Italian is one of our darkest roasts. By tradition we use Colombian beans. The beans are taken past second crack and exhibit oil popping off the surface of the rich Colombian coffee. Sweet and soft is my taste profile characterization.

French vs Italian Roast.

The naming convention is an east coast - west coast thing. Generally speaking, historically the US east coast roasters called their darkest roasts Italian. Conversely the west coast roasters called their darkest French. As Starbucks captured the world most people now think of French roast as the darkest. But since we have customers who have been purchasing Italian roast from us prior to Starbucks opening its third store we stay with our tradition. Because that's what traditions are for...

Brewing Recommendation: Press pot and drip. Some enjoy this roast as espresso but I find it too dark for that method. Although if your espresso machine works at a relatively low temperature (~ 180F or less) you may find a roast this dark the way to go.