Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso vs Intelligentsia El Gallo Blend

people who want chocolate + molasses from a direct trade roaster

people who want apple + raw sugar from a direct trade roaster

Scores higher on sourcing transparency & ethics, value per kilo.

• +In continuous production since 1995 and a reference point in American specialty espresso.
• +The lightest espresso in the range, so it keeps fruit acidity most espresso blends roast away.
• +Roast profile, flavour profile, origins and trade terms all published as structured facts.
• +The 5 lb bag saves about seventeen percent per gram, a real discount by this site's standards.

• −A light espresso is unforgiving on a home machine with a grinder that cannot be dialled finely.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger one is 2.27 kg, which is a lot of coffee to keep fresh.
• −About $42.55 a kilo, above Cooper's Cask at $33 and well above supermarket specialty.

• +Organic certification and Direct Trade on the same bag, for a dollar over the entry blends.
• +Roasted light and filed for a V60, which is unusual honesty about how it should be brewed.
• +Single country of origin, so the apple sweetness reads more clearly than in a multi-country blend.
• +Whole bean or ground at the same price, with a subscription and a 5 lb option.

• −A light roast pointed at pour over is more work than an automatic drip blend.
• −Wrong bag for espresso or for milk drinks.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger is 2.27 kg to keep fresh.