Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Exclusive Flavor Minter Wonderland

Mark 2 Comments

Ben Jerry s Exclusive Flavor Minter Wonderland

“Imagine a wild ride through the wintriest, chocolate mintiest wonderland of ice cream filled with crunchy cookie swirls and marshmallowy drifts. Honestly, if this flavor was a toboggan, you’d already be on it.”

So says the back label of Ben & Jerry’s Minter Wonderland, which is dark chocolate mint ice cream with marshmallow swirls and chocolate cookie swirls. If it was a toboggan, I totally would be on it. They’re right. But “wintriest” and “chocolate mintiest”? Not so fast with those superlatives!

As a mint-thusiast, I was hoping for a more potent mint flavor. After all, that’s the only element that’s actually mentioned in the name. It’s barely there, and it’s the least noticeable part of the ice cream. I wouldn’t call it especially wintry or Christmassy.

Ben & Jerry's Exclusive Flavor Minter Wonderland 2

I’m guessing part of the wintry claim is the chocolate and marshmallow combination, reminiscent of hot cocoa. Dark chocolate is the dominant flavor. But this isn’t the dark chocolate of those snooty bars that brag about their cacao percentage. It’s more like a Dove dark chocolate, and it works well here.

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It doesn’t take long for the surface area of the ice cream to start melting and smearing on the bowl. In its melted form, the cream is like a rich, delectable chocolate sauce. No complaints here.

Ben Jerry s Exclusive Flavor Minter Wonderland 3

The marshmallow swirl, which looks like the gooey interior of a roasted campfire marshmallow, is interesting to gaze at, but it was hard for me to even notice it in my mouth when it was with the ice cream. When I isolated it, it had an undeniable marshmallow taste and a bouncy texture.

By far the best part of this concoction is the chocolate cookie pieces. They’re chewy and gritty, but gritty in a good way. The back label calls it a crunchy cookie, but it’s more like a cross between a cookie and a brownie. They’re so good that I might say I would like more, but that’s not entirely fair; there already is a good ice cream to cookie ratio.

This flavor is exclusive to Target. That might seem like an inconvenience, but let’s be honest: isn’t it always great to have an excuse for a Target run?

Ben & Jerry’s Minter Wonderland is a wonderful ice cream. But I hoped it would have a stronger mint flavor, and I don’t think it’s particularly groundbreaking. It’s mostly just cookies/brownies in chocolate ice cream.

Purchased Price: $3.33
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Target (Exclusive Flavor)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 270 calories, 140 calories from fat, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 24 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein

QUICK REVIEW: Starbucks Limited Edition Smoked Butterscotch Latte

Meghan 4 Comments

Starbucks Limited Edition Smoked Butterscotch Latte

What is the Starbucks Limited Edition Smoked Butterscotch Latte?

As a grab-and-go option for people too busy to stop by a brick-and-motor Starbucks, this coffee-house inspired drink features, “smoky sweet notes of kettle-cooked butterscotch mingled with Starbucks espresso and creamy milk.”

How is it?

Even though a lot of these bottled latte beverages are initially underwhelming due to their lack of milk froth, this limited edition offering took it a bit further by continuing to be disappointing all the way to the bottom of the bottle.

Starbucks Limited Edition Smoked Butterscotch Latte 2

Despite being a “smoked” latte, I thought this was surprisingly less smoky than Starbucks’ regular espresso-based drinks. Actually, rather than having pleasant notes of smokiness, I thought it tasted rather burnt, which also overwhelmed any butterscotch flavor it may have had. It’s almost got an element of artificial char, which is off-putting. I imagine the espresso usually would have helped to even out the acrid aspect of the smoke, but this drink didn’t have nearly enough of it.

Also, Starbucks has no right to boast that the smoked butterscotch is mingling with “creamy” milk. The reduced fat dairy utilized here makes the entire beverage way too watery to be called creamy, and it left me longing for the whole milk lattes served by my local baristas.

Is there anything else I need to know?

If you think this might taste better warmed up and sipped like regular coffee, I’m going to save you the trouble by telling you I’ve already gone that route, and, no, it doesn’t make this poor man’s latte any better. It makes it worse because it makes the espresso seem even weaker in contrast to the smoke flavoring.

Conclusion:

Even though the Starbucks Limited Edition Smoked Butterscotch Latte seems like an easy way to enjoy a seasonal favorite and skip the coffee shop, it’s not. Simply put, you’re going to wish that you had taken the time to stop by a real Starbucks and order a freshly made Smoked Butterscotch Latte.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 14 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Kroger
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 220 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 34 grams of sugars, and 8 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: 3 Musketeers Birthday Cake

Leonard 8 Comments

3 Musketeers Birthday Cake

What is 3 Musketeers Birthday Cake?

It’s the first new 3 Musketeers in, get this, SIX YEARS! A birthday cake variation that doesn’t include chocolate innards but instead it’s packed with vanilla nougat speckled with colorful sprinkles. It’s still all enrobed in rich milk chocolate.

How is it?

3 Musketeers Birthday Cake 2

You know how chocolate is kind of an overpowering flavor when paired with most things? That’s no more evident than here as the chocolate outside very much takes control of this candy bar. The inside is very nice texturally, but tastes somewhat too milky milk chocolate with an incredibly sweet aftertaste. Birthday cake? Hardly so.

3 Musketeers Birthday Cake 4

I decided to remove the culprit and try the white speckled interior on its own. By the way, the so-called sprinkles, while fun and a nice touch, are more like small colored flakes that don’t add any new texture. I was hoping for big honking sprinkles.

Now without the chocolate, I did get an intense sweet vanilla flavor that comes through in the nougat, and it is more akin to what I associate with a birthday cake flavor. To be honest, though, I felt like I was using a ladle to transfer the contents of a canned jar of vanilla frosting to my mouth and had to pace myself to finish both bars.

Is there anything else I need to know?

3 Musketeers Birthday Cake 3

This bar is exclusive to Walmart at the moment and will be available in minis soon as well along with more retailers in early 2019. Fun history fact: 3 Musketeers got its name because the original candy bar had 3 bars with different flavors – Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry.

Conclusion:

If you love eating frosting from a jar or have a fancy for super sweet milk chocolate, then make sure you pick up 3 Musketeers Birthday Cake as you will likely enjoy it. Otherwise, buy yourself Funfetti cake mix with vanilla frosting and dip the finished product into some melted milk chocolate. It will save you a lot of time by not having to track down this flavor and you’ll get a much better end result.

Purchased Price: $1.34
Size: 2.14 oz./2 bars
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (one 30 gram bar) – 130 calories, 4 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Wendy’s S’Awesome Bacon Classic

Louis 5 Comments

Wendy's S'Awesome Bacon Classic

What is Wendy’s S’Awesome Bacon Classic?

I guess I’m out of the Wendy’s loop because I wasn’t even aware of its S’Awesome sauce that was introduced a year or so ago. Either way, the chain has slathered it on one of its classic burgers, thrown on some bacon slices, and released it to the public as the S’Awesome Bacon Classic.

How is it?

Wendy's S'Awesome Bacon Classic 2

Eager to try what the advertising calls a “sweet, smoky, tangy sauce” on my single-size burger, I couldn’t really taste it over the heavy saltiness of the bacon. I peeked under the bun and saw a very thin, practically non-existent spread of S’Awesome across the bread. At this point, to me, it tasted like a bacon burger that cost a bit too much at $5.19.

However, I got brave and went to the counter and requested a small cup of S’Awesome sauce which they generous acquiesced to. I used it as a dipping sauce for my burger, which made all the difference in the world. A little dab won’t do. You need a deluge of sauce to get the full power of S’Awesome, which I’m all for.

Is there anything else I need to know?

In addition to the single variety that I purchased, there’s also a double and triple if you need that much Wendy’s meat in your life. There’s also the calorically dangerous S’Awesome Bacon Fries, covered in chunky bacon and S’Awesome sauce. (I’d love to see the S’Awesome sauce as a goopy baked potato topping. That would be truly S’Awesome.)

Conclusion:

Wendy's S'Awesome Bacon Classic 3

What I’m slowly learning is that, when it comes to these sauce-heavy sandwiches, it’s completely up to the sandwich-maker how much they’re going to put on it. In this case, surprisingly any. But, by requesting a cup of S’Awesome sauce and remedying a small manufacturing error, it made Wendy’s S’Awesome Bacon Classic a tasty little burger. However, next time I might get a free cup of S’Awesome sauce and Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and call it a day.

Purchased Price: $5.19
Size: Single
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 640 calories, 40 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 115 milligrams of cholesterol, 1390 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 34 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Thins

Marvo 7 Comments

Dunkin' Coffee Thins

Caffeine helps with mental focus, and you can tell when someone needs some. For example, I can tell the folks who designed the packaging for Dunkin’ Donuts’ Coffee Thins didn’t get enough.

How do I know?

On the back of the packaging, it says, “Each individually wrapped coffee thin has 60 calories.” But, according to the nutrition facts on the packaging, under that disclosure, a serving of THREE pieces has 170 calories. I dusted off the math portion of my brain and determined that 60 times 3 does not equal 170.

Just kidding. I used the calculator app on my phone. Who does math in their head nowadays?

I imagine caffeinated minds would’ve caught this discrepancy. Or maybe the folks who came up with the packaging got their caffeine from a serving of Dunkin’ Donuts’ Coffee Thins, which doesn’t have a lot. The amount in each one is a more surprising number than the inconsistent calorie total presented in the nutrition facts.

There are 7 milligrams of caffeine per piece. It’s not missing a digit. It’s not a typo.

7.

Okay, that might not be a surprising number to you, but it is to me because I’ve tried other coffee thins that claim a serving of three has the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee (85-95 milligrams). The only way a person could get that much with these would be by eating the entire bag of twelve, which would give them (checks calculator app on phone) 84 milligrams and, maybe, a stomachache. But, the weird thing is, one company, Tierra Nueva, makes all coffee thins, so it’s strange the caffeine content differs.

Dunkin' Coffee Thins 2

However, the lack of caffeine might explain why these are less bitter than the others I’ve tried. If you’re not familiar with coffee thins, they have the consistency of chocolate, but are made from coffee beans. With these, they taste as if there’s less coffee in them. It’s more like sweetened coffee with a little bit of cream, making them easier to eat and tasty.

I know I spent a lot of time writing about the Dunkin’ Coffee Thins’ caffeine content, but that’s the most disappointing aspect of this treat. It creamy, sweet, and has a flavor that I enjoy, but the lack of caffeine makes it hard to me to recommend. The whole point of it is to get an energy boost, which I didn’t get after eating a serving. Seven milligrams might do it for some people, but not for me.

Purchased Price: $6.99 (on sale)
Size: 4.2 oz. bag/12 pack
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 170 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.