No matter where you are, your Starbucks will always taste the same: like it's been burnt. Your drink isn't actually burnt, it’s just roasted darker.

Dark roast coffees pair better with milk and sugar than light ones, which tend to have more citrusy and acidic flavors that don't gel well with dairy.

Coffees that are dark roasted also brew quicker and can withstand higher temperatures better, making it easier for baristas to pull round after round of espresso from these beans.

Starbucks initially roasted its beans darker to give its coffees a bold edge over the watery brews that were the norm. It also gave their coffees uniformity across the world.

Dark roast dilutes the individual characteristics of each bean, giving them consistency while bringing out deeper and more robust flavors that go well with sugar and dairy.