"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

After winning the 2008 Western Australian Barista Competition and coming third in the national Finals, Jennifer Murray, manager of the Western Australian Barista Academy, heads to Spring Espresso in Subiaco …

My usual visit to Spring Espresso begins with barista Andrew ‘Super’ Tang and me having what I guess could be called a ‘coffee-off,’ in which we frantically exchange the latest exciting news from the specialty coffee world in the hopes of being the first to know. Unfortunately for me, Andrew normally wins, but happily for Spring, it means they are always on top of their game. And you can definitely taste it!

While Andrew brings pedantic coffee perfection to Spring, Zach Huynh (Owner/Operator) balances the vibe out beautifully with his laid-back approach to the espresso experience. The passion behind the scenes is contagious and it comes as no surprise that they are building an army of open-minded and talented baristi.

As espresso experimentation is the reason these two get up so early, I never sweat about who’s behind the machine; I have complete confidence in every member of the Spring team. If you look closely, you’ll notice that Spring has two Mazzer grinders. If you ask nicely, you may get a chance to taste what Andrew and Zach are experimenting with this week.

My most recent visit began with holding a delightful powder blue Nuovo Point ceramic espresso cup. (It’s the first time I’ve ever seen one). The cup itself was nice and warm. You could tell it was pre-heated, but not to the lip, allowing it to hold the heat, but making it possible to drink immediately. On first glance, the crema was a dark reddish-brown with no signs of over-extraction. I could tell by the volume that I was looking at a 25-30ml pour. Upon further investigation, I found the crema not only the correct colour, but thick and persistent. It’s obvious that these guys age their coffee and know when it’s at its best. The Spring blend is very well balanced, with a medium body, pleasant acidity at the start followed by a distinct sweetness in the bottom of the cup.

When it comes to attention to detail, the team at Spring have covered all the bases, making your morning brew less of just a ‘pick me up’ and more of a total experience.

I go there because I get inspired. It’s not consistency in the cup I crave, it’s being consistently surprised by passionate and creative baristi that excites me.

Both Zach and Andrew played a huge role in my training and preparation for this year’s barista competitions and for that I am extremely grateful.

Spring Espresso: Shop 24 Crossways Shopping Centre, Bagot Road, Subiaco WA 6008 Phone: 08 6380 2261 Website: www.springespresso.com

Opening Hours: 7.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Saturday (closed Public Holidays)