Intelligentsia Coffee, Light Roast Whole Bean Coffee - Black Cat Classic Espresso 12 Ounce Bag

I'm not really a big coffee aficionado so I can't personally attest to the flavor profile. I did not see a roast date on my package which many people commented on in their reviews. The beans were not dried and shriveled up like on other reviews. I used 2 cups of beans which wasn't even half the bag, so hopefully this bag is good for a month of use in a 1 person/1.5 cups per day household. I mostly got this as a way to stop paying for the canned harbucks coffees in the stores which are absurdly costly and take time out of my week to get. 10$/mo is a lot better than 90$ for the cans. The cold brew did not produce a black color which shocked my coworker, but the flavor was very high after a short 11 hour brew. The flavor is significant dulled after a shot of milk and vanilla. Both my taste testers thought the coffee was great. Coffee grounds are great for composting (green material) and your coffee bean grinder can also grind dried disinfected eggshells.

I'm honestly so shocked this espresso has a 3.9 rating. I think it has lot to do with the fact I'm guessing people aren't pulling the shots correctly and following the right process with espresso. This is by far the BEST espresso I've ever had outside of an actual coffee shop. I don't even go get coffee/lattes anymore I just make it at home. I always check the date obvs to make sure it's fresh, but the taste is great. It's very smooth, and smells like espresso you'd grab from your fav coffee place. And, the price is perfect for the quality. I use the Breville Barista Express machine, and this espresso has pulled the best shots. Thank you!

This brand has been ruined by private equity. This roast is a ghost of what it used to be. It used to be so flavorful and one of the best roasts. I was so proud that it was from the Chicago area. Now its a dark roast whittled down to nothing. It literally tastes like nothing and this new rebranded label is awful! The old one looked so chic. I’m not sure if the roast from Amazon is different from the site itself but this is not it!

Pros: Very complex Rich Excellent for doubles and triples Cons: A bit expensive Merely adequate for singles Overall: I very much like Black Cat Espresso. I consider it the bar against which other espressos are measured. I like it more than Kicking Horse, Lavazza, and Stumptown. Its flavor profile is very complex. It has its fair share of caramel and chocolate, but it also has a spicy, savory nature to it, and very fruity notes that come out well in singles. This is not a large-scale, homogenized coffee. Different regions and roasts result in different flavors from each bag. Sometimes that spiciness becomes a sort of salty flavor, and the fruits can turn very flowery. It is an easy espresso to make. Even shots that aren't perfect come out tasting pretty good. It's also a forgiving blend in that the shots are not prone to channeling. Singles are good, because any good coffee becomes light and toasty in a single, as opposed to the rich, crema-bombs of doubles and triples. Still, this espresso is very much intended for doubles or triples. In drip coffee, it's alright. And by drip, I mean any immersion process, be it French press, Aeropress, drip, pour-over, etc. The flavors get blown out, with the spices overwhelming the chocolates and caramels and resulting in a coffee that's not terribly smooth. Of the immersion processes, Aeropress tasted the best, probably because it most closely approximates espresso. Black Cat is a bit expensive, but not terribly so. Especially when one considers the increases in coffee as of late, -even Starbucks Tribute was $14 per pound- the price isn't crippling, but it is definitely above many other brands. You can save a little money by buying in five-pound bulks on Intellgentsia's website, but it's not a good idea to keep coffee beans around for that long when you can just as easily get it fresh. All said, Black Cat is espresso that more often than not finds its way into my machine. UPDATE: Something that I forgot to mention in my initial review is that Black Cat is a very complex blend. That means that cheap stepped grinders WILL NOT grind the coffee correctly for espresso. Some higher-end stepped grinders will do the job, like the Rancilio Rocky, but you'll want a good, stepless grinder to fine-tune the grind. This is especially important if you have an espresso machine that's very picky about grind. Finally, this is not a terribly cremariffic espresso, which means to get a good amount of crema out of it, and thus really have a good canvas for latte art, you're going to have to prepare triples. UPDATE #2 ABOUT WEIGHT: It is very important to realize that the various sellers selling this are NOT SELLING THE SAME PRODUCT. The beans are the same, and most of the sellers are selling freshly-roasted beans. They are selling different weights, though. Need Caffeine is selling one-pound bags (16oz), whereas Trade Concepts and Abernook are selling 12oz bags for the same price. If different sellers than the above mentioned become available, e-mail the seller to ask the weight of the bag. It's the only way to ensure that you are getting a full pound. This is supposed to be the product page for the full-pound bag. That's why there is a separate product page for the 120z bag. I am very disappointed in Trade Concepts and Abernook.

Ordered it on a whim, then read the reviews and wasn't sure what to think. The coffee arrived, the "best by" date is 4 months away, so.. not super fresh but not expired. Then I made a couple pots.. I love it! I'd give it an A, definitely. No complaints, wonder how much better it would be if it were fresh. I'm considering making it a go to favorite.

LOVE this coffee. Freshly ground this coffee tastes awesome. Light, Fruity, and Delicious. Highly reccomend

After having coffee prepared using the pour over method at Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago and Alterra Coffee in Milwaukee I decided it's the best method for me. I was blown away by how good it was. Luckily, I'm in Chicago often and can pop into Intelligentsia for a pour over, an espresso, and beans on a regular basis. Other brands like SB roast their coffee very dark and sell it past the two-three week window. It's too strong and bitter, for me, for a pour over. I can't drink it that way. Even with quantity and brewing adjustments the results are not to my liking. The new "blond roasts" yield much better results but still leave me wanting. Alterra was bought by a large corporation, are no longer roasting at their original location, and are pushing some sort of pre packed office coffee. I went to collage in Milwaukee and they were my favorite. Actually, I don't think I really liked coffee until I had Alterra. Best espresso I can remember. Very fun place to hang out at too. Now Im weary. I did have an amazing pour over there a year ago, however. Intelligentsia has a great app with their recomemded brewing methods. Their coffee is really ideal for a pour over. Tastes amazing. It's -15F in Chicago so I decided to order Intelligentsia through Amazon Prime. Sadly, these beans were roasted in NOVEMBER! Really a disappointment. If I had not had Intelligentsia previously I would have given it a one star. If they could ship freshly roasted beans, even two weeks old, I'd be ordering from Amazon weekly. Unfortunately, I've read other customers reviews and they've had the same experience (I decided jot roll the dice when I ordered). As it is, I'd never order these beans from Amazon again unless they implament a corrective action.

I’m not sure why so many people are slagging off this coffee. El Gallo rocks! One of the best coffees I’ve ever tasted. The acid content is truly low and easy on my stomach, not to mention the amazing aroma and smoothness.