mkauzer wrote:Does anyone expect the 06 Cabernet from your favorite winery to have an identical flavor profile as the 05?
Are we disappointed that wines vary from year to year?

No, but paralleling the discussion here, premium winemakers provide tasting notes that outline the characteristics and variances annually for your consideration before purchase, and some aficionados opt not to buy in particular years. In the wine world major, wholesale swings in flavor are typically acceptable in high volume wines that depend upon the processing of enormous quantities of grapes (Three Thieves, Coppola Rosso, etc.), but are generally not welcomed--rather, bemoaned--in wines that reflect small batch blending of grapes from specific blocks in particular vineyards. When due to unavoidable growing or supply conditions, it's a "c'est la vie" situation that one waits out in hope of a better season next year. When it's due to a philosophical change on the part of the winemaker, many jump ship. Intelly changed its signature blend dramatically and let no one in on it prior to purchase. As a newbie with a bottom-rung machine and novice skills, I thought it was something that I was doing that changed the flavor profile and created disappointment in the cup. The reality was that Intelly had put one over on me and provided a blend with a flavor profile I would have passed on had I known prior to purchase. Since I purchase only a pound at a time, that was a costly deception.

espressoed wrote:As a newbie with a bottom-rung machine and novice skills, I thought it was something that I was doing that changed the flavor profile and created disappointment in the cup. The reality was that Intelly had put one over on me and provided a blend with a flavor profile I would have passed on had I known prior to purchase.

Not very likely. For "a newbie with a bottom-rung machine and novice skills," the last place I would look to explain the variation in your shots would be a shift in the blend. It's possible, yes, but the shot-to-shot variability of your espresso is likely to be pretty large even with a standardized mass market blend from Italy.

What was not very likely? That Intelly had changed the flavor profile dramatically and I would have passed on ordering the coffee in the first place? We now know that they DID do so, and didn't say anything about it, and I would have passed on ordering it. Sorry but I don't buy your condescending response one iota.

espressoed wrote:What was not very likely? That Intelly had changed the flavor profile and I would have passed on ordering the coffee in the first place? We now know that they DID do so, and didn't say anything about it, and I would have passed on ordering it. Sorry but I don't buy your condescending response one iota.

I wasn't condescending, I was relying on your self description. When I was a newbie working with bottom rung equipment, if I got two similar shots out of ten I would have declared a national holiday!

Shot to shot variability is certainly a factor in my experience, but I'm reasonably consistent enough and I have a well-developed enough palate (30+ year wine drinker as well) to recognize flavor characteristics that were never present in previous batches I'd used. Before I bought another pound to engage in diagnostics, others began to post similar findings here and elsewhere. Lo, and behold, a subsequent admission from Matt that the blend had changed significantly. So am I now to resign myself to the fact that the flavor profile of everyone else's batch was changed due to a new blending approach but with my batch it's simply because my technique, equipment, and/or palate suck?

I'm not going to rehash all the previous arguments. The wine analogies only go a limited way. Coffee roasters have to deal not just with crop changes, but with the frequent disappearance of blend components, either because the crop was small or another broker or roaster has bought it up. Such is the life of the coffee roaster.

Mega-roasters have an easier time maintaining consistency. For boutique roasters, particularly if they are producing cutting edge blends, it is often impossible. I expect the blends I buy to change from time to time and know that, if I don't like it as much now, it might be worth another try in a few months.

I usually avoid nasty surprises by developing relationships with my roasters and discussing changes with them, just as you might do with your wine dealer. For years they have been letting me know when they are excited about a change in one of their blends. To me this is one of the great pleasures of specialty coffee.

I think people are talking past one another here. Three points being argued as one.
1. The company changed its signature blend and did not inform its customer base.
2. There is a reasonable expectation that signature blends carrying the same name over time should taste the same over time - especially if the description from the company remains the same.
3. The variance in the product should be expected in a "grown" product and is part of the fun of espresso consumption.
I think this entire thread would have had a different tone if Intel. had dealt differently with #1. As to #3, this was unexpected to me as newbie. I guess I assumed #2 (as apparently did many), and think that Intelli should learn a valuable lesson and take the opportunity to inform/educate/help/guide their customers with their website. A 'you customers should know better' attitude from the company would be terrible business, and less than optimal on a great forum.