REVIEW: Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Coffee Beverages

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Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Coffee Beverage

What are Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Coffee Beverages?

They are extra-strength versions of Starbucks’ Doubleshot Energy canned beverages. While the Doubleshots have 145 milligrams of caffeine per can, the Tripleshots have 225 milligrams. There are three flavors: Caramel, French Vanilla, and Caffe Mocha.

This review covers the first two.

How are they?

If your taste buds are familiar with Starbucks’ Doubleshot Energy or even Java Monster, then these will also be familiar to them. There’s enough cream, sugar, and flavoring in both to hide the coffee flavor and energy ingredients, like ginseng and guarana. So if you’re into sweet, dairy coffee drinks, then you’ll enjoy these. I did.

But, maybe it’s just me, they’re not as flavorful as Starbucks’ Doubleshot canned beverages, which I drink regularly. The new beverages are sweet and creamy like their less caffeinated cousins, but the flavors don’t seem pop as much as the Doubleshots. Maybe to stuff more caffeine into each can, the flavor level needed to be affected.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Two hundred twenty-five milligrams of caffeine is a lot. To give you an idea of how much that is, it’s a little less than what’s in a Venti-sized Starbucks Iced Coffee. Here are more numbers: Most Java Monster flavors have 188 milligrams of caffeine per can.

Caramel, vanilla, and mocha are the usual staid varieties when it comes to coffee energy drinks. I wish one of the flavors wasn’t one of the usuals. Unicorn Tripleshot, perhaps?

I didn’t include a photo of the actual liquid because I figured if you’ve seen one canned coffee drink you’ve seen them all. Think dirty storm river water. Okay. Okay. You got me. I forgot to take photos.

Conclusion:

Again, if you’ve had other coffee energy drinks, these Starbucks Tripleshots will taste familiar to you. Getting an extra 80 milligrams of caffeine over Starbucks’ Doubleshots at roughly the same price is nice if you need the added energy because you were up all night watching YouTube videos about the Easter eggs in Marvel movie trailers or something like that.

Purchased Price: $2.78 each
Size: 15 fl. oz. cans
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10 (French Vanilla)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Caramel)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) French Vanilla – 210 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Caramel – 210 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Nestle Coffee-mate Dove Dark Chocolate Almond Creamer

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Coffee mate Dove Dark Chocolate Almond Creamer

Coffee-mate’s Dove Dark Chocolate Almond Creamer is one of two Nestle and Mars collaboration flavors with the other one being a Snickers flavor.

This Dove Chocolate version smells like one of the best chocolate milk ever with a hint of nuttiness. But after inhaling too much of it, I noticed a bit of an odd chemical-like smell. It doesn’t completely turn me off to it, but maybe I should stick to quick huffs.

By itself, which is definitely not Nestle’s recommend way to consume its creamers, the coffee enhancer is potent. It’s sweet and tastes nothing like any Dove Dark Chocolate I’ve had. But it does have a strong cocoa flavor with a hint of almonds.

Coffee mate Dove Dark Chocolate Almond Creamer with Coffee

With coffee, the flavors I tasted when drinking it straight up are still there, but obviously muted because of the joe. The dark cocoa flavor blends well with the java. The almond lingers in the background, but it’s harder to detect. Overall, it’s a tasty way to enhance the dark beverage, but it’s not better or less than most Coffee-mate flavors I’ve had. No FOMO here.

The nutty flavor isn’t from almond milk. It’s more of an enhanced version of the nut from “natural flavors.” It not surprising this doesn’t have almond milk because the dairy alternative not only makes things non-dairy, it also makes products non-the-same-price-as-the-non-almond-milk-versions. Nut milk tends to make things more expensive. Oh, by the way, to clarify, this Dove one is non-dairy, like most of Nestle’s creamers.

Dove Dark Chocolate Almond is a decent addition to the long list of other flavors the Nestle creamer brand offers. It’s no International Delight Reese’s Creamer because the candy equation of Reese’s > Dove will NEVER flip. But it’s an excellent flavor to mix it up, especially for someone like me who buys the Coffee-mate three-pack at Costco that has only French Vanilla and Hazelnut and is getting tired of it despite how cheap it is.

Purchased Price: $4.18
Size: 32 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pizza Hut Pepperoni P’Zone (2019)

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Pizza Hut Pepperoni P Zone

When it comes to junk food nostalgia most of my flashbacks are of the sweet variety. Dunkaroos, Surge, and WWF’s Hulk Hogan cereal always pull me back to the simpler days, but there are a few savory items that I look back on with glowing glee as well. 3D Doritos tend to be at the top of most older millennial’s junk food wishlists, and I personally loved the Taco Doritos that seemed to vanish sometime in the early 2000s.

But recently, very recently, in fact, I was wondering what the hell happened to Pizza Hut’s P’Zone. For a company aligned with Taco Bell and known for making zany limited time items, I couldn’t understand why the company’s financially friendly twist on the calzone disappeared years ago without a proper farewell.

Suffer no more, the giant Hot Pocket of meat and cheese that I fell in love with as a stoned teenager in smoky basements is back, and it got a bit of a facelift.

Pizza Hut Pepperoni P Zone 2

The most immediate difference is in the appearance of the outer crust. While the 2019 P’Zone has the same shape and general size of the original, it’s covered in a toasted orange Parmesan that immediately evokes an asiago bagel. The original P’Zone was garnished with traditional pizzeria-style parmesan sprinkles and parsley, which sat nicely atop of golden brown dough. The new iteration still looks good, but it’s not the same as the one I fell in love with, and I just have to learn to let go.

The bagel experience doesn’t end with appearance. When I bite in, I wonder if I’m sitting inside of a Noah’s at 8 a.m. or on my couch with remote in hand at 8 p.m. The parmesan’s funky intensity stands out, but almost to a fault as I find it to be a bit distracting. When you pair the distinct sharp cheesiness with the bread’s pretty prominent fluffiness, the 2019 P’Zone does feel a bit more like a bagel than a pizza.

Pizza Hut Pepperoni P Zone Innards

The P’Zone was never as loaded as a true calzone, which tends to be thicker and taller and oftentimes a knife-and-fork situation; whereas Pizza Hut’s take is much more of a finger food with a flatter profile. The toppings inside, although not extremely dense, are good and present enough to bring the pizza pizazz I’m looking for.

Pizza Hut Pepperoni P Zone Dipped

Taken as it is the P’Zone is good but a bit underwhelming. However, when dunked into the generously sized cup of marinara sauce, it’s damn good. The pizza sauce brings some poppin’ acidity and moisture that makes the ‘zone taste much more fresh, engaging, and something I want more bites of.

While it isn’t quite as sensational as I remembered as a stoned teenager, I can’t help but be excited about the return of the budget-friendly and filling option at Pizza Hut. In the scope of chain pizza restaurants Pizza Hut isn’t really on my radar unless I’m craving its stuffed crust, but even then Little Caesars does an admirable job at a lower cost.

That being said, the P’Zone being back, as an apparent permanent addition to the menu, ensures I’ll be back at The Hut before the end of the year, and the buzz of its return is sure to lure many other early 2000s nostalgia hunters through its greasy shop doors in no time.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 P’Zone) 460 calories, 16 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1170 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots

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Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots

What are the Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots?

With the Bacon Cheesy Tots, Burger King is putting a new spin on a tried and true comfort food favorite.

Sorta’.

These spherical, fried potato discs might look like your average tots, but inside you’ll find a molten core of creamy cheese and several hearty chunks of crispy bacon. Or, at least, that’s what the marketing materials claim.

How are they?

Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots 8 Pack

On the whole, the Bacon Cheesy Tots are tasty, but they ultimately feel like nothing more than a glorified breakfast menu side item. The exterior shells of the tots are nice and crispy (thank goodness, because there are few things in this world more lamentable than soggy tots), but the interior filling leaves a lot to be desired.

Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots Innards

On the plus side, the tots do taste adequately cheesy — in case you were wondering, it appears to be cheddar-based — but the bacon ratio is sorely disappointing. In fact, on some tots you may only get a speck or a granule of bacon bits; and such inconsistency from tot to tot, I assure you, is truly maddening.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The general texture and mouthfeel of the products are quite satisfying, and the tots are certainly filling on an empty stomach. Alas, its taste isn’t all that distinct, and as the case with MANY Burger King items, the product is astoundingly salty. Just eight pieces will net you close to half a day’s worth of suggested sodium intake. Naturally, you’ll need a beverage nearby for this one — and your favorite in-house BK dipping sauce wouldn’t hurt, either.

Conclusion:

Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots Innards Closeup

The lack of bacon is what really hurts this one. Granted, I wasn’t expecting the tots to be edible bacon pinatas or anything, but it certainly feels like modern science has progressed enough that far more chunks of pork can be engineered into the potato balls.

Furthermore, it would’ve been nice to see BK partner this one with some sort of sauce. A nice, mesquite BBQ blend, for example, would’ve given this product some added shelf-life. Still, considering the low price point and the high volume of product, there’s certainly an element of value to the tots; although unless you are REALLY strapped for cash, I wouldn’t exactly recommend going out of one’s way to experience this L-T-O snacker.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 8 tots
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 330 calories; 14 grams of fat, 0 grams of total fat, 15 milligrams
of cholesterol, 1,020 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar and 10 grams of protein

REVIEW: Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits

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Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits

What are Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits?

Stick with me here folks; these are (supposedly) marshmallow-flavored cookies with little hot cocoa packet-style marbits.

How are they?

They’re fine, but if you’re expecting BIG marshmallow flavor, I’ve got bad news.

The cookies smelled like yellow cake mix in the oven, and I convinced myself they were going to taste like marshmallows. They ended up tasting like a sugar cookie, unfortunately.

I had to convince myself the cookie was marshmallow flavored, and it still never really seemed true. Although, on some bites, I felt like I was tasting extremely subdued cotton candy, which made little sense but was welcomed.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits Raw

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits Baked

I ate these three different ways – as dough, hot from the oven, and cooled down.

Eating raw dough may not be recommended by that giggly punk the Pillsbury Doughboy, but we all do it. It was worth it. Don’t sue if you get sick.

They’re generic sugar cookies fresh from the oven. The marbits were so melty that they just blended in with the soft cookie and any flavor was lost.

I know the joy of baking cookies is eating them hot, but give ’em time to cool, because the marshmallows harden into a nice crisp, and that’s where the overall cookie shined brightest.

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits Bitten

While they didn’t taste like these specifically, the texture of the marshmallow reminded me of Linden’s Butter Crunch cookies. You know, those little yellow three cookie pouches at the convenience store? I’ve loved them since I was a kid.

I added chocolate chips to a few cookies, and they overpowered any alleged marshmallow flavor.

Conclusion:

I’m no baker, so I appreciate how simple these pre-made Pillsbury cookies are. I can pretend I baked without having the mix ingredients or clean up.

They’re good enough, low priced, and require no work. Why not try em?

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 14 oz (12 cookies)
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

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