What is Intelligentsia Decaf Black Cat Espresso?
The decaf Black Cat: water processed, tagged Direct Trade, and a dollar more than the caffeinated version.
Decaf espresso is where most roasters give up, because decaffeination costs body and espresso needs body. Intelligentsia put their hallmark blend through a water process and keep it in the range at $18.50 for 12 oz, a dollar over the caffeinated Black Cat.
It is tagged Comforting on roast and chocolate and molasses on flavour, the same profile as the Classic, and it comes whole bean or ground in 12 oz and 5 lb with a subscription.
Intelligentsia Decaf Black Cat Espresso Taste: What It Actually Tastes Like
Gentle fruit notes and a sweet, smooth body, which is more than most decaf espresso manages.
Decaffeination strips some body from any coffee and espresso extraction exposes what is left. The roaster describes gentle fruit and a smooth body rather than claiming the caffeinated cup, which is the honest framing.
Water processing is the chemical-free route and the one specialty roasters use when they care how the result tastes. That it costs only a dollar more than the caffeinated bag is unusually restrained.
How fresh is it when it arrives?
Roasted in Chicago and shipped direct, in two sizes with a subscription.
The 12 oz bag is the sensible choice for a household, because a 5 lb bag opened on a counter loses ground for weeks. A subscription answers freshness better than bulk buying does for anyone drinking a bag a fortnight.
Whole bean holds far longer than ground and costs the same, so it is the default unless there is no grinder in the house.
Where the coffee comes from
Brazil named on the blend, with the roaster's own Direct Trade programme behind the buying.
Intelligentsia name the origin countries on their blends rather than selling them as anonymous house recipes, and they tag the roast profile, the flavour profile and the trade terms as structured facts. Very little here has to be taken on trust.
Direct Trade is Intelligentsia's own programme rather than a third-party certification: they publish the terms and stand behind them instead of paying a body to audit them. It promises more than most seals and is harder to verify from outside.
Intelligentsia Decaf Black Cat Espresso vs Intelligentsia Organic Decaf House Blend
Against the caffeinated Black Cat Classic, this is a dollar more and one decision simpler.
Black Cat Classic is $17.50 and the lightest espresso in the range. This is $18.50, water processed, and built to the same flavour profile. If caffeine is the only thing you are cutting, nothing else changes.
Against Cooper's Cask decafs at about $35 a kilo this is dearer, though those are filter coffees rather than espresso blends and the comparison is loose.
There is very little competition here. Water-processed decaf espresso from a roaster of this standing is a short list.
Intelligentsia Decaf Black Cat Espresso price per kilo: how it compares
About $46.08 a kilo in the 5 lb bag, which puts it mid-market for a specialty roaster of this standing.
The 12 oz bag is $18.50 and the 5 lb is the bulk option, saving roughly seventeen percent per gram. That is a real discount by the standards of this site, and it only pays off if the bag is finished while it is still fresh.
Against Cooper's Cask at about $33 a kilo this is a step up in price and in reputation. Against Koa's Kona at $171 it is a fraction of the money. Intelligentsia sit where most people actually buy specialty coffee.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Right for anyone who wants espresso in the evening; wrong if caffeine is not the problem.
Buy it if you pull shots but cannot take the caffeine, or want a decaf that will hold up in milk. Espresso decaf is thin far more often than not, and this one is built on a blend that already works.
Take the caffeinated Classic or Analog if caffeine is not the issue, since both cost a dollar less. Take the Organic Decaf House Blend if you want decaf for filter rather than for a machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is decaf espresso any good?
It is usually thin, because decaffeination strips body and espresso extraction exposes what is left. This one is built on the hallmark Black Cat blend and water processed, which is the route specialty roasters take when they care how it tastes. The roaster claims gentle fruit and a smooth body rather than parity with the caffeinated version.
What is water-processed decaf?
Caffeine removed using water and filtration rather than chemical solvents. It costs more than the solvent methods and is generally regarded as gentler on flavour, which is why it is the one specialty roasters use. Intelligentsia name the method rather than saying only decaffeinated.
How much more does the decaf cost?
One dollar. The caffeinated Black Cat Classic is $17.50 for 12 oz and this is $18.50, or about $46.08 a kilo against $42.55. That is a restrained premium, since decaffeination is a real extra step somebody has to pay for.
Can you use Decaf Black Cat for filter coffee?
It is built as an espresso blend and reads heavy through a filter. If you want decaf for drip or a cafetiere, the Organic Decaf House Blend is the one designed for it, at the same $18.50 for 12 oz.
Does decaf Black Cat work in milk drinks?
Better than most decaf espresso does, because it is built on a blend already designed to survive milk and it keeps a sweet, smooth body. A decaf latte is where thin decaf espresso is least noticeable, so this is a forgiving use for it.
How much caffeine is left in water-processed decaf?
Decaffeination removes most but never all of the caffeine, and the usual standard is around 97 percent removal. A decaf shot still carries a small amount, which matters to anyone who is highly sensitive rather than simply cutting down.
