When I owned my Alex Duetto I purchased Black Cat two different times based on the accolades it received here. I was never capable of dialing it in and I tried over and over. The taste was never what I had read about. It simply was not at the same level as Redline with neither me or my wife. After finishing off our Redline in our GS/1 there was a half bag of well sealed Black Cat sitting on the shelf so I decided to try it. On the second shot I nailed the grind and tamping and the flavors and depth of the coffee was what I had been reading about. I can't imagine what it would be if the Black Cat was fresh.

So, my apologies to Black Cat.

Now...if Intelligentsia would only get their shipping costs in line with other roasters such as Metropolis, PT, Counter Culture and Paradise I would order some more.

For me black cat is a coffee that does not pull well until it has rested for about 7 days. I like it quite a lot, but if I try to pull it in the first week it just isn't as good. Oddly I have a friend with a Silvia and on her machine the rest seems far less crucial, so this may not be true for everyone.

Hugh

About a year ago Kyle at Intelligentsia told me they give the classic Black Cat 8-10 days before using it in their cafes. Since this blend is always changing this may no longer be the case but that rest time worked well for me the last time I ordered some.

It's been a while since I had a bag of Black Cat (perhaps time to get some again) but I also found that it was better after about 10 days rest.

Nik wrote: After finishing off our Redline in our GS/1 there was a half bag of well sealed Black Cat sitting on the shelf so I decided to try it.

Just to be clear - you have a GS3, right?
Not a GS/1.... or do I have to be really jealous?

I am currently using Black Cat given by a friend. It was roasted in July. My wife enjoys the cappas, but I find it fairly humdrum. Not exciting enough over the hill to have it shipped fresh.

Chert,
It's unfortunate that you are making an evaluation based on very stale beans. Give a fresh bag a try and go from there. In my french press the black cat doesn't taste much like a fine ristretto either.

July!!!! What? Maybe b/c I am a Chicago-ian I have stronger feelings about Intelly than are deserved, but come on... July?! Beans roasted in July have nothing in common regarding taste with what Intelly was intending when they bought/blended/roasted that black cat. July?! How many people in the Home Barista community are using beans this old? Really? Aren't there enough other threads about using FRESH beans to communicate the importance effectively?

Chert wrote:I am currently using Black Cat given by a friend. It was roasted in July. My wife enjoys the cappas, but I find it fairly humdrum. Not exciting enough over the hill to have it shipped fresh.

Haha, awesome!

For me, I too have found Black Cat Classic to be in its prime between 7-11 days out of the roast. I usually would open it on day 4 or 5, and it would be good, but not near what it becomes with a bit more rest.

July? Wowzas. You might find it less humdrum if you tried it fresh. Just a thought.