CromScore: 96%: Certified Cromtastic ☕
Dark roast that actually tastes like coffee — not charcoal.
Most dark roast coffee is a lie. It’s just medium-roast beans charred until they all taste the same: ashy, one-dimensional, slightly burnt.
Intelligentsia doesn’t do that. Their dark roasts are still roasted with intention — and the reviews prove it. People who’ve been burned (literally) by every other dark roast on the market come to these and say: oh, this is what it’s supposed to taste like.
★★★★★ · Black Cat Sublunar
Three dark roasts. All from Intelligentsia. Here’s how they compare.
The Three Best Dark Roasts
El Diablo Blend
4.9 / 5 · 17 reviews · CromScore: 98
★★★★★ · Not bitter and low acidity, using a Mocha pot
- 4.9 stars — the highest-rated product in Intelligentsia’s entire blend lineup
- 100% recommend rate from reviewers who answered
- Chocolate and cherry land clearly even through milk
- No bitterness, no char — just a clean, rich dark finish
- Works beautifully in a Moka pot (where dark roasts often turn harsh)
★★★★★ · Awesome coffee
Sublunar Espresso
4.7 / 5 · 27 reviews · CromScore: 95
★★★★★ · Amazing and Rich
- The darkest member of the Black Cat espresso family
- Consistently described as rich and bold without any burnt notes
- The gateway coffee for dark-roast fans making their first move into specialty
- Slightly sweet and fruity undertones survive the dark roast — rare
- 27 reviews at 4.7 stars — excellent sample size for a dark espresso
★★★★ · You all never disappoint!
Organic French Roast Blend
4.5 / 5 · 8 reviews · CromScore: 92
★★★★★ · The best
- 100% recommend rate — small sample, but unanimous
- Organic certified — the clean-label option for dark roast buyers
- Bold and smoky without the harsh finish of mass-market French roasts
- First-time Intelligentsia buyers who tried this are now working through the whole catalog
- Fast shipping is a recurring positive note — arrives fresh
★★★★★ · Great coffee and fast delivery
The Rankings
| # | Coffee | CromScore | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | El Diablo | 98 | Dark roast blend drinkers. The highest-rated option in the lineup. |
| #2 | Sublunar | 95 | Dark espresso drinkers who want richness without char. |
| #3 | Organic French Roast | 92 | Organic-focused buyers who want a true French roast profile. |
If you’re a dark roast drinker who’s given up on specialty coffee because everything tasted too light — start with El Diablo. If you pull espresso shots, go Sublunar. If you want organic, French Roast is the call.
Dark doesn’t have to mean burnt.
All three are at Intelligentsia. We have the deals.
Shop Cromulently and Embiggen Your Savings. ☕