I picked up a favorite of mine - Intelligentsia’s Black Cat Espresso - in D.C.’s Chinatown this morning when I met a friend at Chinatown Coffee Co. They’ve served Intelligentsia for a while, but recently Chinatown Coffee Co. began selling roasted Intelligentsia in branded bags, as seen above. It makes an incredible espresso that’s velvety smooth and sweet. The balance Black Cat achieves makes it an envy of the specialty coffee world. I made it my first drink of the day and ordered a double. I follow it up with another double, but this time the Intelly’s Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, which I’ve never had as an espresso. The Ethiopian was surprisingly good. It had a super-sweet aroma (melon or blueberries - can’t decide) and was much more acidic than the Black Cat, but still a decent drink. I suggest it to anyone looking to try something out of the ordinary. It’s not too often I find a single origin served as an espresso, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re being served by a skilled barista. 

I picked up a favorite of mine - Intelligentsia’s Black Cat Espresso - in D.C.’s Chinatown this morning when I met a friend at Chinatown Coffee Co. They’ve served Intelligentsia for a while, but recently Chinatown Coffee Co. began selling roasted Intelligentsia in branded bags, as seen above.

It makes an incredible espresso that’s velvety smooth and sweet. The balance Black Cat achieves makes it an envy of the specialty coffee world. I made it my first drink of the day and ordered a double. I follow it up with another double, but this time the Intelly’s Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, which I’ve never had as an espresso.

The Ethiopian was surprisingly good. It had a super-sweet aroma (melon or blueberries - can’t decide) and was much more acidic than the Black Cat, but still a decent drink. I suggest it to anyone looking to try something out of the ordinary. It’s not too often I find a single origin served as an espresso, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re being served by a skilled barista.