Presenting... Team Taylor St. Baristas!!!!

So, there's a few of us at Taylor St. competing in the various National Barista Championships over the next few months.  If you don't know what the Barista Championships are, it's a bit like dressage but instead of horses it involves baristas.  You are scored on things like cleanliness, consistency and sensory appeal, not who can scream at customers the loudest over some awful death metal, or who can steam two large jugs of milk on one machine the fastest...

Over the next few weeks we're going to introduce Team Taylor St. Baristas, the crack team of baristas who have chosen to represent their shop on a national stage.  Some are in it for the glory, some for a trip to Melbourne, others just out to keep the level of humiliation to a minimum.

First up, Adam Obratil:

Country you're competing in?
v České Republice

What coffee are you using?
Well I wish I knew, but as I don't know when my competition is, I don't know what coffee I'm gonna use!

Taste notes?
Listen when I'm gonna tell the judges...

Why are you competing?
To make my parents proud, to have some fun, to show up and see czech coffee scene

What first got you interested in coffee?
The first few espressos I tasted, in Kaffeine, Monmouth, Tapped & Packed, Prufrock@Present and Taylor St Baristas New St just across the road to Liverpool St station where I used to work at Costa.

Do you have a 'coffee philosophy'?
Mmm, no. but I'm really enjoying it even without having a philosophy.

What do you think your role is in the TSB team?
I hope I'm TSB team's cheer up-er and "you can f***ing do it" teller!

Ristretto or Lungo?

Yield weight (g) / dose weight (g) = 1.6666666

Washed or Natural?
Washed Kenyans and natural Ethiopians -> it really depends.

Cappuccino or flat white?
Not only because we're serving them in competition, I really like a sweet and creamy cappuccino more than warm-milk-and-double-shot flat white.

Describe your signature drink in five words:
Simple, innovative, smoky, refreshing, salty