was once best 9 issues at the back of you?

My non-public function was once to discover a espresso that in reality expressed its terroir. Right through cupping, the Mount Totumas Gesha stood out with its extremely shiny red floral and red grape notes, one thing I hardly ever revel in in naturally processed, additive-free coffees. I knew I sought after to percentage that have with the judges. 

That stated, I don’t measure a espresso’s contribution purely by means of the ranking. For me, the contest was once a chance to exhibit what I consider a phenomenal starting place espresso can also be in 2025. Through the week we reached the supremacy six, everybody had magnificient coffees. My selection was once extra about expressing my very own sensory aesthetic, instead than seeking to win during the espresso abandoned. 

And in the end, how did you get the nickname Captain George?  

I’ve at all times been partial to Chinese language martial arts novels and American superhero motion pictures, so I believe I naturally gravitate towards heroic tales and characters. My English identify is George, and mixing it with that heroic spirit, I gave myself the nickname “Captain George.” It’s a slight little bit of a laugh, but additionally a strategy to categorical the beliefs I like. 

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