I usually go for cappuccinos or Americanos when I grab an espresso based drink, but that's not to say I'm a fascist purist in my coffee choices. As Black Tie often delivers blended drinks that aren't just syrupy messes, and as I've had some experience with things that are spicy before, I was intrigued by their Intense! menu, and decided to go a bit outside the same-ol'.
So I don't know, maybe I set myself up for a bad experience? I've had spicy coffee that was good before, but a Dark Chocolate Cherry Chipotle at the most intense spiciness -- the Volcano -- could have gone either way. Long story short: This was not good. It could have been good. But it wasn't.
The main problem was that each sip felt like two drinks from two different cups: one cup of coffee and one cup of hot sauce. You taste the coffee up front, then the spiciness after you've swallowed. That is not a good thing. Had the spiciness been incorporated into the coffee I think it might have been OK, but a chaser of hot sauce after a rather sweet mocha... It sort of just confused the tastebuds.
On the upside, I will admit it was spicy at least, which is always a gamble.
I like Black Tie. They often make nice Americanos. The Intense! menu, though, I'm not so sure about.