Darkness
A note on flavor: Describing the tastes of different roasts is as subjective as putting a wine into words. In both cases there’s no substitute for your own personal taste, for sample
| Aliases | Roaster Watch | Surface | Flavor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | Cinnamon roast, half city, New England | After about seven minutes the beans “pop” and double in size, and light roasting is achieved. American mass-market roasters typically stop here. | Dry | Light-bodied and somewhat sour, grassy, and snappy |
| Medium | Full city, American, regular, breakfast, brown | At nine to eleven minutes the beans reach this roast, which U.S. specialty sellers tend to prefer. | Dry | A bit sweeter than light roast; full body balanced by acid snap, aroma, and complexity |
| Dark | High, Viennese, French, Continental | After 12 to 13 minutes the beans begin hissing and popping again, and oils rise to the surface. Roasters from the U.S. Northwest generally remove the beans at this point. | Slightly shiny | Somewhat spicy; complexity is traded for rich chocolaty body, aroma is exchanged for sweetness |
| Darkest | Italian, espresso | After 14 minutes or so the beans grow quiet and begin to smoke. Having carmelized, the bean sugars begin to carbonize. | Very oily | Smokey; tastes primarily of roasting, not of the inherent flavor of the bean |
