Intelligentsia El Gallo Blend vs Intelligentsia El Gato Blend

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

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

people who want chocolate + molasses from a direct trade roaster

• +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.

• +The flagship Black Cat profile rebuilt for filter brewing rather than sold into the wrong brewer.
• +Level with House Blend at the entry price of the range, so the choice is flavour not budget.
• +Comforting and chocolate-driven, which is the more forgiving of the two entry blends.
• +Origins, roast profile and flavour profile all published as structured tags.

• −Built for drip, so it is the wrong bag for an espresso machine despite the Black Cat association.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger is 2.27 kg to keep fresh.