nelson.wren•13d agoProlific Poster

Tried switching to a dark roast for my morning pour-over after years of light roasts

I always thought dark roast just meant bitter and burnt tasting, so I stuck with light roasts from a local roaster in Portland. But last week I grabbed a bag of their dark roast on a whim and brewed it the same way I always do, and it came out smooth with almost a chocolate flavor I wasn't expecting. Has anyone else had a light roast fan get surprised by a dark roast like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles13d ago

That chocolate note you're describing usually means the roaster did a good job developing the sugars without scorching them. Try dropping your water temp by about 10 degrees from what you use for light roasts, it really cuts any bitterness and brings out that smooth flavor even more. You basically found a whole new side of coffee that still works with your usual brewing setup.

olivia67013d ago

@the_miles you're out here trying to turn me into a coffee scientist or what? Next you'll be telling me to measure my water temp with a laser thermometer.

evan_davis13d ago

Hmm, have you tried adjusting your grind size too? I feel like dark roasts need a coarser grind than light ones, otherwise they get that bitter edge people hate. @olivia670 might be onto something with the water temp thing, but honestly I've had good luck just changing the grind instead of messing with my kettle settings. Maybe it's just me but grinding a step or two coarser gave me that chocolatey smoothness without the burnt taste everyone warned me about.