Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog Espresso vs Intelligentsia El Diablo Blend

people who want chocolate + molasses from a direct trade roaster

people who want chocolate + molasses from a direct trade roaster

• +Built and roasted specifically to hold up in milk, which most espresso blends only claim.
• +More forgiving of an imperfect grind than the lighter Classic, which matters on a home machine.
• +Direct Trade tagged, with the origin country named on the blend.
• +Identical price to the Classic, so the choice is about the cup rather than the budget.

• −A darker roast gives up the fruit acidity that makes the Classic interesting as a straight shot.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger is 2.27 kg of an oily roast to keep fresh.
• −About $42.55 a kilo, above Cooper's Cask at $33 and well above supermarket coffee.

• +A dark roast priced level with the medium blends rather than discounted below them.
• +Single country of origin behind a dark blend, which is more coherent than most.
• +The only dark filter blend in the range, so it fills a real gap on the menu.
• +Roast profile, flavour profile and origin all published as structured tags.

• −Dark roasting narrows what any coffee can show, whatever the roaster intends.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger is 2.27 kg to keep fresh.