Collection: Dark Roast Coffee

The difference between light, medium, or dark roasted coffees goes deeper than their appearance in color and touches on their depth of roast (development) and intended taste notes.

We define coffee not only by the color but how far along in the roasting development process we take a coffee. We also "cup" or sample our coffees to ensure they hit on certain flavor profiles to hit on that a perceived roast color flavor. All-in-all, color is an excellent initial determining factor for what a coffee might taste like and give consumer hints on what to expect in their brewed cup.

Dark-roasted coffee is defined not only by its dark appearance but also by how "developed" the coffee is. Coffee goes through several stages during the roasting process, from drying, Maillard, caramelization, and carbonization. Dark-roasted coffee pushes beyond the third stage of development and into carbonization, picking up those classic dark-roasted notes; deep chocolate, smoky, and roasty.

You can expect dark coffees to be rich and bold with clear notes of chocolate, while some bitterness may be present. Dark roasted coffees are perfect for those who enjoy coffee with milk, as the dark roast's notes will shine through.

The caffeine difference between dark and lighter roasted coffees is relatively insignificant; however, many think the more robust and bolder taste of dark roasted coffees means more caffeine. Caffeine content has more to do with the brew method, such as an espresso having higher caffeine content per ounce than a brewed cup of coffee.

There is also confusion due to coffee density being different for dark or light-roasted coffees. The darker the coffee is, the longer it is roasted, and the less each bean weighs. If you were to weigh out coffee by volume (by using a tablespoon), your result would equate to a more robust cup of coffee with a light roast due to its higher density than if you measured by weight using a scale.

Dark-roasted coffees are bold, rich, bitter (think bittersweet chocolate), and sometimes smoky (an element imparted on the coffee during the roasting process.) Dark-roasted coffees push through the caramelization stage during roasting and into the carbonization phase, where it picks up those classic dark-roasted notes.

Dark-roasted coffees are for those who like big and bold flavors and a coffee that can shine through with the addition of milk. Dark-roasted coffees work great across all brewing methods but mainly work well for those that add milk to their drink.   

Have you ever brewed a light roast to make a latte? Chances are it didn't turn out as you expected; this is where dark roasted coffees come in. Dark coffees are pushed deep into the caramelization phase during roasting to achieve a robust profile that will cut through milk. You can indeed drink a dark coffee black, and if roasted correctly, the dreaded bitterness will not be present but more of a rich dark chocolate.