--- product_id: 1791055 title: "Intelligentsia Whole Bean Coffee, Light Roast, Black Cat Espresso 12 Ounces" brand: "intelligentsia" price: "$41.93" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 category: "Intelligentsia" url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/1791055-intelligentsia-whole-bean-coffee-light-roast-black-cat-espresso-12 store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # 12oz whole bean bag 100% organic, direct trade Light roast, balanced sweetness Intelligentsia Whole Bean Coffee, Light Roast, Black Cat Espresso 12 Ounces **Brand:** intelligentsia **Price:** $41.93 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ☕ Elevate your espresso ritual with the iconic Black Cat blend — where sweetness meets sophistication. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Intelligentsia Whole Bean Coffee, Light Roast, Black Cat Espresso 12 Ounces by intelligentsia - **How much does it cost?** $41.93 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1791055-intelligentsia-whole-bean-coffee-light-roast-black-cat-espresso-12) ## Best For - intelligentsia enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted intelligentsia brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Consistently Fresh:** Seasonal blend adjustments guarantee a fresh, vibrant cup every time, keeping your espresso game on point. - • **Savor the Sweetness:** Experience a syrupy sweet espresso with notes of cherry, cola, and orange that redefine your daily brew. - • **Precision Brew Ready:** Optimized for fine grind espresso with a recommended 1:2.5 coffee-to-water ratio for maximum flavor extraction. - • **Ethically Exceptional:** Direct trade sourcing ensures premium quality while supporting sustainable coffee farming communities. - • **Light Roast, Bold Impact:** A medium-light roast that delivers a clean, complex profile with just the right acidity punch for the discerning palate. ## Overview Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso is a 12-ounce bag of 100% Arabica whole bean coffee, featuring a light roast with a syrupy sweet flavor profile highlighted by cherry, cola, and orange notes. Sourced through direct trade, this blend supports sustainable farming and offers a consistently fresh, balanced espresso experience optimized for fine grind brewing. ## Description Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso is our flagship espresso blend and has been a staple in our line since the day we opened back in 1995. Designed to be a manifestation of Intelligentsia's style and substance, it's hallmarks are sweetness, cleanliness, and complexity. Notes of cherry, cola, and orange provide a syrupy sweet flavor profile that is perfect for specialty coffee lovers looking to explore the sweeter side of espresso Review: Love it. Sharing thoughts and my recipe below. - It's a bit surprising to see the negative reviews about age and flavor. To be fair, I only had one bag so far, which I bought that a local "Wholepaycheck Market", so perhaps I was just lucky. Age of beans, presentation: The roasting date was about 4 months prior, but the beans smelled extremely good. Almost like they are "cheating", whatever that would mean. Also, there was nothing stale in the taste of the cups. Expiration date was set well in the future. I think that the packaging is just adequate for the beans to last beyond the often expected 2-weeks. Whoever wants that should not buy coffee on desertcart, but only go to local roasters, or perhaps order from let's say Touchy Coffee for $28/12oz. The coffee: Roast level is medium-light, just like the packaging promises. As mentioned above, the beans are very delightfully fragrant. I tried some pour-overs which where ok. I am also not very good at those. But in my Espresso machine for milk based flat whites, the coffee turned out amazing. Sort of like a medium roast that has a bit of that acidity punch of light roasts. But not disturbing at all. It really composed to an incredibly well balanced cup. My recipe: BIT Renato 21g filter basket. 17.2g coffee + puck screen. About 1:1.6 ratio (let's say 27-28g), and slow flowing! For some reason I got my favorite results when the flow time was 30 seconds or longer, measured from the moment that the machine button was pressed. You could say that I am preparing it like a darker roast. Looking forward to experimenting with larger rations when I open the next bag. Review: Fresh and Delicious - These beans were delicious and fresh. I am extremely happy I tried these. It took a little to dial in at first as it was a little sour. I had to grind a little finer and pull a 1:2.5 ratio (18g in, 45g out) with a 30s bloom on my espresso and the flavor was magical! If you have the money, time, and patience to try this coffee, I strongly recommend it! ## Features - Contains one (1) 12 Ounce Bag of Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso Whole Bean Coffee - Black Cat Classic Espresso: This syrupy sweet espresso blend has been the staple of our lineup since the very beginning. Supreme balance and a wonderful sweetness make our Black Cat Espresso truly a classic - Direct Trade: Our commitment to direct trade allows us to cut out unnecessary importers and exporters, and enables us to truly partner with our growers to bring you the sweetest coffees in the world - How to Brew: For espresso, we recommend a fine grind and your finished espresso should weigh 2.5 times as much as your coffee dose, which provides an excellent total extraction and maximizes flavor - Seasonality: The components of our blends change throughout the year to incorporate new arrivals. We ensure freshness and optimize quality while the profiles remain consistent ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B0055ZRUOO | | Best Sellers Rank | #6,070 in Grocery & Gourmet Food ( See Top 100 in Grocery & Gourmet Food ) #74 in Roasted Coffee Beans | | Brand | Intelligentsia | | Brand Name | Intelligentsia | | Caffeine Content Description | Caffeinated | | Certificate Type | USDA | | Coffee Blend Name | Black Cat Classic Espresso | | Coffee Roast Level | Light Roast | | Coffee Type | Coffee Bean | | Container Type | Bag | | Country as Labeled | United States | | Customer Reviews | 3.9 out of 5 stars 2,643 Reviews | | Diet Type | Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian | | Each Unit Count | 1 | | Flavor | Black Cat Classic | | Global Trade Identification Number | 00800222120124 | | Grind Type | fine | | Item Dimensions | 3.2 x 4.4 x 5.8 inches | | Item Form | Whole Bean | | Item Package Weight | 0.36 kg | | Item Type Name | roasted-coffee-beans | | Item Volume | 354.88 ml | | Item Weight | 12 ounces | | Manufacturer | Peet's Coffee | | Model Number | 510199 | | Number of Items | 1 | | Number of Pieces | 12 | | Package Information | Bag | | Package Size Name | 12 Ounce | | Part Number | 12262 | | Product Shelf Life | 270 days | | Roast Level | Light Roast | | Size | 12 Ounce (Pack of 1) | | Special Ingredients | Cocoa, Turbinado Sugar | | Specialty | GMO Free, Organic | | Sweetness Description | Very Sweet | | UPC | 800222120124 | | Unit Count | 12 Ounce | | Variety | Colombian, Ethiopian, Kenyan | ## Product Details - **Brand:** Intelligentsia - **Caffeine Content Description:** Caffeinated - **Flavor:** Black Cat Classic - **Item Form:** Whole Bean - **Roast Level:** Light Roast ## Images ![Intelligentsia Whole Bean Coffee, Light Roast, Black Cat Espresso 12 Ounces - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81X+XhrlsdL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Size** options. ## Questions & Answers **Q: how fresh is this coffee?** A: Not fresh. I received a bag on January 21 that was roasted on Nov. 24 and expires on February 22 - so 2 months old, which I would never buy in the store. It tastes stale and the shots are very quick and blond. I love this coffee when its fresh, but this will go in the garbage. What a waste. **Q: How many ounces? I can't believe you didn't put the weight in the product description.** A: Its a 10 oz bag, or at least that's what I received when I purchased it. It's really fantastic coffee as long as you treat it right (french press, drip, or espresso machine) Highly recommend! **Q: My bag says "Roasted 3/11" - I hope that doesn't mean March 2011?? Any idea how they date their bags?** A: I have been brewing Intelligentsia Black Cat for years and it never has a roasted date or sell by date on the bag that I can remember. But I guarantee you that it was fresh you are probably doing something wrong. Six years old really?!!! **Q: How fresh have your beans been on average?** A: The one time I ordered it from amazon it was months old. The roast date is printed on the bag. I now only order directly from intelligentsia because they roast the coffee beans to order. Costs more but tastes better. If you guaranteed the roast date, I would consider buying thru you again. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love it. Sharing thoughts and my recipe below. *by B***. on June 10, 2026* It's a bit surprising to see the negative reviews about age and flavor. To be fair, I only had one bag so far, which I bought that a local "Wholepaycheck Market", so perhaps I was just lucky. Age of beans, presentation: The roasting date was about 4 months prior, but the beans smelled extremely good. Almost like they are "cheating", whatever that would mean. Also, there was nothing stale in the taste of the cups. Expiration date was set well in the future. I think that the packaging is just adequate for the beans to last beyond the often expected 2-weeks. Whoever wants that should not buy coffee on Amazon, but only go to local roasters, or perhaps order from let's say Touchy Coffee for $28/12oz. The coffee: Roast level is medium-light, just like the packaging promises. As mentioned above, the beans are very delightfully fragrant. I tried some pour-overs which where ok. I am also not very good at those. But in my Espresso machine for milk based flat whites, the coffee turned out amazing. Sort of like a medium roast that has a bit of that acidity punch of light roasts. But not disturbing at all. It really composed to an incredibly well balanced cup. My recipe: BIT Renato 21g filter basket. 17.2g coffee + puck screen. About 1:1.6 ratio (let's say 27-28g), and slow flowing! For some reason I got my favorite results when the flow time was 30 seconds or longer, measured from the moment that the machine button was pressed. You could say that I am preparing it like a darker roast. Looking forward to experimenting with larger rations when I open the next bag. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fresh and Delicious *by E***R on February 3, 2025* These beans were delicious and fresh. I am extremely happy I tried these. It took a little to dial in at first as it was a little sour. I had to grind a little finer and pull a 1:2.5 ratio (18g in, 45g out) with a 30s bloom on my espresso and the flavor was magical! If you have the money, time, and patience to try this coffee, I strongly recommend it! ### ⭐ Nearly 3-Month-Old Roast — Not Acceptable for Intelligentsia Brand *by V***Y on February 7, 2026* I am a huge fan of Intelligentsia and consider it one of the best coffee brands on the market. I regularly buy Black Cat Classic directly from Intelligentsia coffee shops in Los Angeles and have done so for years. One of the reasons I love this brand is their serious approach to roasting quality — especially their stance on not burning coffee, which is something many mass-market brands get wrong. Anyone who takes coffee seriously knows that roast date matters more than expiration date. Intelligentsia baristas themselves consistently emphasize that beans should ideally be consumed between 10 and 30 days after roasting for optimal flavor. I’ve personally seen Intelligentsia shops discard beans that exceed this window. Unfortunately, the bag I received from Amazon tells a very different story. The roast date on my Black Cat Classic is November 16, 2025 (photo attached). That makes these beans nearly three months old at the time of delivery. This is well beyond what Intelligentsia considers acceptable in their own retail locations. The result? My morning coffee tasted flat, watery, and lifeless — barely resembling what Black Cat Classic normally delivers. This is not the product experience Intelligentsia is known for, and it’s deeply disappointing to receive something that would never be sold in their own cafés. If this is the official Intelligentsia store on Amazon, selling coffee roasted over 30 days ago seriously damages the brand’s reputation. Anyone who is okay with stale beans can buy Starbucks or Dunkin’. People buy Intelligentsia precisely because they care about freshness and quality. I’m disappointed to leave a low rating because I truly love this brand — but selling beans this old is unacceptable for specialty coffee. ## Frequently Bought Together - Intelligentsia Coffee, Light Roast Whole Bean Coffee - Black Cat Classic Espresso 12 Ounce Bag - Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Hair Bender - Whole Bean Coffee - 12 Ounce Bag, Flavor Notes of Citrus and Dark Chocolate - Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Medium Roast Organic Whole Bean Coffee - Holler Mountain 12 Ounce Bag with Flavor Notes of Citrus Zest, Caramel and Hazelnut --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/1791055-intelligentsia-whole-bean-coffee-light-roast-black-cat-espresso-12](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1791055-intelligentsia-whole-bean-coffee-light-roast-black-cat-espresso-12) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-08-19*