Appreciation post: I tried a dark roast from a local roaster in Austin and it was way too acidic

Betty West · 2026-03-31T22:45:07.687974+00:00

Everyone in my local group raves about this specific dark roast from a place on South Congress. I finally grabbed a bag last week, brewed it in my French press, and got hit with this crazy sour, almost lemony taste. I was expecting deep chocolate notes, not that. I learned that 'dark' on the label doesn't always mean the bean itself was roasted long enough to cut the acidity. Has anyone else had a dark roast punch them in the face with sour notes?

morgan_ramirez6mo ago

Ever get that from a light roast instead?

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morgan_ramirez6mo ago

My local shop's dark roast is always smooth, never sour like that.

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oscar7126mo ago

Totally get what you mean! I had a dark roast from a shop up north that was shockingly sour, like biting into a tart apple. It completely threw me off because the bag promised smoky flavors. @morgan_ramirez makes a good point, I usually expect that from a light roast, not a dark one. It really shows how much the roaster's process changes the final cup.

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