(but) ... that doesn't mean ALL Dark Roast Coffee Is Bad 

Dark roast gets a bad rap. But maybe the real issue isn’t how dark it is — it’s why it got roasted that way in the first place. Too often, Dark Roast profiles are used to disguise poor-quality beans.

TL;DR – The Dark Roast Dilemma

• Most bad coffee gets roasted dark to hide its flaws.

• But dark roasting isn’t the villain — poor-quality beans are.

• A well-crafted dark roast (many are available) should be smooth, chocolatey, rich, and comforting.

• It’s time to rethink what “dark” means in coffee.

• We’ll show you why, how, and what to drink instead.

The Real Reason So Much Bad Coffee Is Roasted Dark

We’ve all been there. You’re visiting a relative, or maybe it’s a work meeting at someone’s house, and they offer you a coffee. You politely nod — until your eyes catch that familiar jar of Nescafé Gold Blend sitting proudly on the counter. Your instincts kick in. You smile, clutch your stomach, and deliver an Oscar-worthy line about how you're already four coffees deep and trying to cut back for the sake of your sleep. You escape unscathed — but only just.

That moment? That’s not just about having to get through 12 ounces of hardship, but the taste it will leave in your mouth afterwards... 

More often than not, it’s because the beans themselves just aren’t up to scratch. Cheap, damaged, stale, or badly processed beans often get roasted dark to disguise their sins. Roasting that deep covers everything — the insect damage, the mouldy funk, the weird oniony ferment from dodgy drying. It’s not craft. It’s camouflage.

In the mass-market world, roasting dark is a cover-up. Insect damage? Dark roast it. Poor processing? Dark roast it. Stale beans? You guessed it — roast it darker still. The result? Coffee that tastes less like origin and more like carbon.

our darkest mistake to date...

 

But Dark Roast Can Be Glorious — If You Do It Right

Here’s the twist: dark roast isn’t inherently bad. Done with care, it’s bold, smooth, and downright delicious.

Roasting dark is like playing with fire. Dangerous in the wrong hands, but truly magical in the right ones.

• Great beans to begin with: No need to hide defects.

• Careful development time: Slow build, no scorch.

• Knowing when to stop: We take it to “bonfire toffee” not “burnt tyre.”

The goal? Chocolate, malt, roasted almonds… not ash and bitterness.

 

Brown Bear: Our Dark Roast Redemption Origin Story 🐻☕

Meet Brown Bear – our dark roast blend, born by accident, perfected on purpose.

One late roasting night in December 2021, Chris and Fran got distracted with the age-old argument of " IS Die Hard really a Christmas film?" (it is). The discussion got heated, time got away from us, and before we knew it, our carefully planned roast had gone rogue. The Organic Peruvian washed Arabica beans we’d meant to keep medium had darkened way past intention — from light caramel to a freshly polished mahogany... Not ideal.

We honestly thought we'd ruined it. John McClane himself couldn’t have rescued this hot mess. Still, we bagged it up, more out of curiosity than hope, and put it on the cupping table to QC the next day.

 

It was gave kerosene, cigarettes, and tyre fire. borderline undrinkable — the sort of thing you’d keep on hand for emergencies only. But we thought there might be something in it, and so we did one controlled "dark roast" at the end of the session, bagged it up, and forgot about it 

Chris took the bag home, correctly filed it under "Drink in case of emergencies," and we all moved on. Perhaps we gave it a harsh wrap given our overworked Christmas rush state of mind and we were still no closer to a debate conclusion...

 "Just because it's set around Christmas doesn't mean Christmas is integral to the plot."

Then came the moment. Two weeks later, the period between Christmas and New Year, everywhere is shut and you're out of coffee (because, even though you're a barista that's officially "off work", you've still somehow made 12 flattys, 16 gingerbread latte's and had a batch brew on 24 hours a day). This is a real coffee emergency, at the worst possible time — no beans, no backup. 

With a sigh, Chris reached for the botched roast, brewed a cup... and then froze. This didn’t taste like the failed roast we remembered. It was smooth. It was rich. Big dark chocolate notes. Toasted almonds. Silky body. Practically no bitterness. It was — dare we say it — stunning. 

That was the spark. What began as a mistake became a revelation. Over the next few weeks, we tweaked, tested, and tuned the profile until it was just right. We reduced the roast level until it was the colour of burnt umber (iykyk), or light cinnamon to develop and increase sweetness but retain depth of flavour.

From that happy accident, Brown Bear was born — our go-to "modern day dark roast" comfort blend: bold, smooth, and never bitter.

Brew it like this:

• Espresso? Rich and syrupy. Brilliant with milk.

• French Press? Think melted dark chocolate and digestive biscuits.

• Iced latte? Game changer. The poshest milkshake with a caffeine kick.

If you’ve ever written off dark roasts, Brown Bear might just be your redemption story.

🟡 Dark Roast, Done Right. (here)

Dark Roast ≠ More Caffeine (and Other Coffee Lies)

Let’s bust a myth while we’re here:

“Dark roast is stronger.”

Our survey says...

At first it seems counter-intuitive, however, the longer you roast, the less caffeine you get (slightly). The intense flavour? That’s bitterness, not power. If it feels stronger, it’s certainly bolder and more intense — not more necessarily higher in caffeine.

Is bitterness is what steers you away from dark roasts? What you're tasting is beans that are low quality, and have been turned to cinders! Give Brown Bear a try and see how exceptional coffee beans can transform dark roast blends into something of true indulgence!

Don’t Judge a Coffee by Its Colour 

We’re curious…

Do you judge a coffee by how dark the beans look?

• 🔴 Yup. I’ve assumed dark = bad before.

• 🟡 Not anymore. I’m rethinking things.

• 🔵 Never! I’ve had good coffee across the spectrum.

➡️ Vote below or let us know your dark roast horror story.
(Bonus points if it involves Starbuck's "Blonde" Roast.)

Final Sip: Time to Reclaim the Dark Side

Not all dark roasts are bad. But all bad coffee tends to hide behind dark roasts.

So next time someone says, “I hate dark coffee,” point them in the right direction. Or better yet — brew them a cup of Brown Bear.

Because done right, a dark roast isn’t just bearable.
It’s beautiful.

Now over to you:
What’s the worst dark roast you’ve ever had – and what made it so bad?
Or — what changed your mind about dark roasts?
Drop it in the comments. Let’s roast some assumptions together. ☕️🔥

 

Difference Coffee Dark Roasting

 

Longer Roasting Times

 

Coffee Bros - Ultimate Guide to Dark Roasting

 

Caffeine Levels & Dark Roast

 

Oily Coffee Beans, Why are my coffee beans wrinkly and dry?!