#25 Costa Rica, Experimental Obata

Soren Stiller Markussen is a world champion barista, roaster, cupper, and latte artist with over 20 years in specialty coffee, including a 5th place finish at the World Barista Championship in 2010 and multiple Danish championship titles. He founded his roastery in 2012, previously known as Great Coffee before rebranding to Stillers, operating from an old chocolate factory in the Latin Quarter of Aarhus with exposed brick and rough industrial character. The roasting philosophy rejects the light versus dark binary entirely: profiles are designed to let the coffee tell you where it comes from, respecting terroir and variety above all else, with 55 different coffees offered throughout the year and 16 or more on the menu at any time. Sourcing spans 30 to 40 unique varieties annually through direct farmer relationships, including a long term partnership with a particular farm in Costa Rica. Stillers has been recognized as a Top 3 European Specialty Coffee Roastery multiple times and earned a national win for Denmark at the Global Coffee Awards. The experimental side shows in offerings like syphon brew, coffee cocktails, cold brew made with Greenland water and fermented peach, and a blueberry infused cold brew, all served Soren's way in a minimalist Scandinavian lab atmosphere where the coffee is very much the main event.