Western Australian Barista Academy

Traveling & Events

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:25:00 WST

Wow .. time has flown! In just over 3 months I’ll be on my way back home to Perth.

So I figured it was time to squeeze in a bit of last minute travelling and “coffeeing” before my year in Canada comes to an end. As of tomorrow Wayne, Lewis (our dog) and I are hitting the road and driving to Montreal (5 hrs) to spend a bit of time with family, do some last minute skiing and spend some quality time at Café Veritas and Myriad. I am going to try and squeeze into a weekly Sunday cupping session at Myriad, although word on the street is that they are mostly completely booked. I’ll be happily hanging around Montreal for almost 3 weeks until I meet up with the infamous Ben Bicknell who will be flying in from Melbourne. For those of you who don’t know, Ben the super slurper took out this year’s Aussie cupping title and is headed to Atlanta to judge at the WBC (lucky!) What still impresses me is the speed at which he accomplished his win, 8 for 8 in 1 min 29sec, just narrowly missing the world record.

From there, Ben and I will hang out in Montreal for the weekend and then we are off to Vermont (a two hour drive) for a week long cupping course at Coffee Lab. I’m really looking forward to getting back to the Lab and I’m sure it will also be good practice for Ben with the upcoming World Cupping Competition in Germany this June. From Vermont we head back to Montreal for the weekend and then fly out to Atlanta the following Monday. We’ve allocated a week in Atlanta giving us ample time to check out the coffee scene as well as attend the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) conference as well as the WBC (World Barista Championship). This time Ben and I have booked ourselves in to as many courses as possible to try and get the most out of the conference. It’s going to be a very tight schedule over the weekend and a bit of mission to fit it all in but I’m sure we’ll manage. Once that is all said and done we happily pack our bags and hop on plane early Monday morning to Guatemala for 8 days. For now our only plan in to base ourselves in Antigua and travel from there, visiting coffee farms being a top priority. We keep going from Guatemala and this time end up in San Francisco for just under a week for a coffee related tour. We were trying to squeeze a trip to Portland in but it looks like that will have to wait for another trip. We then fly to LA where I spend the next two weeks doting over my new niece and Ben catches a flight back to Melbourne. While in LA I’m not far from Intelligentsia on Sunset and am excited about having it as my local café even if only for a short while. Following LA I fly back to Toronto and stay put for a short while, I’m trying to juggle one last little trip down south but am not quite sure if I’ll make it in time, I’ll keep you posted.

Needless to say I am excited … one more sleep and I’m off!

Jen

Coffee Lab, Waterbury Vermont

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:02:00 WST

Last month, I jumped at the opportunity to spend a week at Coffee Lab International on a 5 day roasting course. It was great to finally get some experience on a variety of commercial and sample roasters as well as a chance to use all the equipment in the “Lab” which is not only for namesake. Besides running courses and roasting primarily for they local Vermont market, they are using their very well set-up lab to grade green samples for outside brokers, roasters, importers, etc … anyone who is really interested in knowing the real quality of their green.

For me, this course was all about filling the missing link. It’s very common for people like myself to get their start in this industry as a barista. Often times, the next step involves training, working for a roaster or perhaps starting your own café. However, unless you become the designated roaster, you get little to no experience learning the art. We get to spend countless hours training, tweaking machines, pulling shots, adjusting grinders, changing burrs, experimenting with different brews, working with freshly roasted specialty coffees, travelling to origin, cupping, barista competitions, perfecting the final cup … BUT … never get near the roaster, it seems crazy. It was certainly time that I filled this gap in my experience and I feel so much more connected to the end result because of it.

We spent the week grading green samples, creating different roast profiles for them and cupping the final results. We were grading the coffee based on defects as well moisture and density levels. By doing this process first we began to get more of understanding of how the bean itself would react to the heat in the roaster and also what to expect as a result. In the beginning it really is all about trial and error with the idea obviously being to bring out the best qualities of the bean, which is easier said that done.

We also got a chance to use to Agtron machine after roast to detect the color on the outside as well as the inside of the bean. The color results are displayed as a number and I am sure there are many theories out there as to what is the perfect spread, by that I mean the difference between the inside and the outside of the bean. In our little bit of experience we found most of the roast’s with less that a five point spread began to taste flat and those with 5 or more showed more complexity and nuance. We did have some surprises, where roast’s that we thought looked terrible ended up tasting great, namely a Kenyan Peaberry that got dubbed “pooberry” by it’s really scary resemblance to mouse droppings.

We simply got to play around with roasting, for me, that was the best way to learn. All together we had a choice of 7 roasters, 2 Renegades, Probat, Dietrich, sample roasters, “silver bullet” (reminded me of what I saw in Bali) etc .. and an unlimited supply of green coffee as well as a wealth of knowledge in Manee Alves ready to answer any of our questions. Manee travels an impressive once a month to different origins to source all his coffee directly.

I honestly gained so much from this course and I cannot wait to get back for a week of cupping.

Jen

Eva Solo - A Simple Approach

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 06:42:00 WST

Simply put, my first experience with the Eva Solo was memorable. I knew it must be mine for two reasons, simple and effective, which equates to less morning thinking more morning drinking. I can’t help but I feel I’ve slowly been getting lost in “the more you know the harder it gets to enjoy a cup” category lately, so it was great timing when Scott and Anthony from Café Myriad generously handed me over my very own Eva Solo to take home, yay!

This new toy is really about taking it back to basics. Keeping it simple without compromising quality, a newbie’s dream. Let’s face it, the amount of home-use espresso machines collecting dust in Australia alone would surely circumference the globe a couple times. So this is just a nice reminder of what can be achieved at home “sans” espresso paraphernalia.

In saying that, if you happen to be reading this and are new to the whole coffee gig at home, please remember the one investment that really is important, your grinder. If you need more information on grinders and their importance, I suggest checking out Ben’s recent article grinding at home

Besides it’s look, the Eva Solo is very comparable to the plunger. They are both “Total Immersion Brewing” methods which means the grinds are in contact with the water during the entire brewing process. The unit itself is made up of four components, a heat resistant carafe, a neoprene jumper, a removable filter/funnel with a carafe style stainless lip and a “tip-up” lid. The filter / funnel part is in-fact absolutely drip-free as they claim and the “tip-up” lid opens nicely as you pour and stays shut while you brew. It’s really quite simple yet very cleverly designed and probably the reason I’ve grown so attached to it, the whole process feels so seamless making it really nice to use.

So what is the difference? The idea behind the neoprene jumper is to reduce the amount of heat loss during the longer brewing process, achieving a more even extraction. For people that are accustomed to grinding for espresso, the grind particle size is much larger when grinding for the plunger/ES. Particle size and brew time are also directly related, therefore a finer grind for espresso equates to a shorter brew time (approx 30 secs) as opposed to a coarser grind for plunger/ES with a longer brew time (approx 4 mins). Getting the grind right is a matter of trial and error and a very hard thing to describe. A grind that is too fine in the ES will likely result in two things, over-extracted bitter flavors and lots of sludge. A grind that is too coarse, will have the opposite effect with under-extracted or underdeveloped flavors, which are often sour and watery. With trial and error I’ve found the perfect grind for me does still have a small amount of sludge on the bottom but with careful pouring I can reduce the amount of it that ends up in my cup. Getting back to the neoprene jumper, temperature that is too low during the extraction time can also produce the same under-developed flavors and is the reason why the jumper is more than just show. The goal is to reduce the amount of temperature loss during the longer brew time. I have not done any testing on temperature loss myself, however according to Mark Prince, who’s review on coffee geek helped me get started at home.

I still consider myself new to drinking it black and I am really only in the beginner stages of understanding the importance of all the different brewing parameters’. I’m certainly keen to the get back to the Academy (July 2009) and set up and record some physical tests myself to correlate with my final results.

The only real downfall to the ES is the that once your brew time is complete it needs to be transferred immediately to your cup as grinds cannot be separated from the water. I only have the 0.6ltr version and therefore am not really making any leftovers, but it would be nice to brew a larger one and have it on the table for people to help themselves. I guess it would mean buying another heat resistant flask or thermos, but not only is that pricey the whole “seamlessness” of it all starts to go down the tubes. What really could have been neat, would have been more of an hour glass design that once finished brewing in the bottom half it could be tipped over and filtered into another chamber. Who knows, maybe it’s in the works.

On a positive note, the cleaning of the EV is really simple, a quick rinse and it’s done, as new! I don’t know about you, but I always find it a pain to try and get the mesh wiring in my plunger squeaky clean.

They come in two sizes, 0.6 ltr and 1 ltr and in Australia retail for anywhere between $130 – $180. Their products do remind me a bit of George Jensen stuff, higher end, so you do end up paying for the unique and crafty design. If you check out their website you’ll see they won numerous design awards for this particular product. Does that make it worth it? I’m not sure, but I can’t seem to put mine down and have already allocated enough space in my luggage for my trip home. That means a lot when you’ve been overseas for a year!

If your interested in some great step by step guides with photos, check out the link above to Mark’s review. I’ve posted a couple photos on flickr as well if your interested.

Cheers,

Jen

Introducing Jeremy Hulsdunk

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:10:00 WST

We welcome Jeremy Hulsdunk as the new WA Barista Academy Manager and Head Trainer.

Well it seems like a pre-requisite that each trainer at the Barista Academy needs to compete and win the WA Barista Competition with Jen winning in 2008 and Mark recently winning 2009. In regards to Jeremy though, we thought we’d take the pressure off, as he already has that trophy in his pool room as the winner in the inaugural year 2006.

After his win Jeremy spent a year pulling ‘gold shots’ at the critically renowned Epic Espresso in West Perth before travelling to Paris for love where he was quite quickly snapped up by Alto Café at Galeries Lafayette to be their Training and Product Development Manager for about 10 months.

Firmly entrenched back in Perth, Jeremy has stepped into Mark’s shoes training Perth’s best cafes in the art of coffee. Meanwhile, Mark is currently winging his way to Queensland to compete in the Australian Barista Championships.

NEWS FLASH: Head Trainer wins WA Barista Championships ... again!

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:34:00 WST

Mark Chandler, manager of the Western Australian Barista Academy, today took out the 2009 Western Australian Barista Championships held at the Mount Hawthorn Community Hall.

It is the second year in a row a WABA trainer has won the event with Jennifer Murray winning the 2008 event and going on to finish third in the Australian Competition earlier this year.

For almost a little over six months now, Mark has been the WABA trainer and his ability to give clear and concise direction in his classes has been quite obvious from the beginning. Nothing phases Mark and it is that cool and calm personality that showed through his performance as he finished the Barista Comp almost 100 points clear of the next competitor.

Seattle Coffee Fest 2008

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:53:00 WST

When I realised that I would be in the right hemisphere during this years Seattle Coffee Fest, I made an extra effort to make sure I could get there. All up, I got to spend a week in what felt like coffee Hollywood … happily stumbling across one famous café / roaster after another.

The city itself was surprisingly nice, I’m not sure why surprisingly or what I expected, but I found myself continually saying how I could live here. It just had that little something something about it that got me wanting to know more. It was big, but small enough to get around on foot, with that artsy, creative, musical, full of life city vibe, that dare I say reminded me a tad of my home town Montreal, only nicer weather.

My main mission being coffee, I booked a hotel right in town a couple blocks from the convention centre where Coffee Fest was being held. This was my first CF but I had an idea of what to expect. It’s basically a trade show for all things coffee/tea and café related. So there were roasters, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, green bean importers, parts etc … as well as a big range of super sweet (as in sugary) smoothie blended drinks which are not really all that popular in Aus. So I spent the weekend walking around and perusing the offerings.

Firstly, I had way too much coffee, with my daily intake a lot lower than when I am teaching at the academy, my tolerance levels aren’t what they used to be. Not to mention, a double shot is pretty much the standard in Seattle, I actually ordered decaf at some places (I know!) simply because I wanted to have a taste so bad, but knew any more caffeine could result in serious system overload. I even meekly requested a single shot at some point only to be shown a naked portafilter with a double basket and a sorry no-can-do look.

Synesso was first on my list and I spent a bit of time at their stall meeting the lovely people responsible to making such a fine piece of equipment, but also, ogling the new triple pump three group Synesso. Yep, one pump per group, three pressure gauges, it’s never been done as far as I know. Also had a chance to try out the Nuovo Siminelli Aurelia, the new WBC sponsor which was both interesting and scary. Overall, some good, some great, some bad and some interesting coffee (namely the cold pressed Sumatran from café vita). One stand did allow me to have a single shot and that was pulled on a Synesso by Vince Piccolo from 49th parallel. It was their epic blend that I’ve tasted a lot of lately, which really opened up and stood out as a single.

I literally did just walk around and stumble across so many famous café’s ... Café Vita, Stumptown, Victrola, Vivace, Herkimer, Stickman and more … I even found myself outside the original Starbucks at the Pike Place Markets. My favorite, maybe because of proximity, but also for the atmosphere and friendly barista (very important) was definitely Victrola. This was where I ordered a decaf espresso and still came out smiling.

The vibe in most of the café’s was really inviting, lots of wood, lots of high ceilings, lots of sweet sweet equipment and big chilled-out spaces. Some of the barista’s were super friendly, others were not, no need to name drop, but I certainly understand what it’s like to be really interested only to have a barista snub you, not nice. I certainly hope, with the growing trend of talented career barista’s in Perth, they remember the value of good customer service. It’s great to be able to produce a fine cup of coffee, but quite another experience altogether to be able to do it with a smile.

Little to no clovers around which sort of surprised me as I thought they would be everywhere.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I competed in the Millrock Latte Art competition. Didn’t place but I posted my pictures on the flickr link if you’re interested.

I would certainly go back and do it all again, I loved it!

Coming soon … my trip to LA and the new addition to the kitchen bench.

Cheers,

Jen

Manic Espresso - Ethiopian Yergacheffe Beloya Estate

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:48:00 WST

It’s not every day I get served a cup of coffee that is so incredibly delicious, I can’t help but involuntarily announce it’s greatness between each sip. T’was yet again another clover coffee that tweaked my senses, an Ethiopian Yergacheffe microlot to be exact, sourced and roasted by 49th parrallel. It promised so much on that little white board, and amazingly delivered it with a clarity I’ve come to expect from a well made clover.

This morning’s suggestion of driving downtown (approx 1 hours drive) with the sole purpose of finding a good cuppa was remarkably well received. Wayne (my partner) who only just arrived has been enjoying his two course coffee order (espresso followed by a flat white) at Spring Espresso in Subi until last week. Now that we are happily settled in our temporary home for the next year, it was nice to know that exploring the Toronto coffee scene is something we are both very keen to do.

As far as I’ve heard, Toronto has numerous quality café’s on offer. Today, on Anthony Benda’s recommendation, we dedicated our taste buds solely to Manic Espresso. It’s always hard to say too much about the café on the first visit, so bare with me if I’m light on the details. Once I get a that chance to hang, meet the barista’s and really sus the place out I’ll hopefully post some pics and a more in-depth report. For the time being, I’ve felt compelled to share my experience today as it was such a memorable one.

From the looks of it, Manic is serving Intelligentsia Black Cat as it’s espresso blend and sourcing some micro-lots and single origin’s from 49th Parallel Roasters as clover and drip coffee. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Clover Coffee, it’s popularity in Australia is apparent by it’s only two known locations (to me at least) being Liar Liar and Brother Budda Budan, both Melbourne cafes. Clover is a very expensive machine ($10 000 plus aussie dollar) designed to step “brewed coffee” up a million notches. So no surprise it’s never really taken off here, as our brewed coffee culture is almost non-existent. One of the secret’s to it’s success is the ease of control over important brew parameters such as grind size, dose, water temperature and contact time (or how long the grinds are in contact with brew water). All this operating at a commercially viable speed, means that café’s can offer and variety of different coffee’s at varying brew profiles to enhance their individual characteristics. I don’t really have any experience on the machine itself, besides a small tinker with the one at Liar Liar, however, I’ve drank a number of different Clover coffees over the last couple of years, and in my experience, when it’s done well, even the average coffee consumer will stand back and take notice.

Now, back to the delicious cup I had today. I’m trying to think back … there were four Clover Coffee’s on offer … and I can’t actually remember any of them … Ah, sorry!! I simply remember seeing the white board with a special offering of said Beloya Estate. This particular estate is a natural processed coffee, meaning the cherries are picked and dried as is, often resulting in heavier bodied coffee with lower acidity as the pulp and mucilage are left to ferment on the bean. The characteristics of the Beloya we’re so accurately described as vanilla aromatics, intense blueberry flavor and citrus notes. While I was waiting, Sam the barista actually called me over to offer me a wiff of my freshly ground portion. Shortly thereafter I was presented with my mug of clover coffee, the temperature was perfect and immediately drinkable. I’d have to say they were spot on, Vanilla and blueberry aromatics and intense blueberry in the cup. Just when I thought it was over, the last sip which had cooled by the time I got to it, was undoubtedly the citrus as described in their cupping notes. It’s great when you a taste a cup that is so accurately and clearly represented.

Big props to Manic espresso and Sam (I only got his first name) the barista, located in downtown Toronto who managed to serve me a cup of coffee I’ll never forgot – for someone tasting coffee as part of their profession that is truly a remarkable feat, the memorable cup, I shall sing it’s praises for year’s to come.

Oh yeah … and I would do again in a heartbeat … well worth the six bucks!

Jenny

Café Myriad Montreal - Coming Soon

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:51:00 WST

Anthony Benda and Scott Rao are opening what without a doubt will become a go to coffee destination in the heart of Montreal.

Some of you may have already heard of Scott Rao as he recently published a very well received industry book titled The Professional Barista’s Handbook – An Expert’s Guide to Preparing Espresso, Coffee and Tea. Anthony Benda, is a passionate barista who has decided to take the leap and use his skills, dedication and hard work towards something most rewarding, his own café.

Lucky for me, I had a chance to sit down with Anthony last week over a cuppa at Veritas. It seems in the Canadian Coffee Scene, Anthony Benda was a name that I continually stumbled across. So it was not only not nice to put a face to a name, but also a great chance for me to ramble on about coffee to someone who might actually be interested. As I’ve always found it to be true, in this “biz”, if you show even a small amount of serious interest, you are welcomed with open arms.

I’m sure our conversation sounded ridiculous, as there were little to no formalities and it was less about getting to the know the other person, more about sharing ideas, techniques and coffee cultures on our first brief encounter. Anthony certainly knows his stuff and his love of all things coffee is no secret. Interestingly enough, although he is very skilled and knowledgeable on the espresso machine, I have a feeling a large part of his focus will be spent on “regular coffee” that is still in very high demand here. Now I know most Aussie’s would say “ew” or “why?” because of the little to nonexistent black coffee culture downunder. However, just like espresso, when done well, there is much more to a North American “regular” coffee than meets the eye, which I will certainly share with you as soon as I get my hot little hands on one.

Also deserving of a mention is Anthony’s 3rd place in last years Canadian Barista Competition. He will be taking the stage again in this years national competition in Montreal this October. He qualified for the nationals by placing second in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Competition, which includes Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces.

I think I’ve actually even surprised myself, with the genuine excitement I am feeling towards the opening of Café Myriad. Stay tuned .. as I think they are open for business within the month.

Yay!

Jen

Monkey Coffee

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:53:00 WST

Yay, Sam from Veritas sent me an email asking if I wanted to come and taste some coffee eaten, digested and pooped out of some Indian monkeys!! Heck yeah I did …

It always seems to be an interesting experience – tasting coffee that has been collected out of the droppings of some exotic animal. Not really sure why, because when we saw the “logs” of digested Indonesian Civet cat beans, my tummy was a little uneasy at the thought of consuming some of it. Although, when you really think about it, surely roasting would burn off any remaining excrement. ewwww…

Well I’ve only just heard of the “Primate Reserve” and I must admit I was not very surprised to hear that some other animal has been feasting on coffee cherries to get their morning fix. Possibly also because our friend in Bali who so kindly showed us his sadly caged Civet cat, was telling us of his grand plans to have bigger and better animals digest the stuff. Our fascination with all things unique has started the peculiar trend of relying on wild animals instincts to pick only the ripest and sweetest cherry’s as both “Kopi Luwak” (Civet cat coffee) and “Primate Reserve” claim to do.

Here it is word for word (I should have really taken a picture) of how 49th Parallel describes the Indian Devon Estates “Primate Reserve” on their bags.

“This coffee is harvested by Rhesus monkeys, that store the cherries in their mouth pouch and eat them once they have retreated to the safety of trees. The actual coffee beans are harvested by humans off of the ground, after the monkeys discard them. The monkeys select only the ripest and most sweet cherries, resulting in a very sweet finish in the espresso. “

Sounds very very much like the civet cat stuff … only I don’t think they have the cool little mouth pouches these Rhesus monkeys have. I guess it’s a nice way of saying the monkey is picky so he gets the good stuff and then you get your crack at it once he poops it out. I’m not really completely convinced of this matter, not to mention how they make sure the monkey is eating the same varietals, estate, and so on. I can’t really say I am for “animal coffee”, as I immediately recognised in Indonesia that the high demand for this pricey commodity will surely soon result in more of these animals being caged.

Having said that, I was still intrigued and took Sam up on his offer. It was last week, so i’m jogging my memory here …

The shots of “Primate Reserve” that we tasted were distinctly heavy bodied with little to no acidity. They were incredibly syrupy, with a finish that was, in fact, very sweet. I didn’t really get the decadent chocolate flavours as 49th Parallel describes it. I could not quite pinpoint the taste; it was sweet but earthy at the same time. I know this is all sounding good, but really, I remember distinctly not really enjoying it. I also found the aroma reminded me of wet tobacco in a bad way, nothing like the sweet fruity kind.

Anyways, in being fair, we only had one pound of three week old coffee. I takes me a while to find the sweet spot in a new blend or origin, and working with the anfim grinders of which I am not accustomed to, gave me little room for error. I’ve heard people rave about this particular estate, from this particular roaster …

...but alas… exotic animal coffee still hasn’t won me over.

Jen

Café Santé Veritas - Synesso in Montreal

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:52:00 WST

In a city saturated with stale drip coffee and many mediocre attempts at espresso, I’m very grateful to have come across Sam (owner/operator/barista) of Café Veritas in the Old Port. From what I can tell, Veritas is one of a handful of café’s pioneering specialty coffee (or third wave coffee quality as they call it here) in Montreal. You know the deal – great equipment, fantastic coffee, passionate baristas … the stuff that really counts.

When I first walked into Veritas (Latin for “Truth”) and saw the polished, three-group Cyncra, I’ll admit I had high expectations. With that, I ordered my first of many espressos. Sam’s machine is set up at the end of the counter, giving customer’s sitting at the bar a nice view and sense of involvement in the whole process. It all felt very transparent and easy. Sam was friendly and keen to talk coffee, while he meticulously prepared my espresso. Moments later, I was served a fantastic looking shot and I couldn’t help but smile – I knew I had come to the right place. It was a full double espresso with a dark reddish brown stable crema and no sign’s of over-extraction. Trying to explain what that first shot tasted like would be next to impossible. It was down the hatch so fast – I think I even surprised myself. Sam joined me for my second shot (or I guess you could say fourth, as they were doubles) and I managed to get my wits together and come up with a description, of sorts.

My initial swirl and smell left me with a warm, nutty and sweet aroma. The espresso itself was beautifully balanced, with lots of body and a mild acidity that gave it just enough “zing”, ending with a syrupy sweet finish that just kept on giving. I’m pretty sure I was more than two blocks away when I pinpointed the orange and bittersweet chocolate aftertaste. (my taste buds may have only just kicked in – who knows?)

Since discovering Veritas, I’ve been back most days. Sam has even been kind enough to let me behind the bar so I could get my hands on his Synesso. He sources his coffee from ‘49th Parallel Coffee’ which, as you may already know, is based in Vancouver. They keep him supplied with weekly, road-freighted deliveries and whilst I can’t say exactly how they control the temperatures in-transit, I would imagine it to be a somewhat easier feat than if attempted in Australia. His blend (Ethiopian, El Salvador and Brazil) arrive in 1lb, vacuum sealed, one way valve, date stamped bags and typically get served between 5 and 9 days off the roast. Although “Epic Espresso” is his house blend, I couldn’t help but notice some single origins sitting on the back counter, including Kenyan, Organic Brazil and Indian “Primate Reserve” (yeah, I’ll get to that one later). It seems his roaster often gives him the opportunity to test new origins but it’s also a chance for Sam to (on occasion) profile some unique coffees for his regulars.

The Indian ‘Primate Reserve’ is not unlike the Indonesian Civet Cat coffee, only this “monkey” that eats and digest’s only the “ripest” beans comes at a far cheaper cost. I think it was somewhere around $22.00 a lb, roasted. I haven’t had a chance to taste it so far but am only mildly curious after our disappointing Civet Cat taste-test in Bali last year.

Amazingly enough, Veritas has the only Synesso in Quebec at the moment. Right now, there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of support from the west-coast distributors and it’s likely a factor in why there aren’t many at this point. In chatting with Sam, however, it seems his Mechanical Engineering background (specialising in control systems) has come in very handy. He is no stranger to PID’s and, luckily, is confidently able to maintain his own equipment.

Although my preference is espresso, I took the opportunity to taste some other popular drinks on the menu, including Latte’s and Capp’s. The North American Latte is pretty much equivalent to what we would call a Flat White. Veritas serves them in 12 ounce (typical medium take away size) ceramic mugs with a thin layer of foam on top. All drinks are individually steamed in clean, 600ml jugs, fresh milk is used and a silky, perfectly textured result is achieved every time. Sam is modest, but his Latte Art is great and each and every cup comes adorned with a beautiful Rosetta. I think I should also mention that the base for each drink is a double shot, using a triple basket and naked portafilter. Therefore, with such a large cup size, the coffee still manages to edge through the milk nicely. Sam has also chosen to serve Cappuccino’s traditionally in 8 ounce cups (typical small take away size), with no chocolate powder and a thin layer of foam, which makes for a nice change and classic look.

Although he insists that he is still learning and that food is his real passion, looking at his setup and tasting the results, I think he has done a fantastic job – trusting his taste buds and doing his research. Besides the Synesso, he is the proud owner of two Anfim grinders (a smaller one for decaf), uses naked portafilters, a Reg Barber US curve tamper and triple baskets. Extractions are between 201-202 degrees Fahrenheit for approx 23-25 seconds. He is under-dosing a little (compared to our standards), however in a triple basket he is still managing to pack in anywhere between 20-24 grams. He does tweak the grind setting, but from shot-to-shot, he seems to prefer up-dosing or under-dosing to adjust the speed of the extraction.

They still have “drip” coffee available or at least their version of it. They use a large deli grinder to freshly grind the coffee into plungers as an alternative to the typical North American drip coffee that’s so popular. Their Bunn brewing machine has become nothing more than an expensive hot water dispenser.

Although I am no food critic, I think there menu deserves a mention, as it is all very healthy, reasonable priced and, most of all, taste’s great. The service and ambiance has been fantastic and while talking coffee, Sam has happily pointed me in the direction on some other café’s I should check out.

It just goes to show that you don’t need to know everything about coffee to make an excellent cup. Simple things like using great equipment, following a system, not cutting corner’s, keeping things clean, grinding fresh, selecting a good roaster, being passionate and, most of all, tasting the end product, have worked wonders for Sam.

Being in Montreal makes me realize just how spoiled we are in Perth. Like any city, you need to know where to go, however, the number of top notch places in Perth far outnumber those available in Montreal. It’s only just beginning here and I have a feeling it will catch on quickly. For now, Veritas is my go-to place, but I will try my best to venture to the other side of town and see what else is brewing!

Cheers,

Jen

www.cafesanteveritas.com

Montréal, Québec ... Barista at Large

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:04:00 WST

I’ve finally made it … apologies for the late post, however, to say that this is the first chance I’ve had in between all the wild welcoming parties, is only a minor understatement. For those who don’t know, Montreal is my first home, Perth is my home home and Toronto is soon to be my temporary home for a year. Which likely explains why heaps and eh sometimes end up in the same sentence.

My friends and family are already either amazed or bored with my constant coffee babble, but I must admit, I’m ridiculously giddy about getting the opportunity to immerse myself in the North American coffee culture for a solid year. I want it all … the good, the bad, the disgusting and the unforgettable … surely that’s not too much to ask.

So stay tuned for coffee updates from the land very far away from downunder.

Jen

Australian Barista Competition 2008

Fri, 9 May 2008 14:47:00 WST

I’m back, I’m inspired and I’m completely stoked to have taken out third place in the 2008 National Barista Competition.

Although it seems like ages ago, my first competition was last year at the 2007 WA barista heats. Looking back, I realise that I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Like most people, I had never seen an actual competition and relied on old video footage to give me an idea of what I was in for. I was pleasantly surprised and excited to have come second to the infamous Nolan Hirte of Lemon Espresso in Mt.Claremont. It meant two things for me; Firstly, that I was on the right track and secondly, that I was now addicted to barista competitions. With the Five Senses team behind me 100%, I was keen to give it a shot at the open heats in Adelaide.

Just in case you don’t already know, the open heats are for any barista wanting to give it a go. The winner of the opens automatically goes through to the next day as a wild card in the finals. The competition was fierce, as everyone there was keen to excel. This was likely my biggest learning curve as I witnessed first hand the different techniques and styles of new and seasoned competitors. Placing fourth in these heats made me realise that I was WAY under-prepared and had lots of work to do for next year. I took the judges comments on-board and was already thinking about my next comp.

Soooo … a whole year has come and gone and I was definitely more refined and comfortable with my performance this year. I spent a lot more time working with Jay and Rich (the roasters at Five Senses), considering my blend and what I was trying to achieve. By pulling what felt like a kabillion shots, I kept my focus on what was in the cup. Once I was satisfied, I then began considering my actual table settings and performance. In the end, I went with a single origin coffee. I used the San Emilio Estate, which is a pulped-natural El Salvadorian bean that demonstrated beautiful body, balance and nuance. You know – one of those coffees that makes you go “WOW!” It turns out that I wasn’t the only one who liked it – I got the thumbs up from the judges and was over the moon to have been rewarded with first place in the 2008 WA Barista Competition. I later found out that I had actually achieved the highest score ever in WA, with Ness from Epic Espresso coming an extremely close second. This meant that I got to bypass the open heats this year and head straight through to the finals in Melbourne – YAY!

WA was well represented this year – competing in the open heats, we had Emanuelle from Ristretto, Vanessa from Epic, Mimma from Gloria Jeans, Tracy from Mooba and Nic from Beaufort St. Merchant. We also had Kimbo from Five Senses competing in the Latte Art competition and Katherine from European Foods took out the cupping competition. Lastly, there was me, hoping to do well in the finals. I must admit, 18 extremely competitive contenders from around Australia made for tough competition in the open heats. With only one spot up for grabs, Con from 7 Grams Espresso in Melbourne took the honours. That night, while most of the WA crew were out mingling with the local coffee mob, I sat at home busily polishing, packing and rehearsing my routine.

Up bright and early, it was time to shine and I felt as prepared as I could possibly be. I was confident, excited and ready – a nice feeling to have pre-comp. I was up fourth and was just after Anne Cooper from Qld. During my 15 minute prep time, I felt myself relax as I noticed the first couple of rows were filled with family and friends kindly supporting me. You never really know till it’s all over, but I felt like things had gone off smoothly. For me, knowing my coffee inside and out was the key to connecting with the judges, coming off as genuine and achieving the taste profile I was after.

In the end, I was completely stoked to have placed third in Australia. I finished with a total score of 740pts with second place beating by merely half a point (Con 740.5). It’s funny to see people unsure of how to react when I tell them I came third, as if they think I may be disappointed. I honestly feel so privileged to be amongst the top baristas in Australia. It would almost be disappointing to just walk right into first place. I’ve realised that the title is something to strive for and comes with experience and the ability to adapt and rise to the occasion. Valuable feedback from the judges has helped me move forward with each competition and first place no longer feels out of reach. David Makin, the Victorian winner, clearly demonstrated the skill and knowledge of an experienced competitor, who deserved the title. I wish him all the best in Copenhagen, representing Australia in the World Barista Competition.

So many people helped me along the way and I could not have done it without the continued support and encouragement of Five Senses Coffee. Special thanks of course to Andrew (otherwise known as Super Tang) and Zach from spring espresso in Subi for their magic cups, taste buds and very helpful tips. Most of all, to Wayne, for putting up with the espresso highs and lows and hand crafting my fabulous trays and table settings.

Check out www.thelows.org/syd/austbarcomp/ for some really great photos of all the competitors.

Can’t wait for the next comp!

Cawfee talk with Jen

Sun, 4 May 2008 17:04:00 WST

After winning the 2008 Western Australian Barista Competition Jen began the hours of preparation for the national final. During this time she jotted down some thoughts of her coffee journey for Five Senses who put together a story on their site.

See the full story: Cawfee talk with Jen

Now boarding

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:50:00 WST

Wow, that came quickly, I’m about to hop on a plane to Melbourne tomorrow to compete in the National Barista Competition this weekend. It’s really exciting to represent WA and it seems like only a short time ago I was in Adelaide competing in the 2007 open heats.

The Open Heats will be held on Saturday the 3rd of May and are completely booked out with 18 competitors, 5 of which are coming all the way from WA. The winner of these heats will compete in the National Finals on Sunday.

The big difference this year is that I am more prepared and more relaxed. I am really looking forward to competing but most of all re-visiting the Melbourne coffee scene.

NEWS FLASH: Head Trainer wins 2008 WA Barista Championships

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:38:00 WST

Jennifer Murray, manager of the Western Australian Barista Academy, has taken out the 2008 Western Australian Barista Championship!

The event took place held at the Perth Town Hall over the weekend of 15-16 March with a total of 18 competitors competing for the coveted award. In this, the third year running, the WA heats for the 2008 Detpak Australian Barista Championship hosted the largest competitor pool in the country so far, with fierce competition brought on by some of WA’s top coffee makers.

Jennifer scored an astounding 189.1/300 points which is the highest score by any Western Australian competitor since the competition’s inception, including at the national finals. She took home a $1000 cash prize, Compak grinder and an all expenses paid trip to the 2008 Australian Barista Championship Final that will be held in Melbourne on 3-4 May.

Once again, the pressure was on with two projectors being fed with live streams from three different video cameras, a photographer getting in on the action and each competitor being assessed by a panel of seven judges.

Jennifer now goes on to pit her skills against the best baristas from around the country in Melbourne later this year in the competition for the Australian Barista Championship — with the winner continuing on to represent the country at the World Barista Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Top Ten Results

1st:	JENNIFER MURRAY	from the WA Barista Academy	189.1 points
2nd:	VANESSA MOORE	from Epic Espresso	175.9 points
3rd:	MIMMA BATTISTA	from Gloria Jeans	158.1 points
4th:	TRACEY RUPE	from Mooba	156.4 points
5th:	JACKSON DUXBURY	from Tiger Tiger	153.1 points
6th:	RYAN CLARKE	from Epic Espresso	151.1 points
7th:	KAYA MCCARTHY	from Fix Espresso	150.5 points
8th:	ALEXIA MITCHELL	from Lemon Lane	147.9 points
9th:	LAURENCE GREENFIELD	from Lemon Lane	145.0 points
10th:	BRIONY McNALLY	from Pronto Cafe	139.0 points

New WABA site launched

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:03:00 WST

Crammed with new content and freshly launched, we’re pleased to announce that the WA Barista Academy’s (WABA) website is here for your browsing pleasure. Whether you’re a professional barista or a newly inducted member of the ‘home brew crew’, you’re sure to find something to please your palate.

From information about upcoming coffee-related events (like the Australian Barista Championships), courses to help you (or your friends) perfect your coffee-making technique to links to the biggest and best coffee-friendly websites, satiate your mind’s desire for coffee right here. Find out what’s happening in the industry as we bring you the latest news. So sit back (brew at hand, naturally) and have a leisurely browse over our site. Better yet, send us an email and tell us what you think.