Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew

Heather 6 Comments

Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew Side

What is the Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew?

The newest drink to grace Starbucks’ cold brew lineup pairs regular cold brew coffee with vanilla syrup, and on top is a chocolate cream cold foam.

How is it?

Please don’t hate me for using the abbreviation of a high schooler, but OMG. The new chocolate cold foam is AMAZING. Before trying the drink all together, I uncapped mine to get a taste of the cold foam. This is unlike any other cold foam experience I’ve had at Starbucks. It had a light, whipped consistency like a chocolate mousse and could have easily been eaten alone with a spoon. (Hey Starbucks, can you order a whole cup of only chocolate cold foam? Asking for a friend.) When I gave it a whiff, I picked up malty notes that reminded me of a Whoppers candy, which in my opinion, is an extremely underrated chocolate.

Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew Top

Due to the thickness of the foam, it didn’t sink into the cold brew, which I personally consider a plus. Note that the cold brew itself is nothing out of the ordinary – it’s sweetened simply with some vanilla syrup.

This drink was pretty decadent, and I felt as though I was drinking a dessert rather than my usual morning java. As much as I loved drinking it, I see myself ordering this as a special treat so it remains a novelty I look forward to and enjoy.

Anything else you need to know?

The chocolate cold foam did mask some of the coffee flavor, so if you’re not looking for something super strong but still want the caffeine punch, I highly recommend this.

Conclusion:

If you like cold brew and you like chocolate, this is a no-brainer. It’s a great addition as we usher in summer and one I hope remains on the menu for a while.

Purchased Price: $4.75
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 190 calories, 12 grams of total fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 20 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein, and 145 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Mtn Dew Purple Thunder

Marvo 10 Comments

Mtn Dew Purple Thunder

What is Mtn Dew Purple Thunder?

It’s a Circle K exclusive Mountain Dew flavor that combines the classic carbonated and caffeinated citrus soda with blackberry and plum flavors. It’s available in 20-ounce bottles and at Circle K’s Polar Pop fountains.

How is it?

It tastes like another Mountain Dew flavor that I enjoyed, which is odd because the press release about Purple Thunder says that it has “a one-of-a-kind blackberry and plum fusion.” I can’t recall which other flavor this tastes like because all the high fructose corn syrup I’ve consumed from trying every Mtn Dew variety might’ve made my memories hazy. But it’s probably one of the other berry-flavored Dew flavors I’ve tried. I guess you could say Purple Thunder is a DEWrivative.

It’s really the berry that has my taste buds experiencing flavor deja vu. I don’t notice any plum flavor unless the flavor scientists at Mountain Dew eat the same flavorless plums I sometimes end up getting because I have no idea how to pick good ones at the grocery store.

Anything else you need to know?

Its purple color makes me yearn for Mtn Dew Pitch Black. Now that I’ve typed that sentence, I want it even more. Give me a second. I’ve got to create an eBay saved search for unopened Pitch Black cans that are very-beyond-the-best-by-date. Come on, Mountain Dew! Bring back Pitch Black for Halloween this year! Heck, it can even be a reboot. Reboots are in now. Dew it!

Also, a zero-sugar version is not available. Sorry. Wait. Why am I apologizing? It’s not as if I influence what gets made and what doesn’t. Besides wanting Pitch Black back, I’d like Maui Burst to be released from Dollar General’s exclusivity. But just because I typed that doesn’t mean it will happen.

Conclusion:

Mtn Dew Purple Thunder Label

Even though it tastes familiar, Mtn Dew Purple Thunder is a fine release. It’s not even close to being in my top 10 favorite Dew flavors. But it is definitely in my top 10 favorite purple-colored Dew flavors, which I think there are less than ten, so there’s a chance it’s ranked higher than ten.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample (along with a bunch of swag I’ll never use) from Mountain Dew and Circle K. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 20 oz bottle
Purchased at: Received from Mtn Dew and Circle K
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 270 calories, 0 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 73 grams of carbohydrates, 73 grams of sugar (73 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Cornbread Donut

Vin 13 Comments

Dunkin Cornbread Donut One

What is Dunkin’s Cornbread Donut?

Heads up to that one guy who kept pestering Dunkin’ to make a glazed corn cake donut.

Your time has finally come, my friend.

How is it?

Ok, well, I don’t actually know if this aforementioned guy exists, but I certainly didn’t expect Dunkin’ to add cornbread to its menu in any form. I was pretty skeptical, but it’s a tasty little donut.

Dunkin Cornbread Donut Two

That skepticism was hard to shake at first, too. I ordered one donut, and the Dunkin’ employee gave me two. Was it because they were so bad no one was ordering them or was it just because of my winning smile? I’m still not entirely sure, but I appreciated it and enjoyed them both.

The cornbread donut is similar in texture and density to Dunkin’s more “cakey” donuts.

Dunkin Cornbread Donut Inside

It’s glazed and has stripes of white icing, so I expected it to be equal parts sweet and savory, but it’s sweeter than expected, with the cornbread being pretty disguised. I’d say this is 80% sweet, 20% savory.

You’d barely notice the cornbread flavor if it weren’t for that familiar grittiness of the cake. You know that consistency cornbread has, where you can almost taste little bits of sandy cornmeal? That comes through, which I could see being a dealbreaker for some.

I also expected this to be very dry, but it was – here comes that dreaded word – moist.

Anything else you need to know?

Your mileage will vary on this one depending on which type of Dunkin’ donut you prefer. This falls right in line with the glazed blueberry, pumpkin, and the chocolate devil’s food donuts. I love a blueberry from time to time despite how heavy they are.

I’d rank this last among those, but it’s not a huge gap. The sweetness from the glaze and that little bit of cornbread flavor makes it unique enough to stand on its own. At worst, you should grab one of these if you order a dozen.

Conclusion:

I ultimately don’t know if this one will make the cut and be anything more than a limited flavor, but it’s worth a shot. You could even just order one in Munchkin form if you’re scared of wasting food.

I appreciate the idea, and I enjoyed the outcome. If Dunkin’ doesn’t do a banana bread donut like this next, I’m gonna be really bummed.

Purchased Price: $1.35
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 420 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 31 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard

Karen 4 Comments

Dairy Queen Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard Spoon

Cheesecake is a relatively new presence in my life. That may seem strange, but you have to understand: for most of my life, I was firmly on Team Chocolate. If I had the opportunity to get dessert at a restaurant, I got the chocolate cake. If I was getting ice cream, I got chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, and so on. It’s really only over the past year or so that I had the important revelation that that chocolate is not always the best choice in every scenario. Stuck in a diner recently, eating a bone-dry chocolate layer cake, I realized that the moist cheesecake would have been a much better choice.

Granted, my first forays into ordering cheesecake since then invariably took the form of chocolate cheesecake, but that was all part of the process: Baby steps, baby steps.

All that said, I don’t go out for dinner that often, so I don’t have too many opportunities to explore my new interest in tangy dairy delights. Enter Dairy Queen’s Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard, an opportunity to enjoy cheesecake in a different format without having to break the bank on a trip to The Cheesecake Factory. Unfortunately, this Blizzard doesn’t sate the cheesecake craving as well as I would have liked.

Dairy Queen Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard Top

First, the ice cream has little chocolate bits in it, giving the Blizzard a cookies-and-cream flavor to start with. I really liked this, and had to keep stopping myself from just inhaling the thing in a few gargantuan bites. Once I slowed down enough to breathe, I realized that the Blizzard had two other components: little fudge squares filled with caramel and tiny cheesecake wedges. The fudge squares were prominent, while the cheesecake pieces were rather rare. DQ definitely could have been more generous here.

Dairy Queen Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard Fudge

It was satisfying to get one of the fudge squares in my mouth and dissolve the fudge coating to get to that unctuous, slightly salty caramel inside. Unfortunately, the same was not true of the cheesecake: the wedges (or little balls, as they sometimes were) started out bland and finished with a fairly weak cheesecake aftertaste. I don’t know if the flavor was too mild or if it was just hard to discern the cheesecake flavor in the middle of tons of chocolate-packed ice cream, but it wasn’t robust.

Dairy Queen Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard Cheesecake

However, the real problem was not with any of the mix-ins but with the blend overall. Try as I might, I couldn’t get this Blizzard to feel like a coherent dessert. There was the fudge-and-caramel component, then there were the little blobs of cheesecake, and the two didn’t seem to have anything to do with one another. The flavors just didn’t seem to marry. Maybe it’s too much to expect the ingredients to all sing harmoniously in a Blizzard, which is all about “Let’s take ice cream and dump random things into it!”, but I couldn’t get past it.

I enjoyed the treat, but Dairy Queen just hasn’t fully conquered cheesecake yet, and if I’m going to take time out from my busy chocolate schedule to get something else, that something else had better be stellar.

Purchased Price: $4.89
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 660 calories, 27 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 420 milligrams of sodium, 97 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 78 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein.

Click here to read our previous Dairy Queen Blizzard reviews.

REVIEW: Honey Vanilla Cheerios Cereal

Jenna 4 Comments

Honey Vanilla Cheerios Cereal Box

I don’t know about you, but the name “honey vanilla” instantly calls to my mind some kind of skincare product; something sweet but not syrupy, understated and tasteful but with a hint of sumptuousness. The back of this Cheerios box, with its posh descriptors “rich,” “delightfully tempting,” and “O so joyful,” only made me more confident in this association.

Gingerly plucking a single glossy “O” before preparing my bowl (I may or may not have even felt elegant enough to do this with my pinky finger raised), the first thing I noticed was its sticky texture. Crisp and firm on the outside, this cereal glistened with a vanilla-glazed gleam. Upon my taste test, the solid interior gave way to its airy inside with a satisfying crunch. Eaten dry, the cereal tasted pleasant but not overly flavorful. It struck me as more or less just a milder version of the ubiquitous Honey Nut Cheerios, and I’m not sure I could have pinpointed which ingredients made it unique without the box’s helpful visual cues of a vanilla flower and generous honey swirl adorning the iconic heart-shaped bowl. It had a faint sweetness, but the foremost flavor was oat-y; it didn’t surprise me when I noticed the box also bore a proud (but perhaps unnecessarily capitalized) proclamation of “first ingredient WHOLE GRAIN OATS.”

Honey Vanilla Cheerios Cereal Bowl

Pouring milk over the cereal coaxed out more notes of both honey and vanilla, but it remained alluringly demure. Another word that kept springing to my mind was “mature.” I was introduced to a measured, subtle wave of sweetness, not the punch to the face of sugariness that I frankly often look for in my cereal choices. These Cheerios were also pretty quick to become mushy in the milk, and while I know that can be a controversial quality, I was personally a fan.

Honey Vanilla Cheerios Cereal Back

I’m a strong believer that the back of a cereal box should be given just as much consideration as the taste, and this one certainly fits the product’s “refined but slightly saccharine” aesthetic with its honey-and-vanilla-themed sudoku-esque visual puzzle. A high school classmate of mine infamous for his elaborate and uncomfortable outfits used to live by the motto “aesthetics over practicality,” and while our gym teachers disagreed, I think Honey Vanilla Cheerios would. This charming puzzle seemed kind of impossible to actually fill out since the six icons you’re tasked with drawing in the correct order are mostly differentiated by color, and I’m guessing most people don’t eat their cereal with neutral-toned crayons at the ready. But hey, still cute and classy!

Overall, Honey Vanilla Cheerios are plain but pleasing, an ideal breakfast for a day filled with agreeable-but-not-too-spirited activities like gracefully smelling a moderately-scented flower or playing a prim game of checkers where, win or lose, you’d never dare get in your opponent’s face about it. If the prospect of purchasing a cereal with a name that sounds straight out of Bath & Body Works excites you, these should suit you just fine.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 14.3 oz box (“Large Size”)
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 6 out 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – cereal only) 140 calories (180 with 1/2 cup skim milk), 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 170 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.