Intelligentsia El Gallo Blend vs Intelligentsia Illumination Blend

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

Scores higher on value per kilo.

people who want caramel + stone fruit 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.

• +Ethiopian coffee in an everyday blend, at well under single origin prices.
• +Organic certification and Direct Trade on the same bag.
• +Caramel gives the stone fruit a base, so it works in a drip machine rather than needing a hand brew.
• +Origins, roast profile, flavour profile and trade terms all published as tags.

• −$2.50 over the entry blends, and El Gallo carries the same two certifications for $1.50 less.
• −An Ethiopian-led blend varies more between harvests than a Brazilian one.
• −Only two sizes, and the larger is 2.27 kg to keep fresh.