Depending on how lightly it is roasted and brew method, it can be much less bitter and more floral and "bright". Agree that the average coffee is dark roast and invariably bitter, however.

Could just be changing taste buds. I never made a concerted effort to stop wanting sweet things but in my late 20s I pretty much never made an effort to acquire them on my own. I don't dislike ice cream but I've literally never bought it or any sweets for more than a decade now.

With that change came enjoying bitter tastes more as well.

I mean that's fair, and there are plenty of foods like bitter squash that some people enjoy a lot with no addictive chemicals (I know of)

But at the same time, I never met a decaf fan who didn't first like caf