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What’s the Best Dr Pepper Flavor, Really?

My personal ranking of some of the iconic soda flavors
A plastic bottle and can of classic Dr Pepper. (Dr Pepper)
A plastic bottle and can of classic Dr Pepper. (Dr Pepper)
Dr Pepper soda cans for sale are pictured at a grocery store in Pasadena, California, U.S., February 14, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Dr. Pepper: crisp, clean, with hints of cherry and vanilla. Some say absolutely disgusting. The taste is difficult to describe past its name itself, but it’s widely enjoyed for its uniqueness.

Over time, Dr. Pepper has accumulated a good number of additional flavors. Cream Soda, Cherry, Blackberry, Coconut… the list goes on. All flavors are good in their own way. But there’s a common debate among Dr. Pepper fans: what is the best flavor? Here’s my personal ranking.

I took flavor and feel most into account while ranking them. Each soda has a vastly different flavor and has different sensations on the tongue. I attempted to be fair and view each as only their individual drinks.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to acquire any Coconut, Diet or Zero Sugar, so those will be excluded from my list.

Dr Pepper soda cans for sale are pictured at a grocery store in Pasadena, California, U.S., February 14, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (REUTERS/via SNO Sites/MARIO ANZUONI)
A can of Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream. (Dr Pepper)
5. Strawberries and Cream

I find this flavor utterly disgusting. (Honestly, artificial strawberry in anything is pretty gross). It tastes far too medicinal. And while that’s a pretty common flavor among Dr. Peppers, the other sodas handle it well. It’s just too strong in this one. 

Personal story: When I was in second grade, I got a spider bite on my eye. I had to take a liquid medicine that was a vibrant pink and tasted of strawberries and bubblegum. This soda just tastes like that.

A can of Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream. (Dr Pepper)
A can of Dr Pepper Blackberry. (Dr Pepper)
4. Blackberry

This one kind of surprised me. I expected it to be grosser than it is. It’s pretty sweet, and the blackberry kind of dominates the Dr. Pepper taste. Strong contestant, but just not as good as some other flavors, and there isn’t much to say about it.

A can of Dr Pepper Blackberry. (Dr Pepper)
A can of Dr Pepper Cherry. (Dr Pepper)
3. Cherry

I do really like this one. It’s kind of like if you were to eat a jar of cherries, except the cherries are a carbonated drink. The Dr. Pepper flavor isn’t very strong at all, which knocks it down a little, but I absolutely love cherries and most things that taste like them. Unfortunately, I need a big cooldown before I drink another one of these. It has a very overpowering feel.

A can of Dr Pepper Cherry. (Dr Pepper)
A can of Dr Pepper Classic. (Dr Pepper)
2. Classic

Absolutely fantastic. Nothing tastes like Dr. Pepper except for Dr. Pepper itself, and its iconic flavor is very difficult to get sick of. I think I’ve drunk more of this than I have of water in my entire life. But it falls just short of my favorite.

A can of Dr Pepper Classic. (Dr Pepper)
A can of Dr Pepper Cream Soda.
1. Cream Soda

The perfect blend of two drinks. You can pick apart each flavor within it, all the flavors in harmony, yet also individual. It’s rich, creamy and doesn’t spike the tongue. Never will I ever get sick of this soda, or come across a flavor I love more.

A can of Dr Pepper Cream Soda.
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