I used to mock dark roast drinkers until I tried a Sumatra from a local roaster

For years I swore medium roasts were the only way to get real flavor. Then last month a barista at Brew Lab in Austin handed me a cup of their Sumatran dark roast and I had to admit it had this deep, smoky sweetness I'd never tasted before. Has anyone else had a similar surprise switching roast levels?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wendy21d ago

Questioning life choices over coffee now?

torres.thea22d ago

Wait, Sumatran is usually a medium roast, not dark.

jakejones21d ago

Usually a medium roast, not dark" - yeah that's what I always thought too. But a buddy of mine, he grabbed a bag from a local shop last month that was labeled "Sumatran Extra Dark" and it was pretty much charcoal. He said it tasted like they left it in the roaster twice as long as normal. So I guess @torres.thea you're right about the usual, but sometimes roasters get creative or messed up.