Dunkin’s approach to its summer drink menu can be summed up in three words: more is more. Among the plethora of new drinks (16!) are three pink-hued creations comprising the King Kylie Collection, a collaboration with Kylie Jenner. The collection consists of the Candy Pink Lemonade Refresher, Vanilla Pink Cloud Latte, and Pink Lemon Drop Suncloud Lemonade. Wow, that last one’s a mouthful. A mouthful of what exactly? That would be oat milk and lemonade, iced and topped with strawberry cold foam. If that sounds like a curious combo, I can tell you that it absolutely is…or possibly isn’t at all. Let me explain.
In my first encounter with this Suncloud Lemonade, I received a cup of buttery colored liquid topped with a coral pink cold foam that looked slightly…off. If you’ve ever over-whipped frosting, you’ll be familiar with the curdled appearance that isn’t exactly appetizing. I figured it looked worse than it tasted and was correct; it had a strong strawberry candy scent, and despite a slightly gummy texture, the flavor wasn’t bad.
It didn’t leave me wanting more, but I could overlook this because what was underneath the foam was so pleasantly surprising. The lemonade flavor was very pronounced and tart in the best way but sweet enough to strike a perfect balance, while the oat milk made things delightfully creamy. I was reminded of a Push Up, those sherbet treats in the cardboard tubes that used to come with Flintstones characters printed on them. It probably says something about me that I know more about the Flintstones than I do Kylie Jenner, so perhaps that reference won’t help younger readers, but this drink really called to mind that specific item.
Even the weird foam reminded me of the texture those pops would sometimes get when they were old or stored at not quite the right temperature. I thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia this evoked, but even more so, I just found this smooth and drinkable. It was refreshing and summery in a way I hadn’t expected. I liked this so much that I was excited to order it again a few days later, and this is where things went awry.
On my second Suncloud adventure, I was met with the same unassuming pale yellow base, but this time the strawberry cold foam looked much more promising. As I went to take a sip, I noticed the sweet strawberry candy smell was missing, and the foam was somehow almost devoid of flavor entirely.
Seconds later, total disappointment set in. Not only was the foam flavorless, everything below it was too. Where was my sweet/tart lemonade? Where was my smooth, creamy sherbet? This tasted like what you’d think oat milk and lemonade would taste like: boring, watery, blah. Where the first drink felt like lemony sunshine, the second was a gray cloud of disappointment. This was easily the worst five dollars I’ve spent in some time, so buyer beware; the forecast for this drink is totally unpredictable.
Purchased Price: $5.19
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 390 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of total carbs, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 62 grams of total sugar, and 3 grams of protein.