Vanessa Hudgens Models For Intelligentsia Coffee

Kyle Glanville just pointed this out to us all people think we actually hired her to do this!

Thu, 17 July 2008 at 7:56 pm

As the new face for Intelligentsia Coffee, Vanessa Hudgens shoots the coffee brand’s new ad campaign outside Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon. (Looks like she’s in a much better mood compared to earlier this morning!)

Intelligentsia Coffee was founded in October 1995 and boasts a simple premise: buy, roast, and serve the finest coffees available. Their coffee is roasted daily in vintage German roasters.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, boyfriend Zac Efron arrived at JFK airport in New York City.

10+ pictures inside of Intelligentsia Coffee spokesperson Vanessa

Yet another site another site claiming to be hers conveyed the same story which you can see it at http://www.vanessa-hudgens.com/

I’m not going to confirm nor deny the story as we respect our loyal patrons privacy.

Deaton

A question or two for Stephen

Hey Stephen I have a few questions for you mate.

1) Did you get marked down in your techs for immediate insert and brew at the WBC?

2) What were the judges notes like for your espresso, did they comment on the body and acidity like you asked them to?

3) Do you feel the judges got the same tasting notes for your espresso as the ones you gave them ?

4) Would you be game enough to publish your score sheets for us the public?

5) Can you touch your toes yet?

Hope to hear from you soon!

Corrections and stuff

So I guess, now that I am getting more hits on my site these days I should really be more careful with dates, times, faces and place’s… Oh, by the way,  I will not correct myself when I write any of the following things, bad grammar, typos, spelling mistakes, Aussie slang, swearing nor if I make a complete arse of myself!

So Marty Curtis calls me the other day and when I see his ID come up on my phone I immediately think that something is wrong with our roaster. “Hey boy!” I hear as I answer “I was reading your post today and your wrong!” he gives a timely pause. :”We fired up the roaster on April fools day, the 1st of April, remember?!”…

Marty is right and I apologize  to all readers out there including the guys and gals that are part of our Roasters Choice program… We fired up the roaster on April 1st, I, now remember how we were all joking that this was not going to work and it would take another month before we started. Funny yeah?

Marty Curtis hard at work

Roaster’s Choice July 2008: Roasting for Competitions

Sorry no pictures this time but this is what Intelligentsia sent out the other day for the roasters choice.

Deaton

Greetings. To introduce myself quickly, my name is Deaton Pigot, and I am one of the Roasters at Intelligentsia’s Los Angeles Roasting Works. My buddy and fellow LA Roaster, Steven Lee, and I will be taking over the writing in this space from the one and only Geoff Watts. (No, Mr. Watts hasn’t gone anywhere; it’s just time for the Roasters to own Roaster’s Choice.) I hope that you enjoy reading about our exploration of coffee and the roasting process.

I had been involved in Barista competitions in Europe and my native Australia before coming to Intelligentsia, and I’ve got to tell you that competition time rolled around quickly this year. And then it amazingly screamed past us in what felt like a fifteen minute dust storm, a coffee dust storm that is. Here in Los Angeles, as soon as we fired up the roaster in March and began dialing the roaster and ourselves in, the LA Baristas were asking for favors for the upcoming Western Regional Competition in Berkeley, California. Kyle Glanville purchased four different lots of Brazilian coffees from Carmo Deminas for the Baristas to use and Sarah Kluth and Geoff Watts purchased the now well-known Finca Matalapa from El Salvador.

I’m not really sure if many people know that the competition season for some of the Baristas started way back at the Southwest Regional in Las Vegas on February 26^th, 2008. Devin Peddy and Ryan Wilbur competed as out-of-region entrants, which meant that they were technically not allowed to place. So even thought they couldn’t go for the win, it was a great chance to dust off some cobwebs. This meant the Intelli LA team, which also included Kyle Glanville and Nick Griffith, started training at the beginning of the February. This just goes to show how long of a road our guys have had to tread.

Like I mentioned, we were working with the competitors’ coffees after just having started dialing in the roast process as a whole. Thinking back on it now, what better way to become better acquainted with our coffees and equipment? Steven Lee and I had spent many months working on theories of roasting, cupping, etc., and we were just back from an enlightening trip to Reno to visit Karl Staub, so we were itching to put those months of learning into practice.

The Finca Matalapa was an absolute delight to work with and still is to this day. (This coffee was part of the April, May, and June Roaster’s Choice; that’s how much we liked it!) The bean itself is really resilient. When the Baristas asked us to hit an exact profile and we missed, we were secretly happy as we were then able to take some delicious coffee home with us. We were ecstatic when Nick and Kyle decided to use the Matalapa as a single origin espresso as we knew in our hearts that those big maple notes and sweet clean citrus were going to stand out.

When Intelligentsia placed 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th at the Western Regional, we had new vigor and determination to press on. If you have heard that these competitions are easy, then you are being misled. On most days you don’t eat until after the event closes, so the whole time you are just running around on caffeine and adrenalin. You are up till 3AM each night cleaning, ironing and polishing for the next day’s competition. You have logistical nightmares as everything you have with you is just so fragile and is just looking for a reason to break.

In the build up to the Western Regionals we were really dialing in our coffees, cupping and pulling shots every day trying to reach the perfect roast. During the experimental stages the Baristas would taste the coffees and ask for 30 seconds more here, longer roasts at this point, and speedier development there. It had Steven and me using all of our concentration and putting all of our theories to use. It was great to see that all the involved pallets were becoming fine-tuned instruments that no amount learning of theories or reading of books could ever achieve. After all, this is all about tasting and tasting a lot!

Onto the SCAA show in April at Minneapolis and more of the same long days and nights confronting us. Since I was Kyle’s coach, I would be up ironing while Kyle and the rest of the team were sleeping. I tired to block out the thoughts that kept creeping into my mind: How did a 30 year-old man at this stage in his career find himself ironing clothes and linen for other men? I took my licks and took it for the team, and Kyle’s 1^st place was more than enough payment.

Now I’m taken back to back to February when a small lot of experimental coffees from Panama came across our cupping table. This coffee was, to say the least, controversial. It quite literally had us, the guys and gal in QC, split right down the middle. Half of us wanted to “X” it straight from the table and the other half thought it was one of the most interesting coffees they had ever tasted. It was a pulp natural coffee from Finca Santa Teresa, and it was the first time that this particular farm had played around with processing coffee this way. Kyle Glanville and K.C. O’Keefe ended up purchasing it, and I remember Kyle saying that the coffee would make a wonderful espresso and he projected that he would use it for at least the Nationals. Now, due to some logistical set backs we never got the coffee in time for Minneapolis and with Kyle winning the finals on the Matalapa, he decided to pin all his hopes and dreams on this, still yet to be proven as an espresso, coffee from Panama.

Time was ticking as we sat patently waiting for this coffee to arrive and all the time we were steadily increasing production at the LA Roasting Works. Each week we were doubling production whilst fine tuning all of our systems on the fly. So once again we were all running around pulling huge hours with only the smell of fresh coffee to fuel our desire and ambitions. I never told Kyle this, and I am not really sure why I am telling you all out there in coffee land, but Kyle’s Panama coffee landed in our warehouse and unbeknownst to us, the few bags he had ordered were at the bottom of a mixed pallet where it remained for half a week, until we finally got the chance to go through the pallet and discovered it. Like a shining ray of hope uncovered, it popped its head out, to be sheepishly noticed by the entire world (or at least, our world). What a surprise, and please don’t tell Kyle!

Now with only 3 weeks until the event, we got to roasting. The coffee was once again so fresh that it reacted unlike any other coffee I have roasted to date. It was heavy in the drum and had much higher crack and end temps then we were used to. It was really like flying blind as we tried to navigate through our profiles. As we did not have much of the Panama in the warehouse, we were tying to roast very small batch sizes, which means you have to rely more on instinct then on technology.

It was so delicious though, with huge jam-like notes and sweetness that equaled, and in my mind actually surpassed, the Matalapa espresso that we used for the USBC. We were all so excited. When the day came to finally roast for Kyle’s trip to the World Barista Competition in Denmark, a huge wave of emotion fell upon me and thoughts of a “small town country boy from outback Australia” (that’s me) doing this work hit me and a lone tear did well. All of Kyle’s, mine and the rest of the Intelligentsias team’s hard work had come to this point, and the pressure to nail a roast had never been so great.

Well, we did not get the exact result that we were after at the Worlds, but we can definitely look back at our build up to Copenhagen and we can all say we gave it 110%! Kyle’s 8^th place is something to be proud of. Even though he has not said it to me personally, I am sure that he will compete again. One thing that we have learnt from all this out here in LA is it is so important to have a close relationship with your Baristas. After all, they are the ones tasting and pulling your shots everyday.

On returning back to LA from Copenhagen, more one surprise that came my way as a torrent of fresh crop coffees had flooded our warehouse and once again we are on a steep learning curve as we try to hit the perfect roast profile for each coffee.

This is why I love this game!

Deaton

Twinkle Toes

Like a football team during a tournament, it’s important not to peak too
early, and teams should not be flat-footed and tired at the end of the
season. Over the last week I am happy to say that it feels like Kyle is on
track. With every run-through over the last few days Kyle’s performance is
getting better and better. So Kyle “Twinkle Toes” Glanville is now ducking
and weaving in his run-throughs like Nick Farr-Jones
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Farr-Jones) or Tom Brady (for you
American football fans), but there is still room for improvement and to us,
at least, that is a good thing.

We put the call out to our Baristas at the cafe to come and take part in and
help evaluate Kyle’s preparation. It was pitched as an idea that this was
truly a great opportunity to stick it to the man, paybacks for all those
long arduous deflating training session with Kyle.

The call went out and two stepped up to the plate: enter John Hicks (who was
just promoted to Barista at the coffeebar) and Jared Linzmeier (Shift Lead
at the coffeebar). Inconspicuous to some, but given half the chance, like
today, they will tear you to shreds! We sat them down as sensory judges, put
a blank piece of paper in front of them, and let them go.

I am now sitting down in front of the PC typing this post and it brings a
smile to my face to hear them still at it. Brain storming and poking fun,
all whilst getting the job done. This is what it’s all about.

Kyle’s coffee has had enough rest so we now have a good idea what it’s about
taste-wise. It has some big notes, it’s pushing some boundaries, and it’s
ultimately delivering on the promise that Kyle found on the cupping table.
It really is special.

Good times.

Post memorial day hangover…

Well, we have had an amazing week gone by though it feels more like a couple of minutes since my last post. Setting up the Los Angeles sight has been an eye opener to say the least and like any start up business we are working out our systems on the fly. So with 15 hour days under our belt unfortunately it leaves very little energy for anything else, including this blog, my apologies. We had three goals for the week: 1) double output, 2) make it happen before the UPS pick up at 4.30pm and 3) do it in only 3 days and down one roaster (for at least one of the days). Being that we were so busy it was great to see everyone on board here pitch in and help. It came down to the wire but somehow we got through it and, more importantly, the coffees were delivered on time.

In saying that, this does not mean that Kyle nor myself were not doing any WBC work over the week gone by. Earlier this week we had a very special and exciting delivery. Kyle has been getting some custom “stuff” built for him, now that they are here it has made our nights in the lab a lot more functional. Everyday we are getting closer to the elusive signature drink preparation, Kyle is using the same sig drink as the USBC but with some very new twists. Last but not least we had the arival of Kyle’s WBC coffees, fresh crop and very exciting to say the least.

I had the chance to roast this coffee on the Gothot today, along with my roaster in crime Steven Lee, and to say that we were as excited as two small school kids in a candy store would be an understatment. Expect to hear more about this / these amazing coffees as the build up to the WBC intensifies!

Deaton

Don’t Leave the Pregnant Woman Behind

5-27-08

The long weekend is upon us, which provides a chance to get out of the warehouse and do some shopping. First on the list: Guitar Center.

I resisted the urge to shred (or should I say “strum” as I am not really a shredder) on a $5000 Martin acoustic guitar and we instead bee-lined for the drum section. We were looking for hard cases that could hold all of Kyle’s gear and were also air-flight approved. Surprisingly, and almost a little too easily, we were able to pick up two cases that were remarkably cheap! Equipped with wheels and tie downs, they were exactly what we were looking for.

As we walked out of the store to Kyle’s car with both cases in hand, I was still thinking about how this all went down so smoothly. It wasn’t until we got close to the car that I started to think about how we were going to get these things into such a small vehicle. The idea of pregnant Deanna walking home wasn’t sitting too well with me, and it was going to be a little awkward pulling out of the car park with her left in the rearview mirror. Thankfully, we managed to squeeze everything in and a wave of relief washed over me. I didn’t want to be the one to tell her to walk home!

I won’t bore you with the details of our trip to the Grove to buy a few more odds and ends at the usual shops. I will instead mention that we roasted two fantastic coffees for the cafe just the other day. If you have read the Black Cat web site, you will know that we have started to do single origin espressos at the cafe. Anjilanaka from Bolivia has made its way on to the menu to a great response. Its intense juice, explosive tropical fruit acidity and cane sugar sweetness are hitting all the right notes. On a personal note it is very nice to have been part of the roasting team that roasts this coffee. I also get the luxury of pulling shots of it at the coffee bar as well. Woo-woo!

Cloak and daggers

5-23-08

Today was shrouded in mystery as we have just received something akin to the America’s Cup Great Winged Keel Controversy of 1983:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20041114/ai_n12763140

Something so secretive, not even our own staff was allowed to see the treasure. The extra security around the LA Roasting Works (in the form of N8000, a.k.a. Nate Waters) had everyone on edge. If you get too close, you’ll get busted!

Signature drink…

Playing around with ideas

Kyle has his own idea

Now hear mine

Oh yeah!

Quick KC’s here!

That’s all for tonight we have a meeting at Kyles house at 7.30pm.

Cabin Fever

Stir crazy is in the air… Kyle (the competitor) is raving mad, Nick (Griffith) is being coy about something, Nick (Barnett) has gone AWOL, and poor Sean (our warehouse guru from Chicago) is cowering in the corner, scared. Neither Sean nor the rest of us have any idea that Kyle is about to do the run-through that nightmares are made of!

Espresso:

 

1) Kyle has to remake his second set of shots.

 

2) For some reason Kyle is not practicing with 6 cups, so he re-serves espresso in the dirty ones.

 

3) He falters during the introduction of his sig drink speech.

 

4) He forgets to tell the judges how to drink his espresso.

 

Cappuccino:

 

1) Disaster hits as his steam wand covers his bench in water.

 

2) The drinks have good definition but come out a little on the thin side.

 

3) A key ingredient in his sig drink is not dispensed correctly.

 

Signature Drink:

 

1) The second set of shots pours from one side of the spout, defying gravity for almost the whole time.

 

2) He doesn’t have not enough time to remake his espresso.

 

3) The device to help pour his sig drink ends up being more of a hindrance then an aid.

 

4) Kyle forgets to his spare cloth to wipe up drips from his “pouring aid”.

 

5) He runs out of time before he gets to add his final ingredient in his sig drink.

 

 

Maybe the good luck charm that I set on the end of the judges’ table is not so lucky after all. (No, it couldn’t be that.)

So with all that said and done, we have learnt from his mistakes, and we have worked out: how to dispense his sig drink better and cleaner, how to get around the gravity-defying espresso, how to make sure that the ingredients in his sig drink will work for him, how to allow more time in case he needs to re-pull shots, and how to iron out some kinks in our grinder. All this while working on his speech and mannerisms.

Now to do another run through!