Dark roast
also: dark roasted, French roast, Italian roast
A roast taken into or past second crack: bittersweet, smoky, oily-surfaced, with muted origin character.
A dark roast is coffee roasted into or beyond second-crack, where the beans turn deep brown to nearly black and oils are pushed to the surface, giving that shiny, slick look. The longer roast burns off much of the bean’s original acidity and fruit.
Why it matters: roast flavor takes over from origin flavor. Expect bittersweet, smoky, chocolatey, and sometimes ashy or burnt notes, low acidity, and a heavy body. Differences between origins and processing methods like washed or natural largely fade, which is part of why dark roasts make consistent, reliable blends.
In the cup, dark roasts are bold and forgiving, and the surface oils dissolve readily, so extraction comes fast. That also means they go stale quicker once roasted (see roast-date) and can taste flat sooner. They are the classic choice for espresso and milk drinks, where roast intensity cuts through dairy. Note: dark roast is not stronger in caffeine. Compare with light-roast and medium-roast.