Skip to content
Cherrybook.

Roaster · Chicago, IL

Intelligentsia Coffee

www.intelligentsiacoffee.com ↗

On YouTube

Meet the roaster on camera

11 videos

From the roasterBrand film

Inside Intelligentsia | Great Coffee Is Our Obsession

Intelligentsia Coffee · 4.7K views on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Cherrybook summary of the video

A brand overview video showcasing Intelligentsia Coffee's meticulous approach to roasting, sourcing, and quality control. The team highlights their dedication to freshness, precision, and highlighting the natural attributes of coffee.

Inside this video

From Intelligentsia Coffee:

“Great coffee is not the result of chance, it's by design.”
“We roast each and every order directly before it ships out. It's as fresh as humanly possible.”

Explore the videos

Videos by their credited creators. Playing a video connects to YouTube. Privacy

The roaster

28 lots in stock, mostly Colombia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Roaster of the YearRoast Magazine · 2007Price-transparentSCTG data donor
In stock
28
House Index · limited data
58
Freshness
Roasts to order · ships in ~3d
Save at Intelligentsia Coffee
Save 20% on your first four orders with code: 20OFFFOURAdd more to your order for 10% off
OriginsColombiaEthiopiaKenyaHondurasGuatemalaPeru

Roaster at a glance

Tracked since
April 2026205 lots seen; 28 in stock now
Origins
8 countriesEthiopia, Brazil, Guatemala
Process mix
Washed 71% · Other 18% · Natural 7% · Honey 4%
Price position
9% above what its profiles predictMedian of 6 in-stock lots against the price model
Sourcing
32% of lots name the producer or farm9 of 28
Coverage
8 reviewer videos · 2 press mentions · 13 editorial mentions · 2 Reddit threadsVideos and articles about the roaster, not by it
Their channels
Instagram ↗YouTube ↗Facebook ↗X ↗YouTube: 23 videos, 6K subscribers, last upload February 2026
Where to find them
Cafe in Chicago, IL3123 N Broadway
Merch
47 items in stock
How Cherrybook Index is calculatedavg coverage 24% · limited data

Coverage is below 50%. Available roaster-level evidence comes from Reddit. Per-lot evidence from SCA grades, Coffee Review entries, and public on-shop product ratings is limited across the catalog. With limited signal, scores are also pulled toward a neutral 50 baseline by the Cherrybook Index methodology, so lots can read flatter than the actual cup quality differences between them. The average Cherrybook Index therefore leans more heavily on roaster-level reputation than per-lot quality.

Roaster signals

Apply to every lot from this roaster.

  • Reddit72/100weight 18%
  • YouTube—weight 10%

Per-lot signals (averaged)

Vary across lots; averaged over 28 in-stock lots.

  • SCA gradenot on file · weight 25%
  • Coffee Review42.5/1002/28 lots · weight 20%
  • On-shop ratingsnot on file · weight 12%
  • Cherrybook reader ratingsnot on file · weight 30%
  • Transparency44.6/10028/28 lots · weight 5%

Bonuses earned (per lot)

  • sprudge28/28
  • editorial cluster28/28
  • stale decay26/28

Base components are renormalized over whatever signals are available for each lot. SCA + Coffee Review are capped at 40% combined to keep the cupping story from dominating. Bonuses (accolades, awards, editorial coverage) and freshness decay are applied on top.

The catalog

28 in stock · 171 archived

Filter on browse →

Otoño Blend

Plum, Dried Dates, and Cherry on a washed lot.

Washed

DarkPlumDateCherry
ROTY 2007 roaster
60CBI
$2.50/oz

Typical $1.22 to $2.33/oz

Limited comparison

Fruit Bat Espresso

Washed lot with Blood Orange, Black Cherry, and Black Currant in the cup.

Guji, ET · Washed

DarkCherryBlack Currant
ROTY 2007 roaster
60CBI
$2.50/oz

Typical $1.36 to $2.59/oz

Limited comparison

Ethiopia Kirite Washed

Washed lot with Honeysuckle, Green Apple, and Red Currant in the cup.

Guji, ET · Washed

LightHoneysuckleAppleRed Currant
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$2.50/oz

Typical $1.83 to $2.94/oz

Black Cat Analog Espresso

Washed lot with Dark Chocolate, Toasted Marshmallow, and Baking Spices in the cup.

Brazil · Washed

DarkDark ChocolateMarshmallowSpice
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$1.46/oz

Typical $1.31 to $2.49/oz

Limited comparison

Organic Decaf House Blend

Expect Chocolate, Lime, and Caramelized Sugar from this washed lot.

Lempira, HN · Washed

DarkChocolateLimeCaramelized
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$1.54/oz

Typical $1.26 to $2.40/oz

Limited comparison

El Gato Blend

Expect Dark Chocolate, Baked Apple, and Plum from this semi washed lot.

Cerrado, BR · Semi Washed

DarkDark ChocolateApplePlum
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$1.46/oz

Typical $1.22 to $2.33/oz

Limited comparison

Illumination Blend

Orange Zest, Toffee, and Dried Cherry on a washed lot.

Sidamo, ET · Washed

LightOrangeToffeeDried Fruit+1
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$1.67/oz

Typical $1.38 to $2.63/oz

Limited comparison

Kenya Kiangoi AA

Roaster flags Nectarine, Grapefruit, and Plum in the cup.

Kirinyaga, KE

LightPeachGrapefruitPlum
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$2.50/oz

Typical $1.76 to $3.36/oz

Limited comparison

Ethiopia Alaka Natural

Expect Blackberry, Plum, and Tangerine from this natural lot.

Guji, ET · Natural

DarkBlackberryPlumTangerine
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$2.30/oz

Typical $1.46 to $2.78/oz

Limited comparison

Sublunar Espresso

Washed lot with Molasses, Cacao, and Brown Sugar in the cup.

Carmo de Minas, BR · Washed

DarkMolassesCocoaBrown Sugar
ROTY 2007 roaster
57CBI
$1.46/oz

Typical $1.23 to $2.35/oz

Limited comparison

Organic French Roast Blend

Washed lot with Molasses, Pipe Tobacco, and Dark Chocolate in the cup.

Mexico · Washed

DarkMolassesTobaccoDark Chocolate
ROTY 2007 roaster
56CBI
$1.54/oz

Typical $1.25 to $2.39/oz

Limited comparison

House Blend

Expect Red Apple, Orange, and Caramel from this washed lot.

Washed

DarkAppleOrangeCaramel
ROTY 2007 roaster
55CBI
$1.46/oz

Typical $1.22 to $2.33/oz

Limited comparison

Cold Coffee Blend

Expect Caramel, Citrus, and Dried Apricot from this washed lot.

Washed

DarkCaramelCitrusApricot
ROTY 2007 roaster
55CBI
$1.96/oz

Typical $1.22 to $2.33/oz

Limited comparison

El Gallo Blend

Milk Chocolate, Honey, and Stone Fruit on a honey lot.

Honey

MediumMilk ChocolateHoneyPeach
ROTY 2007 roaster
55CBI
$1.50/oz

Typical $1.43 to $2.72/oz

Limited comparison

Frequency Blend

Expect Golden Raisin, Raw Sugar, and Cocoa from this washed lot.

Washed

DarkRaisinCane SugarCocoa
ROTY 2007 roaster
55CBI
$1.46/oz

Typical $1.22 to $2.33/oz

Limited comparison

El Diablo Blend

Expect Dark Chocolate, Cherry, and Raisin from this washed lot.

Washed

DarkDark ChocolateCherryRaisin
ROTY 2007 roaster
55CBI
$1.46/oz

Typical $1.22 to $2.33/oz

Limited comparison

El Gallo Blend

Roaster flags Milk Chocolate, Honey, and Stone Fruits in the cup.

Medium-LightMilk ChocolateHoneyStone Fruit
ROTY 2007 roaster
54CBI
$1.54/oz

Typical $1.32 to $2.52/oz

Limited comparison

Also available · subscriptions, sample packs, gear

Archived (171)

Peru El Romerillo

White Grapefruit, Blackberry, and Black Cherry on a washed lot.

Cajamarca, PE · Washed

DarkGrapefruitBlackberryCherry
ROTY 2007 roaster
66CBI
$1.75/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Windrush AA

White Grapefruit, Dried Florals, and Tamarind on a washed lot.

Kiambu County, KE · Washed

LightGrapefruitFloralTamarind
ROTY 2007 roaster
66CBI
$2.40/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Faith Estate

Passion Fruit, Red Grapefruit, and Orange on a washed lot.

Kirinyaga, KE · Washed

LightPassion FruitGrapefruitOrange
ROTY 2007 roaster
65CBI
$3.72/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Windrush Peaberry

Washed lot with Blackberry, Red Currant, and White Grapefruit in the cup.

Kiambu County, KE · Washed

LightBlackberryRed CurrantGrapefruit
ROTY 2007 roaster
65CBI
$2.40/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Konyu AB

Washed lot with Plum, Lime, and Black Cherry in the cup.

Kirinyaga, KE · Washed

DarkPlumLimeBlackberry
ROTY 2007 roaster
64CBI
$2.25/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Kii AA

Washed lot with Ruby Red Grapefruit, Persimmon, and Cranberry in the cup.

Kirinyaga, KE · Washed

GrapefruitPeachCranberry
ROTY 2007 roaster
63CBI
$1.92/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Weithaga

Cupping notes point toward Plum, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Currant.

Aberdare Mountain range, KE

DarkPlumGrapefruitCurrant
ROTY 2007 roaster
62CBI
$2.08/oz
Out of stock

Kenya Gititu

Think Passionfruit, Nectarine, and Persimmon.

Murang'a, KE

Passion FruitNectarineCaramelized
ROTY 2007 roaster
60CBI
$2.00/oz
Out of stock

26.2 Blend

Washed lot with Black Cherry, Plum, and Strawberry in the cup.

Washed

LightCherryPlumStrawberry
ROTY 2007 roaster
60CBI
$2.60/oz
Out of stock

Community reputation · Reddit

Well-regarded· sentiment 72/100

Two Reddit contributions give Intelligentsia Coffee a positive but qualified picture. One commenter praised the brews at a Chicago location. A home brewer found older Intelligentsia beans good but slightly ashy when steeped too long.

Chicago brewshome brewingroast character
Threads cited (2)

Press · Sprudge

Flagship cafe

Broadway Coffeebar

3123 N Broadway, Chicago, IL

Open in maps →

Intelligentsia Coffee coffeebars located across Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Austin, and Korea.

For roasters

Cherrybook runs a monthly Roaster Spotlight Series featuring one roaster with an editorial piece and a giveaway. Interested in being featured? See the format or email josh@cherrybookcoffee.com.