When it comes to Tim Hortons, I love their muffins, sandwiches and soups, but I've never been a fan of their original roast coffee.
It feels quite unpatriotic to not lthe popular brew, so I took the advice of those who do love Timmies and looked into their dark roast coffee, which many say is better than their original blend.
So, I decided to embark on a Tims coffee taste test and pit their original blend, dark roast and decaf against each other.
For this test, I ordered the three roasts in a size medium and got them black with no sugar, but I requested six creams and six sugars on the side. After I'd tested them all without anything added to them, I then added two creams and two sugars to each coffee to try them as a double double, which is, of course, a super Canadian thing to do.
Here's how I fared on my Timmies taste test.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Tim Hortons original blend, black with no sugar
Three Tim Hortons cups lined up in Sarah's home.
Tim Hortons says they've been celebrating their passion and expertise for coffee for over 50 years and that they're "relentless" in the pursuit for the perfect cup, but to me, the original roast still is a letdown.
The coffee I tasted (as well as the one I tried it for my previous coffee taste test) simply doesn't taste like coffee to me. It tastes watery, slightly burnt and slightly smokey, and it doesn't have that robust and deep flavour profile that I enjoy from other brews.
Tim Hortons original blend, double double
Given that I didn't enjoy the original roast black with no sugar, which is the way I prefer my coffee in general, I didn't expect to enjoy it in the double double format and that ended up being the case.
If there was little to no coffee flavour before, it was entirely nonexistent when the cream and sugar got added, and it tasted purely like cream in an unpleasant way.
My colleague Mira Nabulsi recently tried a double double for the first time, and it was also a "no" for her. Sorry, original blend!
Tim Hortons dark roast, black no sugar
Sarah holding a coffee from Tim Hortons from a previous taste test.
Since people seem to be big fans of Tims' dark roast, it was the blend I was most looking forward to trying out.
"Introducing darker, richer Dark Roast!" Tim Hortons says of this brew. "Our premium 100% Arabica beans are roasted to deliver a darker, richer and smooth flavour that all dark roast coffee lovers can enjoy."
Perhaps my expectations were set too high by the hype around this coffee but I disliked it even more than the original blend.
The first whiff of the coffee smelled quite burnt and in terms of taste, it was very, very bitter, and not in the pleasantly bitter way that I find Starbucks coffee to taste.
I asked my friend to take a sip without telling him what it was and he grimaced and said it tasted like something that could fuel an engine, so I very much had my fingers crossed that the double double version of the dark roast would smooth over those harsh edges.
Tim Hortons dark roast, double double
Between both versions of the original roast and the black version of the dark roast, the dark roast double double is the winner, but I'm still not sure I'm a fan.
The sweetness and richness of the additions to the coffee got rid of some of the unpleasant notes that I didn't enjoy in the previous version, but I wouldn't say it tastes "good" as it still has a subdued charred sort of bitterness.
At best, I'm willing to say that this isn't undrinkable.
Tim Hortons decaf, black no sugar
Three cups of Tim Hortons coffee in Sarah's home.
Y'all, I 100% thought this was going to be my least favourite of all three, but Tim Hortons decaf was an unexpected dark horse in this coffee race.
"So flavorful you’d swear it was regular coffee," says Tims of the blend. "Naturally decaffeinated using the Swiss Water process removes the caffeine, leaving only the expertly blended flavour you expect from Tim Hortons."
This coffee smells rich and tastes like a very well-balanced medium-bodied brew with creamy notes of caramel that kind of reminds me of the Paradiso blend you get at Second Cup, but much less expensive.
I'm into this coffee, and I'd absolutely pick it up the next time I'm grabbing some muffins or Timbits for the road.
Tim Hortons decaf, double double
I much preferred the black version of the decaf blend, but double double is decent!
The sugar and cream seem to add to the flavour of the coffee rather than masking it, as it did with the other roasts, and if I was craving a latte but didn't want to shell out for one, I could see this being a decent substitution.
If I had to get a coffee from Tim Hortons, it would definitely be the decaf black, followed by the decaf double double.
As for the original blend and dark roast? They're a pass for me, both in their black format and with the cream and sugar. I'd rather get a Diet Pepsi or a tea to get my caffeine fix!
This isn't my first foray into testing out products from Timmies — a while back, I ordered the TikTok famous "Wayne Gretzky" from the restaurant, which is simply one coffee with nine sugars and nine creams in homage to the hockey player's jersey number which was 99.
As you can imagine, that amount of cold dairy added to a hot coffee made the drink quite cold, and while it tasted almost unbearably sweet, it's not nearly as offputting as it sounds.
I wouldn't recommend trying it, but if you do, I'd advise you to hang on to it after you've had a few sips, pack it away in your fridge and then add it to your freshly brewed coffee every day, because food waste is always a no.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
- I Ranked Coffee From The Biggest Fast Food Chains In Canada & There's A Clear Winner (PHOTOS) ›
- 4 Incredible Tim Hortons Donuts They Need To Bring Back & Others That Need To Be Cut ›
- I Tried A Tim Hortons Double-Double For The First Time & Here's Why I Won't Drink It Again ›
- Tim Hortons Has So Many New Treats For The 2023 Holiday Season & One Of Them Is My New Fav - Narcity ›
- I Tried Coffees From Canada's Gas Stations & There's Only One I'd Drink Again (PHOTOS) - Narcity ›
- I Compared Instant Coffees From Canada's Grocery Stores But I Wouldn't Buy The Winner Again - Narcity ›
- Tim Hortons Is Bringing Back 4 Iconic Donuts & It'll Taste Just Like Your Canadian Childhood - Narcity ›
- Tim Hortons' Roll Up To Win Contest Is Back & It's Not Even About The Rim In 2024 - Narcity ›