Strange Black Cats

by **Endo** on Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:41 pm

I bought some Organic Black Cat and some Classic Black Cat. Despite the fact that the classic is over 1 week fresher that the organic, the classic pulls much faster and requires I tighten the grind by 4 notches on my Super Jolly.

What's up here? I suspect it might just be that the classic bag was not sealed right. Or, is there something about the classic blend that makes it pull faster than the organic?

by **CSME9** on Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:40 pm

I had to go 2 clicks finer last time i bought Classic Black Cat approx 12 mos ago.

WS

by **malachi** on Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:35 pm

They are different coffees, formulated from different beans. As such, they required different grind settings (and most likely will be optimal at different doses and volumes and perhaps even brew temps).

by **Endo** on Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:48 pm

malachi wrote:They are different coffees, formulated from different beans. As such, they required different grind settings (and most likely will be optimal at different doses and volumes and perhaps even brew temps).

Yes. I understand that from the label. I was just surprised just how different they were. I pull a lot of different blends and the two with the closest name appear about the furthest apart.

I wonder if it is one particular bean they use (or perhaps all) that sets the two blends so far apart.

by **Bluegrod** on Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:02 pm

I was just wondering if anyone out there has noticed a hude difference between the black cat of today and the black cat of before. I purchased a few pounds lately and was seriously disapppointed with the way it tasted compared to what it tasted like before.

by **Endo** on Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:08 pm

Yes. The difference has been mentioned quite a few times. It's definitely not the big chocolate bomb it used to be. I've actually stopped buying Black Cat for the most part. I only bought it again recently since it was the freshest choice of the blends available in my local shop.

by **thefly** on Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:02 pm

Bluegrod wrote:I was just wondering if anyone out there has noticed a hude difference between the black cat of today and the black cat of before. I purchased a few pounds lately and was seriously disappointed with the way it tasted compared to what it tasted like before.

Mark Prince over at coffeegeek discussed a recent change within the last week or so of BC:

http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/b ... 040#425040

Black Cat got a change within the last few weeks. Gone is the Rwanda component (I haven't personally liked the Rwanda much this year, even if it didn't have a potato taint); incoming is a Bolivian that has just morphed the coffee.

Been pulling shots the last two days straight with it - last weeks' roast and this week again, and have been frankly blown away. It's not chocolate / caramel / body... instead, it's chocolate, spices and cherry. Huge body. Straight up, phenomenal. With milk? Serious deep semi-bitter dry chocolate, front, middle and back, with definite Lowny (sp?) cherry chocolate hints.

Great decision, moving off the iffy (IMO, of course) Rwanda.

Mark

He recently mentioned it again on his twitter site and reviewed it on his La Marzocco GS/3 and stated that it would now be a WBC winning calibre espresso.

I have noticed that it is a bit acidic in the first 3-4 days of roast but by day 5 becomes the bitter chocolate + spices that Mark mentions.

May be worth re-trying for some.

by **Bluegrod** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:02 am

Yeah the 5 day wait for black cat has always been a must in my opinion. I have not had any for about a month now so maybe I will give it another whirl and see what I think of the new blend. I really do miss the old black cat though that was some fantastic espresso both straight and in milk based drinks. Intelli has always been one of my favorite roasters and was really surprised by the huge changes black cat has gone through.

by **malachi** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:53 am

thefly wrote:... but by day 5 becomes the bitter chocolate + spices that Mark mentions.

If you're getting bitter chocolate and spices out of the Black Cat, you might try dropping brew temp a tiny bit. It will bring out the fruit.

by **thefly** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:00 am

I will give that a try - currently brewing at ~ 92.5 C

by **Endo** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:31 am

I keep my empty bags of Black Cat just so I can keep track. So far I have:

Feb 2009: Brazil, Guatemala
May 2009: Brazil, Rawanda
June 2009: Brazil, Bolivia

Like another "Black Cat" I know, ever since January it's been all about change....but when is it going to actually deliver!

by **Phaelon56** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:52 am

Not only different beans - as Malachi pointed out - but we should assume that different roast levels may have been used in order to get the optimal results for each bean type. And different roast levels will typically require different grind settings. If it tastes good after it's dialed in then it's a moot point.

by **Endo** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:00 am

Finally got the new Black Cat dialed-in. I dosed 17g, dropped the temperature down to 92C and did an extra long 40 second ristretto.

I must say this is the best Black Cat I've tasted in a while. Maybe even one of the best shots of the last year....period.

Now if they'll just leave it that way. :roll:

by **malachi** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:18 am

they can't.
coffee is a seasonal agricultural product.

by **Endo** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:30 pm

Marketing idea:

"Black Cat - Summer Blend"

by **portamento** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:22 pm

Endo wrote:Marketing idea:

"Black Cat - Summer Blend"

They're right there with ya. http://www.inseasoncoffee.com/

by **Endo** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:05 pm

Actually, I can vouch for the little green "in-season" stickers they put on some SOs. I had some "in-season" La Tortuga, Honduras a few weeks ago and it was an explosion of flavors. Just fantastic.

by **SL28ave** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:17 pm

portamento wrote:They're right there with ya. http://www.inseasoncoffee.com/

Right now, when it comes to roasters who don't freeze their raw (99% of roasters), Intelligentsia is way beyond the others when it comes to seasonality. For me, it's one of the very most important variables.

by **michael** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:03 pm

im a big fan of the current black cat. i generally go with 16.5gs in a double basket or 20gs in a triple

people who havent already done so should check out the black cat bolivian; really great stuff :mrgreen:

by **Marshall** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:36 pm

Bluegrod wrote:I was just wondering if anyone out there has noticed a hude difference between the black cat of today and the black cat of before. I purchased a few pounds lately and was seriously disapppointed with the way it tasted compared to what it tasted like before.

If you ever want to see dedicated roasters in a heated argument, get a "coffee is seasonal" person to debate a "consistent blending is the essence of the roaster's art" guy. Very different philosophies, each (in my opinion) supportable.


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