SUMMARY
If you haven’t yet tasted your way from the light-bodied and mild flavors of a Starbucks® Blonde roast to the deep intensity of a Starbucks® dark roast, you might not realize there is a vast and rewarding world of coffees out there to enjoy. With this guide we’ll help you understand the differences between roast categories and help you find your favorite.
The Starbucks® roast is not a time, temperature or color: it’s a philosophy.
We organize our coffees in three different levels throughout a spectrum— Starbucks® Blonde roast, medium roast and dark roast. These roast profiles exist to indicate flavor and help you find a coffee you like.
Starbucks® Blonde roast coffees have a shorter roast time, lighter body and more mellow flavors. Medium-roasted coffees are balanced with smooth and rich flavors. Dark-roasted coffees feature a fuller body and robust, bold flavors.
Each coffee requires a unique roast profile to create a cup that is at its peak of aroma, acidity, body and flavor. Through a delicate balance of heat, time and artistry, our master roasters bring these unique characteristics to life.
Curious to taste the difference throughout the roast spectrum for yourself? Grab a bag of coffee and get brewing.
Starbucks® Veranda Blend® is a Starbucks® Blonde roast coffee. It’s on the lightest end of our roast spectrum and showcases a mellow and soft taste with notes of toasted malt and milk chocolate. Starbucks® Pike Place® Roast is a medium-roast coffee with hints of cocoa and rich praline. Finally, Starbucks® Italian Roast is a dark-roast coffee with notes of dark cocoa and toasted marshmallow.
Even within a given roast level, coffees can taste very different; each coffee will have its own character, determined by its roast, origin, processing method, and how it was brewed and served. So, the best way to find what you love might very well be to taste them all. You could also try taking our coffee quiz to see which blend lines up best with your preferences.
