After two years, i bought Verona again. Actually this was probably the first coffee i ever bought in a Starbucks, and until i tried Italian roast, definitely my favorite (not so definitely after that). I found a few beans in one piece in the ground package, and crunched them for the taste, and it was amazing. It’s roasted black, but it doesn’t have a hint of the dark charcoal taste typical of such roasts. It’s fresh, surely dark, but in a colorful way, something like watching colorful birds fly at dusk through a forest’s canopy. The espresso’s foam is darker than anything i’ve ever seen, and it emphasizes the dark, thick, somewhat chocolate-ish taste of the brew. The aroma itself reminds me of some sweetish cocktail that nevertheless kicks in so hard a few minutes later that you find yourself partying hard. It’s not as bitter as i’d have expected from such a dark roast. I definitely favor this over the bitter smokiness of Italian roast.