French roast is one of the most popular and most preferable coffee flavors among brew lovers. Smoky sweetness and sometimes having a charred taste is what makes this coffee stand out. And this is the reason it is referred to as burnt coffee by many coffee nerds.
But how to compare French roast with other coffee beans? Which style is most suitable for you? Dark or light?
French Roast
French roast is also a coffee named because of roasting style from a particular region. Somewhere around the 19th century in Europe, the French roast was the most popular. Nowadays, this name is used mostly to refer to dark roast coffees.
More reference terms for French roast are Turkish roast (fancy term), Espresso roast (incorrect term), and Dark roast (simple term).
Interesting fact- Other than the French roast, there are many other regional coffee roasts, for example, New England roast, Italian roast, Vienna roast, Spanish roast, and American roast.
Taste of French Roast
French roast is also considered as double roasted coffee, which comes from a dark roast category that has a smoky, sweet, and intense flavor. It has a mouthfeel with a thin body.
Other coffees which are lightly roasted, like cinnamon roast coffee, which has high acidic levels, French roast is way less acidic with flavor. It might have a charcoal or charred-like note.
Dark roasted coffees like French roast dominates the aroma and flavors of the beans. Because of this, it is almost impossible to taste the varietal of the coffee beans or their origin.
A summary on French roast coffee-
- Bold and intense flavor
- Burn and very dark taste
- A little sweet
- Watery mouthfeel and thin body compared to other coffees
- Low acidic levels compared to light roasted coffees.
How Is It Roasted?
Internally coffee beans temperature reaches up to 240 C (464 F) during the process of roasting.
The beans slowly get darker in color, and coffee oil is visible on the surface of the beans. Keeping these factors in mind, French roasted beans have a dark drown color with oil shimmering on their surface.
French roasted beans are called ‘Second crack’ because they make two cracking sounds during the intense roasting process.
The first crack is heard when steam comes out of the bean, and the second is heard when oil is released on the beans.
Level of Caffeine
People tend to believe dark roasted coffees are highly caffeinated as compared to lightly roasted coffee. In reality, the opposite is true.
Caffeine molecules get burned off during the slow roasting process. French roast might be the best coffee if you are looking to lower the intake of caffeine.
Quality of French Roast
It is tough to assume what quality coffee beans were before the roasting process. The roasters will use less exceptional beans for French roast. Instead, they focus on the roasting quality. If you like the taste and roasting is what important to you, the quality won’t bother you. Because, you will get what you want in a coffee.
People believe French roast is burnt but is enjoyable too, like darkly toasted bread or grilled meat. Some coffee geeks who prefer coffee beans flavor consider French roast as burnt.
Is There Anything Darker Than French Roast?
You might sometimes see ‘dark French roast’ on coffee bags. It is just like French roast but with more oil on the surface of the beans and more darker. The charred flavor is stronger in Dark French roast compared to regular French roast. But if you want something that is even more darker than the French roast, go for a Spanish roast, which is the darkest coffee available.
Something Lighter Than French Roast
Something that is just a little lighter than the French roast is the Espresso roast. It is a popular roasting method for espresso shots. If you want a lighter roast try Full roast, it is a category in roasting methods. Full roast coffee includes High, continental, and Vienna roast.
How to Brew French Roasted Coffee
Traditionally French roast beans are used in drip-brewed coffee. It can also be used to make bold and intense espresso. They work amazingly with French Press (also known as Plunger Pot).
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