Intelligentsia is well known along with Stumptown and Counter Culture for spreading the popularity of the current love of specialty coffee. I visited Intelligentsia when there was one simple coffee house on Broadway in the Lakeview area of Chicago. Today, they are all over Chicago, in Los Angeles and New York. With all this expansion, has the quality of their coffee changed? This is what I wondered as I was about to take my first sip of their El Diablo Dark Roast this morning.
Here is how Intelligentsia describes this coffee:
Our signature dark roast celebrates the savory side of coffees highlighted by caramelized sugars, molasses and chocolate flavors. We roast the coffee in a way that emphasizes these traits and creates a satisfying, resonant finish.
Dark roasts have a tendency to be a bit burnt, but not this one. Everything they claim about this coffee is true. I did get a molasses/cocoa flavor in my cup. I was surprised at how bright the coffee seemed. This is not a heavy coffee. Dark does not always mean heavy in body and spirit.
This is a blend which changes with the seasons. I'm not sure of the coffee origins on this blend, but I detect a lot of Central American influences. Possibly blended with a Kenyan/East African bean? No matter it originates, you will love where it ends up - in your coffee cup.
How strong is it? This is a pretty strong coffee. On our Cher Scale of Strength, this is an 8. This is a Cher being a fierce mom in "Mask" strong. Don't mess with this coffee, it means business.
Happy to see that expansion and growth has not changed the quality of the coffee Intelligentsia produces. They roast incredibly good coffee, and have an outstanding reputation in the coffee world. Kudos to you Intelligentsia.
Charlie
No comments:
Post a Comment