What is dark roast?
Dark roast is coffee roasted to second crack or beyond, about 224°C (435°F) and up by Wikipedia's figures. The beans turn deep brown to nearly black, and oil comes to the surface. The cup is full bodied and bittersweet, with low acidity, and the roast's own flavor leads over the flavor of where the coffee grew.
How a roast goes dark
A roaster takes the beans through first crack, then keeps going. As the bean's structure turns brittle, a second, quieter crackle starts: second crack. Wikipedia's roasting article notes that oils appear on the surface in the later stages of roasting, which is why dark beans shine and leave a film in the bag.
The old names mark how far past that point the roaster went. They are still printed on bags, and they are the quickest way to read one.
| Name | About where it stops (Wikipedia's chart) | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Full city plus | At the start of second crack | Dark edge of medium; a little oil |
| Vienna roast | About 230°C (446°F) | Some oil, bittersweet |
| French roast | About 240°C (464°F) | Oily, smoky, little origin character |
| Italian roast | About 245°C (473°F) | Among the darkest sold, shiny black |
Dark roasts from Montana roasters
Montana roasters name their dark roasts after the state's work and wildlife. These are dark roasts each roaster listed on its own site when we checked on September 27, 2026. Lists change, and none of this says what a club box will hold.
- Florence Coffee Company, Butte: FloCo Miner's Blend, a dark roast named for Butte.
- Morning Light Coffee Roasters, Great Falls: Black Bison Blend, dark, from South American and Indonesian coffees.
- Mazevo Coffee, Billings: The Woodsman, one of its two named signature coffees.
- Rock Creek Coffee Roasters, Billings: Mike's French Roast.
- Yellowstone Coffee Roasters, Bozeman: Big Timber, the organic Buffalo Trail and Headwaters Espresso, all dark.
- Ghost Town Coffee Roasters, Bozeman: Chief Joseph Presto, the dark of its Chief Joseph line.
- Rockford Coffee, Bozeman: the Dark House Blend of Americas and Indonesian coffees.
- Firetower Coffee House and Roasters, Helena: a Mexican French Dark Roast, organic and roasted in house.
- Black Coffee Roasting Company, Missoula: The Dark, its darkest organic blend.
- Montana Coffee Traders, Whitefish: Cafe Monteverde Dark.
Treeline, Big Creek and Drum list dark or medium dark roasts too. That is a long list for a state the Roast Local directory credits with 57 independent roasters. Buy your French roast from a Butte or Billings roastery and the money pays a Montana roaster instead of a warehouse somewhere else. More on why local matters.
What dark roast tastes like
Wikipedia's roasting article describes dark roasts as full bodied, with bittersweet flavors prominent and little of the origin's character left. The sugars that a medium roast caramelizes go further toward bitter and smoky. Acidity drops away, and the heavy body stands up to milk and sugar.
One common belief, checked against the same source: dark roast is not stronger in caffeine. Wikipedia says roast level does not significantly change caffeine, and because dark beans are less dense, a scoop of dark holds slightly less than a scoop of light.
Dark roast vs medium roast
| Medium roast | Dark roast | |
|---|---|---|
| Stopped | Before second crack | At or into second crack |
| Surface | Dry | Oily |
| Acidity | Muted | Low |
| Body | Higher than light | Full |
| Main flavor source | Origin and caramelized sugar | The roast |
Dark roast in the club
Choose Dark under Roast level in the plan builder. Blends and Espresso-friendly both pair well with it, and Decaf works too if you drink a dark cup at night. With two bags a box, the second bag takes a different roast from a second Montana roaster, so a dark drinker and a light drinker share one delivery.
Whole bean keeps its aroma until you grind it, so choose it if you own a grinder. $16.99 a 12 oz bag, any roast. First bag free, you pay $7.99 shipping. Then $16.99 a bag. "Roasted and shipped within 3 days."
Related terms and sources
- Light roast, medium roast, espresso roast
- Second crack, French roast, Vienna roast, body
- Sumatra coffee, an earthy, full bodied origin
Sources: Wikipedia, Coffee roasting; Montana roaster offerings from each roaster's own site, read September 27, 2026.