I used to find the taste of unsweetened coffee utterly repulsive. I couldn't understand how so many folks willingly drank the stuff black. My joe needed have at least two teaspoons of sugar added before I even considered it palatable.

sometime over the last couple of months though, I started to get fascinated with the technical/geeky/artisan side of coffee culture. particularly home brew methods that called the use of whole beans, and required close attention to water quality and brewing times. real nerd sh/t.

was fascinating to read discussions where peeps swooned over the natural tastes of exotic coffees, and exchanged brewing methods that didn't have a mention of sugar in sight.

curious to find out for myself, I bought a grinder, press, some whole beans, and started doing coffee experiments in my kitchen.
over the past 6 months or so, I've gained a real appreciation for the natural taste of coffee...minus sugar. I do add cream from time to time, though. but I'm amazed at how good coffee can tastes on its own. highly doubt that I'll go back to adding sugar like I used to, it's just unnecessary.

it's crazy how we disregard natural flavors, and add sugar to many foods in an effort to satisfy our immature taste buds. this is mostly an American thing, right?