Starbucks Sumatra vs. French roast: which one is stronger?

Starbucks has a wide range of coffee roasts for its customers. I am a coffee lover who likes my coffee in dark roasts. The Sumatra and the French roasts are some of my favorite roasts. These two are dark roasts, but they have significant differences in taste. I have encountered people who feel they are the same and have the same strength, while others differ with these sentiments. In this post, we will compare their features and find out which roast is stronger. Keep reading to see our verdict at the end of this post.

What are the differences between Starbucks Sumatra vs. French Roast?

Features	Sumatra Roast	French Roast
Ingredients	100% Arabica coffee	100% Arabica coffee
Taste Profile	Herbal tones, rustic spicy tones	Dark caramel notes, sweet and smoky taste
Caffeine content/nutritional value	Short-130mg, 0 calories, 0 fat,0 carbs	Short-130mg, 0 calories, 0 fat,0 carbs
Availability/ Accessibility	Permanently	Permanently
Roast Level	Dark	Dark

Starbucks Sumatra vs. French Roast-How they compare

What it’s made of (ingredients)

Sumatra coffee is made with 100% coffee Arabica straight from Indonesia. This coffee is roasted to a nice dark roast that gives a chestnut color to the beans. The beans are ground to make a powder for easy brewing.

The French roast is an ebony-colored dark roast made from roasted Arabica coffee beans.

In this category, we get a draw. Both coffee roasts are 100% coffee Arabica and are dark roasted.

Taste Profile

The Sumatra dark roast oozes herbal undertones with a rich, full-bodied, rustic spice. This Asian coffee roast is mild and sweet to the taste. You will pick up sweet caramel tones as you sip. I like the earthy aroma that comes with this coffee roast which is topped by a spicy taste.

The French roast is specially made for those who love their coffee strong and precise in flavor. The Starbucks French roast is the darkest of all roasts and is smoky with deep caramel notes and a smooth earthy flavor.

This category is also a draw. Both of these coffees have unique undertones that result in a sweet taste.

Caffeine content/nutritional value

Dark roasts are known to have the lowest caffeine among all roasts. The Starbucks Sumatra is no exception and has mild caffeine at 130mg in a short serving. This is moderate for a coffee roast compared to roasts that go as high as 210 in caffeine. A 237-gram serving has only two calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 4.7mg of sodium, 0 sugars, and 0.3g of proteins.

Starbucks French roast has the least caffeine as it is a dark roast. This is because of a long time it takes in the roaster. The long process allows the caffeine to dissolve in water and reduces its concentration. This roast has 190mg of caffeine in a tall serving and 130mg in a short serving (8 fluid ounces).

This is a draw. Both dark roasts have similar caffeine levels and similar nutritional facts.

Availability/ Accessibility

Starbucks Sumatra roast is available in leading grocery stores and online retail shops. You can order your pack from Amazon and eBay and enjoy it in the comfort of your home. This roast is readily available all year round, and you don’t have to wait for a specific period to access it.

Starbucks French roasts are also available throughout the year. The coffee supply at the coffee chain is always steady, and its roasteries as always running. You can easily pick a pack in your nearest grocery store and enjoy it at home.

This is a draw. Both coffee roasts are available all year round and are easily accessible at grocery stores.

Roast Level

The Sumatra is a dark roast. This is the longest roasting level at Starbucks where the coffee beans are roasted until they turn ebony in color. The coffee beans have a layer of oil on the surface due to the intense heat that pushes the natural oils to the surface.

The French roast is also a dark roast, but it takes even longer in the roaster to make it the darkest roast there is at Starbucks. This coffee will have a burnt taste, but oozes dark caramel notes.

In this category, the French roast takes the lead as it is the darkest roast at Starbucks.

Starbucks Sumatra vs. French Roast: A comparison Review

Starbucks Sumatra Overview

This Indonesian coffee ground is roasted to a dark roast to bring out all the undertones. I was impressed by the herbal, rustic notes that accompanied the earthy coffee taste of this roast. This coffee has virtually no acid, and its full-bodied spicy taste is nothing short of tasty. I liked how well it paired with sweet desserts and syrups. On the downside, it oozed an overly strong coffee earthy taste.

What I liked

• I liked the herbal and spicy undernotes
• I liked its sweet earthy aroma

What I didn’t like

• The smokiness was a little overwhelming

Who it’s best suited for

• This works best for those who love a strong coffee taste

Starbucks French Roast-Overview

This roast is the darkest at Starbucks. I was impressed by the sweet dark caramel notes of this ebony-colored roast. However, the burst taste was overwhelming. I opted to use milk to tone it down, and it worked perfectly. I also lived it for espresso. The caffeine boost was great, and it had no acidity.

What I liked

• The low acidity
• The sweet caramel taste

What I didn’t like

• The overwhelming burnt taste

Who it’s best suited for

• This coffee works best for those who love their roasts as dark as possible.

Final Verdict: So, which is better? Starbucks Sumatra vs. French Roast

We have a draw in this case. Both of these dark roasts have different tastes but are both equally good. They are both dark roasts, and this makes them the strongest in flavor among all roasts.

FAQ Section

What is the main difference between Starbucks French roast and Sumatra?

The main difference is the taste. The Sumatra roast is spicy with herbal tones, while the French roast is smoky with dark caramel undertones.