The Hands-Down Best Dr Pepper Flavor Isn't The Original

Did you know that Texas has an entire museum dedicated to Dr Pepper? We love the famous soda (we even crowned it the best-tasting diet soda), so we can understand building an entire shrine to its history. The soda, which claims to blend a symphony of 23 flavors in its original recipe, stands tall beside Coca-Cola and Pepsi as one of the most iconic sodas around.

The original Dr Pepper kind of tastes like a mashup of vanilla, cherry, and licorice-infused cola, but that's only the beginning. From zero-sugar to the newer blackberry version, we tasted and ranked 11 flavors of Dr Pepper. While some fruity flavors surprisingly tasted better in their diet forms, and a few zero-sugar versions managed to near the top, our number one favorite was Dr Pepper Cherry.

Of course, it's rare to find a zero-sugar or diet soda that truly beats its full-sugar ancestor. Health and cavities aside, let's be honest: a sugary soda tastes darn good. That's why the regular Dr Pepper Cherry came out on top. It hits that sweet spot with wonderful cherry flavor layered onto the original's already complex profile. The zero-sugar version of cherry Dr Pepper did earn points (it came close to cracking the top three), but the original cherry flavor easily stole the crown for a number of reasons.

Banana and grape tend to be up there on the list of most-hated artificial fruit flavors, but cherry's up there too — people often find it medicinal. But, since the full- and non-sugar cherry Dr Peppers ranked high for us, they must be doing something right! Dr Pepper already has a subtle cherry undertone in its mysterious mix of 23 flavors. We appreciated that the cherry here isn't syrupy or cloying; it actually enhances the original without being too sweet to keep on sipping. 

Interestingly, sweetness turned out to be the downfall for other flavors in the ranking. The pattern stood out: it wasn't diet or zero-sugar sodas being penalized across the board, it was imbalance. Some lighter versions actually ranked surprisingly high because they got the right flavor without overwhelming your taste buds.

You might be wondering whether the drink's vessel affected our rankings; some were tasted in plastic bottles, others in cans. We can't say for sure, but it's worth considering if you're exploring flavors yourself. Research shows soda tends to stay fizzier in cans, which may boost that cold, carbonated snap, but aluminum can slightly diminish flavor. If you like your soda extra bubbly and cold, a can might give the edge. For a purer taste, bottles might win out — either way, Dr Pepper Cherry is our cherry on top of all the flavors. Keep it ice cold, sip it with a salty snack, and thank us later!