Don't remember where I heard it, but I was told that Starbucks has actually decent quality beans that they overroast way too far. What a waste.
Your experience seems to agree with what I heard.
Absolutely my experience with Starbucks. Their default Pike Roast drip coffee is black as pitch and tastes like pure carbon. It could very well act as a smelling salt to snap one out of stupor or slumber.
Their lattes are a treat, though. A white mocha, pumpkin spice, or in the winter, a creme brulee latte are all divine. Basically hot milkshakes.
I think over roasting allows companies to sell beans from different regions/sources as one batch. Can't tell the difference when everything has the same burnt consistency.
That's a pity, sacrificing quality and end user experience to squeeze another dollar out of the system. Reminds me of Cadbury chocolate, when I was a kid it was incredible - a real treat. Now it's waxy mush full of palm oil, all to squeeze more profits.
You can still find beans that are roasted properly from smaller roasters that use smaller batches. When I'm in doubt, I'll go for for light roast or a flavored medium roast. Light will have the most caffeine, but more acidic.
