The Worst Caribou Coffee Roast Is A Rude Wake-Up Call

To some who starts their day with a java boost, even the worst coffee is better than nothing. But, in a perfect world, a good cup of coffee can set the tone for an entire day. A good cup of coffee can provide the caffeine boost needed to get things done. A good cup of coffee can lift spirits and brighten moods. If you're looking for all those things in a humble cup of coffee, you won't find them in Caribou Coffee's Caribou blend.

We tried and ranked nine different at-home Caribou coffees, tasting each of the coffees black and prepared in a French press to see how close they came to what was promised on the packaging. The Caribou blend is a medium blend and meant to be a crowd-pleaser, but it didn't end up that way. Things started well enough as the smell of the pre-ground coffee was pleasant, but the niceties ended there.

The coffee proved to be very dark, even for a medium roast. Upon our first sip, we were shocked by how strong it tasted — very earthy, so much so that we had to reread the bag to make sure we weren't being misled. But no, it was indeed a strong coffee, which we noted would likely throw an unsuspecting coffee drinker for a loop.

Caribou Coffee offers plenty of refreshing and satisfying drinks, but we feel the Caribou home blend is best enjoyed in small doses. It may be the chain's signature blend — one that Caribou claims is so good that "we put our name on it" — but we don't think it has the mass appeal of other at-home blends.

As we saw on the packaging, the Caribou blend promises a well-rounded, sweet flavor with hints of woodsy spice. We picked up on the peppery notes, noting that they helped give the coffee a chewy quality. Still, we'd prefer to sip on Caribou's Fireside blend or French Roast — which we ranked first and second in our rankings, respectively.

Caribou's medium roast signature blend may have left a surprising taste on our tongues, but we know coffee drinkers love all kinds of blends. While we likely won't be filling our cups with it anytime soon, it may be a good choice for making coffee ice cream. The java-charged sweet treat is the perfect vessel for homemade ice cream because it's a happy medium between light and dark roasts, allowing for some of its flavor notes to come out.