Now the largest coffee retailer in North America, with more than 260 outlets serving over a million customers a week, Starbucks wants to put a white mustache on every American. These beans develop the richest flavor when grown at highaltitudes. Following Peet's example, Starbucks and most other specialty roasterssell only arabica beans. Alfred Peet liked a very dark roast, darker even than what many southern Europeans drinks. Because his beans were so much better than anyone else's, people assumed that a dark roast meant quality and sophistication.
Dark roasts are seductive, and dark-roasted beans do make the best espresso.
But a dark roast can blind consumers to the quality of the beans. A medium roast shows subtle flavor distinctions to far better advantage. The prized quality in espresso is a rounded, rich smoothness, with a sweet overtone on initial sipping and a bittersweet, lasting finish. Latte means milk in Italy, where a caffe latte is seldom seen. Ours are based on milk.