Starbucks French Roast Coffee – Discover the Magic of Perfectly Roasted Beans!

Last updated on April 22nd, 2024 at 11:43

Starbucks French roast coffee often sparks interest and curiosity in amongst coffee fans and coffee lovers that are apprehensive about trying this deep, dark and intensely roasty coffee.

Keep reading to find out the full details about this delicious and dark coffee.

Starbucks French Roast Coffee

Starbucks French roast coffee, made with a 100% Arabica coffee beans is the coffee giants darkest roasted coffee and is intense, smoky flavor with delicious caramel tones, a light thin body and a reduced acidity. The roasty flavor dominates this coffee with very little of the coffees’ origin present.

The whole beans are characterized with a deep dark brown color and a shiny oily coating. The roast is a blend of Asia Pacific and Latin American beans and was first available at their outlets in 1971 and is available in both whole bean, preground coffee, instant coffee and K Cups.

The claim on the companies website that they can roast further may be specific to the beans that they use in the blend but let’s be clean and clear, it is not the highest roast available for coffees as an Italian roast is darker and roasted and a higher temperature.

The beans of an Italian roast are almost completely burnt.

Read: Italian roast Vs French roast

Starbucks French Roast Coffee Flavor Profile

Starbucks French roast is dark, deep, delicious, smokey and intense with tasty hints chocolate with lingering caramel notes and deep earthy tones. The after-taste is only mildly astringent with lovely lingering roasty overtones that you will enjoy.

The master roaster watches the whole process masterfully roasts the coffee to get the maximum earthy flavors without getting any burnt notes into the roast.

Is Starbucks French Roast Intense And Smoky?

Yes, a Starbucks French roast is an exceptional cup of coffee with intense and smoky flavor that has can be described as pure and explosive without the burnt notes.

It’s a great coffee that you can enjoy using a variety of brewing methods with espresso, French press and a drip brewer producing a great cup of coffee.

While I am not a fan of Starbucks coffee, when I am dragged there by Cambodian girlfriend, my favorite coffee there is their French roast.

Starbucks French Roast Coffee Caffeine

The amount of caffeine in a Starbucks French roast coffee is no stronger than other dark roasted coffee beans available from the coffee conglomerate.

What plays a larger role in the caffeine content of a cup of coffee is the brewing method used and the type of coffee drink. An espresso shot you can expect 75 mg per shot.

Their Keurig coffee pods have 130 mg per 8 Oz (240 ml) for a standard pod and 260 mg, twice as strong, for a Plus pod.

Starbucks French Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Starbuck French roast whole bean coffee is a better option to buy than their preground coffee as you have full control of the grind size and more importantly you have freshness factor bonus as soon as you grind your whole beans coffee you are increasing the total surface area which increases their exposure to air and oxygen which results in an accelerated degradation due to the oxidation process increasing.

This is why whole bean coffee always produces a better and fresher and better tasting cup of coffee.

Read: How to make French roast coffee

Starbucks French Roast Ground Coffee

Starbucks French roast ground coffee is available in a convenient preground format which is ground to a medium-coarse grind size as standard which, unfortunately is not ideal for French roast coffee but is perfect for drip coffee and Chemex pour over brewing systems. 

You are basically limited by the grind size as to what type of coffee you can brew, and given that pour over systems are better with lighter roasts you are limited to drip coffee. 

This simply puts emphasis on my point of owning a ceramic flat burr grinder and grinding your own coffee beans and having a greater variety of brewing options which will extend to the whole gamut of techniques except pour over coffee brewing.

What Is A French Roast Coffee Bean?

A French roast coffee bean, to add greater clarity is a coffee bean that has been roasted at 464F (240C), It’s the second-darkest roast behind an Italian roast.

Any coffee bean of any variety and a blend of them can be roasted to become a French roast. The resulting coffee beans take the flavor that is entirely from the roasting process with very little if any, due to the coffee beans and their origins.

Frequently Asked Questions About Starbucks French Roast Coffee

What Kind Of Coffee Is The French Roast From Starbucks?

Starbucks French roast is a 100% Arabica coffee. It’s a blend of Latin America and Asia Pacific. It’s their darkest roast that is loved for its intense smokiness. Master roaster lover seeing the white smoke hand done over the shiny ebony beans as the roasting is terminated.

Is Starbucks French Roast Dark?

Yes, Starbucks French roast coffee is a dark roast coffee with an explosive flavor that is deep and intense. It is their darkest roast that they sell.

There is one coffee roast that is even darker, an Italian roast, which Starbucks do not have.

What Is A French Roast Coffee?

A French roast coffee is the second darkest of all 4 coffee roasts that are classified as a dark roast. To be classed as dark roast, the beans must be roasted beyond the second crack.

A French roast is roasted to 240C (464F) and produces an intense flavor with all of the flavor coming from the roasting process and literally none of the flavors from the origins. It’s dark, smokey, intense and very enjoyable for espresso and espresso based beverages.

Read: What is French roast coffee?

Is Starbucks French Roast Arabica Or Robusta?

Starbucks French roast coffee is 100% Arabica coffee.

Why Is French Roast Coffee Different?

A French roast coffee is different as it is darker than most coffees used in the dark roast category and a lot darker than the coffee that you used to from regular coffee shops and restaurants, who use a medium roast.

It’s darker, richer and with a deeper flavor with chocolate notes and often with malt like notes.

What Does Starbucks French Roast Taste Like?

Starbucks French roast can be described as smooth and delicious with serious notes of caramel from the natural sugars and earthy tones that are touching on but are not burnt.

Is Starbucks French Roast Sweet?

Yes, there are some sweet notes that are noticeable from a Starbucks French roast from the caramelization of the sugars. Some roasters call the white smoke from the roasting process sweet smoke.

Is French Roast Coffee Strong?

Yes, French press coffee is strong, bold and an intense tasting coffee. You can expect a strong and intense smoky flavor from this roast.

Final Thoughts – Starbucks French Roast Coffee

If you have read this far you should have a good grasp of what Starbucks French roast coffee is and how it is roasted and what to expect taste wise. Before you jump in and try and buy a bag of whole beans or preground try a cup of it at your local Starbucks outlet to find out if it is to your liking or not. 

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