Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog Espresso vs Intelligentsia Frequency 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.

• +The cheapest Direct Trade coffee in the range, level on price with two blends that carry no trade tag.
• +Built as an everyday crowd pleaser, which is the right brief for a household bag.
• +Dried fruit and sugar give it more character than a neutral house blend.
• +Origins, roast profile, flavour profile and trade terms all published as tags.

• −Designed to please everyone, which means it is nobody's favourite cup.
• −No organic certification, where El Gallo and Illumination carry both that and Direct Trade.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger is 2.27 kg to keep fresh.