No, Starbucks does not intentionally burn coffee. If you've ever noticed a burnt flavor in your cup of Starbucks coffee, it's most likely due to one of three things: the beans were roasted too long, the grind was too fine, or the water was too hot.
Starbucks strives to roast its beans to perfection in order to bring out the fullest flavor potential. However, sometimes the beans can be roasted for just a few seconds too long which can result in a burnt taste. If this happens, you can try ordering your coffee with a light roast instead.
Another common reason for burnt-tasting coffee is using water that's too hot. The ideal brewing temperature for coffee is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). If your water is any hotter than this, it can scald the coffee and make it taste burnt. To avoid this, let your kettle sit for about 30 seconds after boiling before pouring over your grounds.
Finally, if your ground coffee is too fine, it can also lead to a bitter and burnt flavor. This is because the finer grounds will come into contact with more hot water during brewing and extract more bitterness from the beans. To fix this, simply use a coarser grind next time or try brewing using a French press instead of an automatic drip coffeemaker.