How Intelligentsia's Coffee Blends Help The Brand Stand Out
The craft coffee scene is a crowded one, admits HiLine Coffee Company, but Intelligentsia has managed to find its way to stand out among a thick forest of coffee brands that include Blue Bottle, Stumptown, and Birch. The company recognizes Intelligentsia's commitment to sourcing quality coffee, preparing coffee blends that keep customers coming back for more, and serving consistently satisfying shots of espresso.
The history of Intelligentsia goes back to 1995 when two entrepreneurs set out to make a mark in Chicago's coffee landscape, explains World Coffee Portal. The store's chic design and the fruity, floral taste of the brand's specialty coffee quickly caught on. The brand's dedication to quality has since attracted partnerships with Keurig; Intelligentsia House, a blend that delivers notes of milk chocolate, citrus, and apple, and Intelligentsia El Gallo, a smooth coffee with hints of stone fruit and creamy caramel that can be purchased in ready-to-brew coffee pods (via Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.). There are a lot of K-cups to choose from in the market, so what sets Intelligentsia apart?
This coffee doesn't need sugar
Natural sweetness is the aim, confirms Intelligentsia, and sourcing coffee with recognizable notes of honey, molasses, maple syrup, and brown sugar is part of the company's strategy. "We know you may choose to enjoy them with a few drops of milk or a spoonful of sugar, but we want them to be sweet enough that you don't have to," the company explained.
The unique taste of Intelligentsia's coffee isn't due to any added ingredients, but a precise method of sourcing and processing coffee cherries. As the company describes, ripe coffee cherries share similar citrusy characteristics found in limes, peaches, and blackberries. Through careful curation of the types of coffees grown (Bourbon and Typica, both classified as Arabica, which ThoughtCo. describes as the "merlot of coffee"), where crops are planted, and the way in which the coffee is harvested and processed, Intelligentsia strives to balance the sweeter, more floral elements to produce coffee that can be consistently and reliably served by baristas worldwide.