Wouldn't you know it...

No sooner do I post a bit about how bad dark roasts are, than I am introduced to two coffees which remind me that a dark roast can taste quite nice.

I tried Peet's Major Dickason's Blend and found it to be quite smooth and drinkable--without the characteristic bite that dark roasts usually have. Yes, the natural flavors of the coffee were hidden by the roast, but it still tasted nice. Later in the day, our roast master had me cup a modified version of our darkest roast: major improvement--very drinkable, even, dare I say it, pleasant.

The real thing to remember with dark roasts is not that they taste like bug-repellent (because that's true only 80% of the time), but that they hide the natural flavor of the coffee. In wine terms, a dark roasted coffee is equivalent to an oakey wine with lots of residual sugars. Might taste nice, (especially to the novice, who's palate has been developed with coca-cola and twinkies), but it's not a good wine (or coffee).

Now, back to my twinkie...