A dark roast that isn't bitter

A dark roast is not bitter by nature. It is bitter for one of three reasons: it was roasted past the point where sugar caramelises into char, it is old, or it was brewed too hot for too long. Fix those and a dark roast is the smoothest cup in the house, which is why people who drink coffee black tend to drink dark.

Why most dark roasts taste burnt

Roasting darker is the oldest trick for hiding stale or low-grade coffee. Char tastes the same at three months as it does at three days, so a bag roasted until it is oily and black can sit on a shelf for a year and nobody notices. That is the coffee most people mean when they say they do not like dark roast.

A dark roast that was stopped at the right moment is a different drink. Heavy body, low acidity, dark chocolate and caramel, no ash.

What a smooth dark roast looks like

• Beans that are dark brown, not black, and not shining with oil on the day they arrive. Oil on the surface on day one means the roast went too far.
• A roast date on the bag. A dark roast with no date is the one to walk past.
• Single origin. Blends are where old coffee goes to hide.

Brewing it so it stays smooth

Dark roast extracts faster than lighter roasts, so it needs less pushing.

1. Water at 92 to 94°C (198 to 201°F), not boiling.
2. A slightly coarser grind than you would use for medium.
3. Ratio of about 1:16, coffee to water.
4. French press: four minutes, then pour everything off the grounds. Leaving coffee sitting on the grounds is where the bitterness comes from.

Our dark roast

Single origin, specialty grade, roasted every Wednesday and hand-dated. It is the roast for people who drink coffee black and want body without ash. If you take milk, start with the medium instead. In the US the 12 oz bag is $19.99 and the 2 lb is $47.98 with free shipping. Everything else is on the facts page.