35th competitor: Janelle Bel Isle, Kean Coffee, Newport Beach CA
tunes: birdland. <3
esp: dry processed Brazil and Sumatra, washed Kenya and Ethiopian. brought coffee cherries to eat. neat! are they good? maybe i can scam one later. honeysuckle and jasmine flavors, apparently. esp. is totally pale and fast; ~ 10 sec. shot. seriously? did i see wrong? peach and apricot, fragrant fruits in the esp., she says. yum. if she pulls as good as she talks, Janelle Bel Isle could be a contender.
capp: shots are slow and drippy, never evening out. 2nd set are much better, but a little fast. crema is flecky, but looks light from here. many-lobed rosetta, but no ring of crema. texture is smooth and creamy. 2nd shot crema is nice and red, minimal flecking. using Horizon milk, organic, to bring up chocolate and honey. “dairy is an integral part of what we do as baristas.” foam is good, tight, heals instantly; at least, one of them does.
sig: macchiato twist. esp. pours nicely, dark, if a little uneven. channeling? crema is bright red. lovely rosettas on 2 oz. cups, with full ring of foam. a little hand shake: next year, bananas. anise extract, black strap molasses, milk. this makes black licorice, which she doesn’t like, (me neither!) but she likes how they make this drink creamy and sweet. served 12:25, setting, perhaps, a new record for speed. impressive knowledge of origin coffees and their flavors, impressive speed and devotion to craft. Especially for a first timer. she is also invited to my imaginary afterparty. see you there.