by Nigel Ong
Aside from Lavazza, Illy is probably the best-known name for coffee outside of Europe. They seem to make high-quality roasts, and the Illy Clasico instant coffee remains one of my favorites.
However, how about their coffee grounds? Can we simply assume that if the instant coffee is pretty good, the ground coffee would be even better? I’m here to find that out for you.
In this post, I will review the Illy Intenso Bold Roast. I will brew them as espresso-based drinks and sample them. Next, I’ll compare the Illy Intenso Bold Roast against other espresso roasts and decide if you should try it out yourself.
About Illy Intenso Bold Roast
Illy is one of the largest coffee companies in Italy and Europe. It was founded by Francesco Illy in 1933. It is known for its ESE (Easy Espresso System), where individual espresso shots are packed in pods for easy brewing and extraction.
Illy offers various roasts, all nicely packaged in steel metal, airtight cans. There is a wide range of single-origin roasts, such as Brazil, Guatemala, and India. You can also purchase their blends.
In my hand is the Illy Intenso Bold Roast, one of the blends Illy offers. The Bold roast is a dark roast, which is heavier than the other blend it offers, the Clasico. It is roasted in Italy and is made from 100% Arabica beans.
This can come as coffee grounds with the fineness for espresso brewing. I think it will not be fair to use such fine grounds with a French press or pour over, as I will likely over-extract the coffee.
This means in this review, I will be making espresso-based drinks with the Illy Intenso Bold Roast instead.
How Does Illy Intenso Bold Roast Taste?
First Impression
I really have to give Illy a big kudos on the packaging. The effort is superb. The coffee can and lid are made of stainless steel. This is unlike Folgers, which uses plastic cans. The whole packaging feels very premium.
Open the lid, and you will see a serious-looking freshness seal. Simply lift the tab and then pull it away. When lifting the tab, the end will push into the seal and puncture it.
When this happens, there will be a rather loud pop sound. I was slightly surprised by it, so I thought I’d give you a heads-up here.
Once I open the seal, I am greeted with a beautiful smell of coffee. It is like the Illy Classico, but stronger and more intense. My nose immediately picked up some chocolate and taro of all notes. The aroma is very inviting.
Since the coffee comes from espresso grounds, there is not much to discuss here. Let’s get started with brewing and sample this promising coffee.
Espresso
The first drink I make with the Illy Intenso is a straight-up Espresso. I loaded 8 grams of fine ground and about 1 oz (about 30 ml) of hot, off-boiling water into my Wacaco Minipresso GR and pumped a shot out.
As I pumped the shot, I could easily smell the chocolate aroma in the Espresso. The Espresso looks rich, with a darker colored crema, indicating its origin as a dark roast.
The crema is also quite thick. You can scoop it up with a teaspoon and actually flick it somewhere.
I brought the Espresso closer to my nose. I can smell a deep, bold aroma with hints of chocolate and sweetness. The sweetness reminds me of dried fruits, such as raisins.
I took a sip and was instantly hit with the crema’s smoke and bitterness. As the coffee settles in my mouth, I pick up a bit of chocolate and dried fruit sweetness.
I find the combination pleasant – After being hit hard by bold flavors, you want something sweet to balance things out. The Espresso finishes long, with the bittersweet dark chocolate-like taste lingering on my tongue.
Illy Intenso Bold Roast makes a strong, Euro-style Espresso. You will not go wrong with this roast if you are looking for strong, bold, smokey, and traditional espresso flavors.
Macchiato
The second drink I am making here would be the Macchiato, a slightly mellowed-out drink. You make Macchiato by adding a bit of milk to your Espresso. In my case, I used about a teaspoon.
I warmed my fresh, whole UHT cow’s milk in a microwave. Then I poured it into my IKEA Mattlig Milk Frothing Jug before frothing it using the IKEA Produkt Milk Frother.
This combination costs less than $20, a cheaper alternative to buying a coffee maker with a milk steamer. Try this combination if you don’t have a milk steamer at home.
The frothed milk helps to mellow down the Espresso slightly. The crema does not hit as hard as the straight Espresso; the milk foams have removed some smoke. Instead, I get a milder, creamier crema.
As for the coffee, the milk also helps lessen bitterness and smoke. Instead of a strong punch of smoke and bitterness, I get some creaminess from the fat in the milk. Nice and comfortable to drink.
The milk also enhances the coffee’s sweetness by adding more chocolate notes. This is probably the lactose in the milk doing its thing.
Latte
This is a strong espresso. I am confident it will hold its own with much milk and not be drowned out. Let’s make a Latte and see what the Illy Intenso Bold Roast will taste like.
I used the regular latte formula of one part espresso and three parts milk, with a thin foam layer on top. Once again, I kept the pouring simple: a blob on the foam. I get a beautiful cup of Latte with thick, rich foam at the top.
True to my expectation, the coffee held its own very well against the milk. The flavor was not lost to the milk, only mellowed, and to my palate, at least, improved. This is the opposite of my experience with Starbucks Blonde Espresso.
With more milk in the Latte, it greatly softens the hit of the Espresso. The smoke and deep flavors remain, but the milk’s creaminess and sweetness have overtaken the surface flavor. I get a beautiful combination of deep, rich, bittersweet, smokey, and creamy flavors in my Latte.
The rich milk enhances the chocolate notes, making the Latte even nicer. This is a decadent drink, really.
Americano
Since the Illy Intenso Bold Roast is dark, it may work very well as an Americano. This coffee would also be the closest way I can get to a black coffee, yet using an Espresso ground at the same time.
I brewed a shot of Espresso and added two shots of hot, off-boiling water to break the crema up. This makes for a regular Americano, popular with many black coffee drinkers worldwide.
The crema actually remains intact despite me adding hot water to it. This shows how good the crema is and how well the coffee grounds were roasted and kept fresh. Too bad I was not able to see the whole beans. Would these beans be shiny and oily?
Taste-wise, the hot water diluted the Espresso, making it more sippable. The smoke is softened a little, as well as the bitterness. Water also helps to open up a bit of flavor, with me picking up chocolate and raisin notes.
This is the kind of Americano you would gladly sip while chatting with friends or working.
Iced Americano
Finally, I poured some of the Americano I had just made into a glass that I filled to the brim with ice. The idea here is to try the Illy Intenso Americano iced and see how the flavors change.
What I get is something I enjoy. The coffee’s smoke goes down, probably muted by the ice. Instead, I get a rich, deep, bittersweet note on every sip. I can also note some chocolate and dried fruit sweetness.
This makes a satisfying Americano for me. I would happily sip this on a hot day while munching on some sandwich.
Illy Intenso Bold Roast vs. Popular Espresso Roasts
Since Illy Intenso Bold Roast is a dark roast, and I made espresso-based drinks out of it, I thought I’d compare the coffee with other espresso roasts I have in my stash.
I pulled out Starbucks Blonde Espresso, Gevalia Espresso Roast, and IKEA Patar Espresso Roast. Then I made a regular espresso with them and sipped them side-by-side with the Illy Intenso Bold Roast.
I preferred the Gevalia Espresso Roast most from this tasting because it is rich and strong but delivers a gentler package. I’ll place the Illy Intenso Bold Roast second. The strong and upfront delivery of smoke and punch is less ideal.
However, suppose you like your Espresso super strong, bold, and smoky. In that case, the Illy Intenso may work out better for you than other espresso roasts on the list. As for the Blonde Espresso, you will only enjoy it if you prefer light, bright, and less smokey Espresso.
Illy Intenso Bold Roast Americano vs. Regular Coffee
Finally, I purchased a regular Americano and drank it alongside the Americano made from Illy Intenso Bold Roast. The idea is to see if it is good enough than these regular coffees that you would rather make them at home.
In this case, I picked up a regular Americano from 7-Eleven. This coffee should represent all the coffees from gas stations or convenience stores well.
In this case, I have to say that Illy Intenso wins, hands down. It has a better aroma, which helps separate it from the 7-Eleven coffee. It also has deep flavors, which gives you a richer taste when sipping it.
In contrast, the 7-Eleven coffee tastes flat, soulless, and lacks depth in flavors. It just tasted bitter and watery, too. You may not notice this until you actually sip the coffee side by side.
If you care about sipping good coffee in the morning, make your own Americano with the Illy Intenso Bold Roast. It will take a few minutes, but you’ll be satisfied, sipping a great cup of coffee in the morning.
Is Illy Intenso Bold Roast For You?
Illy Intenso Bold Roast is a dark roast coffee. It has a great aroma and is flexible enough to brew regular coffee or make Espresso. It also holds its own with flavorings such as milk and creamer.
If you are a dark roast fan, this is a great coffee to try out. It has chocolate and raisin notes, which is very nice to enjoy. This coffee would also work great for espresso fans, as it makes a killer espresso.
The Illy Intenso Bold Roast may also work well for those exploring Euro-style coffee. The Espresso has a different flavor, which makes it slightly different from your regular American roasts. It is different, yet not too different, that your palate finds it too alien.