9 World Market Flavored Coffees, Ranked

I'll be the first to admit flavored coffees are not a part of my morning. And if I do decide to indulge in a such a cup, I want it sugary sweet and brimming with delightful flavor. Generally, it will be an afternoon pick-me-up that I share with friends. And that is what I kept in mind when I began tasting these World Market flavored coffees.

World Market, which is also a great place to find international candy, sells a wide range of unexpected coffee ground options, including but not limited to blueberry, strawberry, and waffle. The retailer does offer a good variety of unflavored coffees that might be great for elevating your next stew, but for the purposes of this assignment, I gravitated immediately to the fruity, dessert-flavored ones. Heck no, I'm not picking French or Italian roast for this ranking. Instead of going with standard coffee flavors, I decided to have a little fun with my picks this round. 

I went in looking for sweet treats that tasted like the name, with just a hint of coffee flavor. Something I would want to have sugared up hot or cold. Something that tasted as good as what I would get from a shop, but at home. And this is how they ranked.

This coffee is supposed to boast nutty flavors of pecan with just a bit of bourbon, but that is not the scent that you get from the grounds alone. There is a small, nutty something to the aroma, and it hints at sweet with an almost nougat quality. But any hint of bourbon is lost on first blush. And once brewed, the aroma offers little to prepare for the taste to come.

After several sips of this coffee, it is possible to get a hint of pecan in the faintest of aftertastes. But other than that slight flirtation, this coffee really doesn't have any flavor. Just as with the aroma, this coffee offers very close to nothing. It doesn't taste bad; it simply has no taste. I'd go so far as to say it doesn't really even boast much of a coffee flavor. There does seem to be some weight to it on the palate, although I cannot tell you where it comes from. As far as flavored coffee goes, this one truly is a miss in the whole category.

While this certainly fits in the "fun flavors" category,  World Market's salted caramel coffee is pretty straightforward. When you open the bag and take a whiff of the fresh grounds, you'll only get a light roasted coffee scent. Of all the coffees in this group, this is the simplest flavor profile World Market offers.

While caramel is my favorite flavor to add to coffee, this is not one that fills my usual caramel cravings. I cannot even define the flavor as subtle, as it is far less than that. There is a thickness to the taste, although it is watery overall. You really have to hunt for any signs of flavor, but after a few sips, you are sure to find a hint. The flavor isn't as flat as the bourbon pecan flavor, but it comes very close. And given my love for caramel, I will say that this is the most disappointing personally.

We've got another coffee that doesn't pack enough of a fragrance punch when you first open the bag. Even when scooping the grounds into the pot, there is only a subtle aroma of caramel. That said, it is a distinct and precise aroma that carries with it a touch of salt and butter. And that aroma grows only slightly as it's being brewed — humble, yet persuasive.

And just like its scent, the taste of this coffee is relaxed almost to the point of being covert. The flavor of caramel is there and includes butter and a dash of salt, but it is so soft it can be easily missed. There is no macchiato flavor to be had. If anything, this tastes much more like a tea, as it is watery and thin. If someone is in the market for a caramel tea, this is definitely the perfect choice in all its daintiness. This one does dole out more flavor than the ones that fell lower on the ranking, it's best advised to look elsewhere.

Stroopwafels can upgrade an ice cream sandwich, but what about coffee? This coffee smells like a freshly pressed waffle. It is rich with maple, vanilla, butter, and something a little dark that must be the coffee, which is exactly how a stroopwafel coffee should smell. Stroopwafel is a traditional Dutch cookie treat made from two thin waffle cookies that are sandwiched together with a caramel filling. And this coffee makes your entire house smell exactly like the bakeries that create them.

Made from medium-roasted Arabica beans, this coffee promises the waffle and caramel flavor. And while it is slightly there, it seems the aroma delivers much more. This coffee is very easy to drink with hints of caramel, vanilla, and possibly cinnamon, but compared to the scent, it is weak. The flavor seems watered down and thin, taking on an almost tea-like quality. While I don't need flavored coffee to be incredibly strong, this one does not come close to hitting the mark.

The profile is promising but needs to be amped up several levels as far as flavor goes. Perhaps making it in a French press would garner darker results and richer flavors, but that is something I will have to experiment with at another time. Also, needing to be specially brewed does take points off in the ranking.

There is a spiciness to the fragrance of this ground coffee that isn't found in the other blends, which isn't necessarily a trait of the flavor profile. Representing a confectionary turtle, this coffee is meant to have the tastes of chocolate, pecan, and caramel. The chocolate aroma is evident, but the other flavors seem a bit muddled in scent.

On the taste side of things, this coffee delivers on all the flavors, even the specificity of the pecan, albeit rather slowly and softly. There is a darkness that is obviously chocolate, a nuttiness that is pecan, and in the background, there is a buttery caramel. All the prominent flavors meld together rather seamlessly, but much like the stroopwafel, there are higher heights that need to be achieved here. While I believe this can be done through a good steep in a French press, it falls on the list for failing the drip machine convenience.

It's no secret, but pumpkin spice means so much to so many people. I am so happy the timing of this taste test overlaps with the release of World Market's fall items. I just know this one is going to put me right in a sweater weather mood. But when I open the bag and a strong pumpkin spice scent doesn't envelop me, doubts immediately come to mind. Where are the cloves? Where is the cinnamon? Where is my sweater weather muse? After all, this bag promises fresh pumpkin pie flavor.

Thankfully, the scent of the warm brewed cup of World Market's pumpkin spice coffee carries with it the mulled spices I love. And the flavor is familiar and comforting. There are indeed cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon warmly present in this blend. Although instead of a coffee base, this leans more towards a cider. Though not as sweet or tart as a cider, it has the same consistency and weight.

This isn't heavy enough to fulfill what one generally wants in a coffee, teetering on the edge of watery. But it has a density that is definitely helped with the flavors of pumpkin spice. This easily has more flavor than the ones ranked lower, but it doesn't reach the fullness of the ones ranked higher. Frankly, I've had a number of better pumpkin-flavored coffees

The scent that emanates from this freshly opened bag of coffee does not represent either the note of vanilla or the delicate lavender flower the bag promises. It doesn't even really represent a light roast Arabica blend. In fact, none of these scents can be found. In contrast, there is an off-putting carbon smell that seems mechanical in nature and is very surprising, making the anticipation of this brew low.

When the grounds are brewed, however, the scent mellows and does give off a slightly floral fragrance. And the taste — well that's where this shines. The flowery lavender part of this brew comes off like a charming and unique candy. This is the first lavender-flavored beverage I have enjoyed during the new heights of floral flavoring that have been seen in the last year.

The vanilla comes second in taste to the lavender in a delightful way, soft and nicely balanced. It's not too strong or too deliberate, as many vanilla-flavored coffees are. It's subtle and subdued, which also makes it the first vanilla coffee I've enjoyed. The flavors in this coffee are well-balanced and sweet, making it a delightful option for a hot or cold brew. However, the flavors from this brand continue to get better.

The aroma of sweet strawberries erupts from this bag as soon as it is opened. It has a joyful, childlike, candied scent that you can almost taste on the palate. There is no hint of coffee in the aroma of this light roast, but the strawberries and whipped cream do burst through. To put it simply, the grounds smell good.

When I brewed it, I found that the smell of strawberries settles, and the aroma of coffee can be enjoyed. The second the coffee hits the tastebuds, the strawberries are back in full command. A sweet, candied strawberry blast comes in strong and is followed with a tartness that seems natural. There is a vanilla cakey flavor that surrounds the fruit and a delightful sweetness that dances around the palate. This is by far the most playful coffee I've ever experienced.

There is nothing subtle about this blend, and it makes no apologies, nor should it. This is exactly what it promises to deliver. It's refreshing and juicy, a splendid coffee drink I would happily pay for in a shop but can easily make at home. While this is everything I expect from a flavored coffee, it could conceivably come down a notch and still be as wonderful. And had the next flavor not taught me that lesson, this would have been number one.

If you like adding blueberry syrup to your coffee, World Market's blueberry coffee grounds might be right up your alley. The full aroma of sweet and tart blueberries wafts softly from these grinds while preparing the pot. The notes of cinnamon the bag promises are subtle but a blunt facet that is hard to miss. The brown sugar hides in the background but hints that there will be a sweetness to this once brewed. It's undeniably enticing.

A self-defined light roast, this coffee brews up much darker than expected. The cinnamon loses its hard edge in the scent and becomes more prominent but less harsh. The brown sugar makes its way through the aroma and seems to be carried on the steam of the freshly poured cup. And for just a moment the blueberries let their counterparts take center stage.

There is a complexity to this blueberry coffee that is truly a unique experience. The blueberries seem to burst on the tongue with a juicy, sweet tartness of fresh-picked berries on the first sip. A flourish of brown sugar and cinnamon swirl together, fulfilling the crumble part of the profile. And each taste knows exactly what spot to take on the palate to make it the most pleasing. With an undeniable blueberry crumble flavor, this coffee is expertly balanced and mimics its namesake perfectly. This is definitely a treat not to be missed.

I went into this tasting with a big goal — have a good time! I wasn't looking for a serious coffee that would start my morning and set me up for the day. I was looking for an interesting, flavorful coffee that was caffeinated, sweet, and surprising. Yes, I wanted the ease of using my drip machine, but I wanted a taste that I would normally have to go to a shop to find. I also wanted something that was both easy and satisfying whether I chose to have it hot or chilled to make iced coffee at a later time. And I found just that in several of these coffees.

Brewing each of these coffees in my drip machine, I added cream and sugar and tasted them one at a time, giving plenty of space between each to cleanse my palate. The vanilla lavender, strawberry, and blueberry absolutely blew me away with their unique flavors. While the lavender fell toward the subtle and the strawberry was loud, the blueberry was the perfect middle ground. All three were enjoyable, but the blueberry is a must. (But hey, all three are worth a try.)

There honestly wasn't a coffee I tasted that I would say was bad. The ones that landed in the middle of the list could be brewed in a French press to create a darker brew, but do work on some level when made in a regular pot. The ones at the bottom of the list are pretty mellow in the flavor department, but still taste fine. So, for those who like a more subtle flavor, that's where I would start.