Intelligentsia Black Cat- different again

[oofnik]

Hi everyone,
So I went in to Intelligentsia yesterday to pick up another pound (with a preview double shot, of course) and was shocked. Usually the shots they pull are consistently tasty, but this one was absolutely delicious. But it tasted like the blend changed rather than just the usual parameters. So I asked the barista, and she said that starting this week, they've completely redone the blend. They had problems sourcing a good dry processed Brazil earlier in the year, but if I remember what she said correctly, they just changed over to three different Brazils roasted to different levels. Much sweeter, a lot less harsh on the aftertaste, and the same excellent buttery mouthfeel. If you haven't given Black Cat a try lately, you might want to consider checking it out. It was great before, now I just can't get enough!

[Mark08859]

Always looking for new things to try. Thanks for the update!

[ThaRiddla]

you (and the barista at the store) are absolutely correct, we changed the blend starting last Thursday. It's much cleaner and sweeter than it's been for a few months and there is much much more to come in the future.

Thanks for the compliment, I'll be sure that everyone sees it.

[Spresso_Bean]

You guys are making my mouth water for some Black Cat now haha - I haven't had any in at least 6 months due to my love of Kid-O's Blend and my home roasting, but this newest version of Black Cat will be my next for sure.

[oofnik]

Awesome news, Matt!
One of the things I love about you guys at Intelligentsia is how much you all really care about your coffee. The fact that some of you read these online coffee forums says a lot, too
My utmost respect goes to all of you whom I've spoken with personally, asked numerous questions and always received very informed, knowledgeable replies. Keep it up, the world needs more of you!

[Ardvaark]

Oooooh! I'll have to order some soon! I haven't pulled any Black Cat in a while.

I used to live just down the street from the Broadway store, before moving to DC, so Intelligentsia has a real soft spot in my heart.

[mikep]

you (and the barista at the store) are absolutely correct, we changed the blend starting last Thursday. It's much cleaner and sweeter than it's been for a few months and there is much much more to come in the future.

Thanks for the compliment, I'll be sure that everyone sees it.

Interesting- I just picked up two pound of BC yesterday, and if memory serves, one was roasted last Wed and one last Thurs, so I might be able to really compare and contrast at home.

[keno]

Hey ThaRiddla,

I picked up some Black Cat down here in Florida (at a cafe in Sarasota). How do I know when it was roasted? Do the markings on the bag provide any indication? How can I tell whether this is the new Black Cat or the old?

I've only pulled a couple of shots so far and it is very sweet tasting, but I've had a little trouble getting a good pour. I think the grind I've got set is too fine right now - I'm coming up with short shots.

Cheers,
Ken

[HB]

Do the markings on the bag provide any indication? How can I tell whether this is the new Black Cat or the old?

Assuming it hasn't changed since he posted this, see Black Cat sold at Whole Foods -- where's the roast date?

[ThaRiddla]

Assuming it hasn't changed since he posted this, see Black Cat sold at Whole Foods -- where's the roast date?

That's correct. If there's no roast date on the front label of the bag, there should be a Julian date on the UPC on the bottom of the bag.

Mike - You should definitely taste the difference. The new blend should be much cleaner, caramel, chocolate and none of that dry, peanut-y aftertaste that (I've) been getting recently.

[keno]

Assuming it hasn't changed since he posted this, see Black Cat sold at Whole Foods -- where's the roast date?

Dan,

Not sure that is still the way they do it. If so, the coffee I just purchased was roasted in 2030!

The number on my bag is 300011. Please help!

Cheers,
Ken

[forgetcolor]

Does the Black Cat Decaf have this change as well?

[ThaRiddla]

@ Keno
you mean the 11th day of 20300?!

That number (300011) is an Intelligentsia Internal number for accounting and inventory purposes.
I just confirmed with the production label master that we now default to a Gregorian Calendar date (YY.MM.DD) for the labeling of bags at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc. You will find this on the right side of the UPC sticker affixed to the bottom of the bag. If an individual customer choses to use a Julian date (eg, 07344) it would be placed in the same position on the UPC.

@ forgetcolor
No, Decaf Black Cat is run in significant quantities. We run a new batch only a few times throughout the year.

[oofnik]

Just wanted to update:
I pulled what was probably my most delicious shot yet with the new Black Cat. On my Factory, I updosed very slightly by tapping the PF on the table once to compact the grinds just a little before leveling. Tamped at around 10 lbs, and pulled the shot with a single pull. I got an intense blast of cinnamon and chocolate hitting me in the face, the cinnamon lasting long into the aftertaste. It was awesome.
Black Cat + Lever machine = win.

[sgstarks]

Riddla - Is there any way to find out if Intelligentsia coffees are available in Austin, TX? This is the home of Whole Foods, but the store I visited didn't seem to carry "the good stuff". Thoughts?

[ThaRiddla]

Riddla - Is there any way to find out if Intelligentsia coffees are available in Austin, TX? This is the home of Whole Foods, but the store I visited didn't seem to carry "the good stuff". Thoughts?

I don't believe that we are currently in Texas. It's really a region by region (and even store by store) deal. If the Austin, TX regional coffee buyer for WF would like to carry our coffee, we are more than happy to go into that market.

[mikemiller34]

I picked up some roasted 12/3--be sure to try it as drip too!

[cappafan]

Gee, don't I wish the Whole Foods here on Long Island, NY, would carry some Black Cat because I'm an hr. from NYC and there are no roasters here to buy fresh beans. The most gourmet beans you can get here is Starbucks!

[Mark08859]

After reading this thread I decided to try some Black Cat only to find that a certificate error was returned when I went to place an order and the site (and my browser) did not indicate it was secure. Guess I'll have to wait.

[ThaRiddla]

After reading this thread I decided to try some Black Cat only to find that a certificate error was returned when I went to place an order and the site (and my browser) did not indicate it was secure. Guess I'll have to wait.

Sorry about that...this is fixed.