"Well, it's all about balancing the acidity properly, right? How much do you lean into the fruitiness of coffee, how much do you play with the bitter notes. It plays in the same way as wine, with the tannins and shit. People who absolutely can't stand black coffee are often tannin-sensitive, but the cream or milk binds to it--the proteins and shit, which makes it more drinkable for a lot of folks."

This is a guy who considers himself stupid. But that's sure well-researched thoughts out there.