Got told I'm 'doing coffee wrong' for preferring medium roasts

Overheard a guy at my local shop in Portland saying anyone who drinks medium roast doesn't really appreciate the bean. Claimed dark roasts are the only way to taste the 'true character'. But I've been brewing Coava's medium roast for three years now and I find dark roasts just taste burnt and bitter to me. Is there some secret I'm missing or is gatekeeping roast levels just a way to feel superior?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan_hill18d ago

Gatekeeping coffee roasts is such a Portland thing lol. Dark roasts just taste like ash to me too, you're not missing anything secret. Drink what tastes good, that guy probably needs to get a hobby.

josephbailey18d ago

Three years ago I was at a cupping in Seattle where a guy spent fifteen minutes explaining why his single-origin Kenyan light roast had "notes of lilac and black tea" while I was just trying to not burn my tongue. @jordan_hill you're right that dark roasts can get that ashy thing going, but I've also had some really good ones from that little roaster in Portland called Proud Mary that were more like dark chocolate and caramel. Your mileage may vary on what "ashy" even means though, I've seen people call stuff "burnt" that I thought was perfectly fine. Coffee snobs forget that taste is personal and not a test you can pass or fail.

patricia3214d ago

Oh man, @josephbailey that Seattle cupping story is way too relatable. I swear half the fun of coffee for me is just figuring out what I like without someone giving me a lecture about flavor notes. I had a similar thing happen at a cafe in Chicago where the barista tried to shame me for adding cream to a single origin pour over, like I'd committed some kind of crime. Taste is taste, and nobody should have to defend their preferences at the counter.