REVIEW: Starbucks Star Drink

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Starbucks Star Drink Cup

What is the Starbucks Star Drink?

It combines the new Starbucks Kiwi Starfruit Refresher (kiwi and starfruit juice) base with coconut milk and real kiwi pieces for a sweet, creamy beverage.

How is it?

Um, yum. This drink was GOOD. Initially, I was a little skeptical that Starbucks would release a summer-y beverage so close to the return of the beloved PSL. For me, it’s never too early for a PSL. But after trying the Star Drink, I’m over here hoping summer will hang on a little longer so I can stay in the mood for this one.

Starbucks Star Drink Top

I think Starbucks does drinks mixed with coconut well, and this did not disappoint. It’s sweet, with a small hint of tartness from the starfruit. It’s much sweeter than the Violet Drink, Pink Drink, and even the Dragon Drink (also Starbucks Refresher flavors mixed with coconutmilk). But not in a “this should be a dessert drink” way. My initial thought was that it tastes like a Starburst candy… like a combined pink and yellow Starburst. Not sad about that at all!

The Star Drink goes down easy and smooth. I (coconut)milked it – see what I did there? – for a little over an hour and it didn’t get too watery from the ice or lose its flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

With just 45 milligrams of caffeine in a Grande, I’d order this drink as a small pick-me-up in the afternoon when I’ve already had my morning coffee. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and refreshing, and gives that small caffeine hit.

Conclusion:

If you’re a fan of the other Starbucks beverages with coconutmilk, give this one a try. The flavor is unique, tropical, and fun.

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 130 calories, 2.5 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of total sugars, 1 grams of protein, and 45 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars

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Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars Boxes

What are Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars?

While I definitely appreciate the taste of home-baked goods, I seldomly do my own baking. I prefer to seek quick and low-effort ways to consume my desserts, so I was excited to try these new products.

Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars are ready-to-eat, individually wrapped snack cakes that come in a box of six brownies/bars. Each wrapper comes with a cutesy saying like “Giggle Time!” which seems kind of silly. But desserts generally do make me Smile (another wrapper saying).

Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars Wrappers

How are they?

Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars Top

They both taste as one would expect store-bought, pre-packaged desserts should. This means they are generically decent and provide a quick sweet fix. The frosting on top of both products adds a little texture and sugar, but is not substantial enough to significantly contribute to or offset the overall taste of the product. (The frosting on top of my chocolate brownie melted a little bit in-transit.)

Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies Split

The chocolate fudge brownie lives up to its name with no surprises. It is soft, chewy, slightly fudgy, and actually has chocolate chips inside as depicted on the box.

Pillsbury Birthday Cake Bars Split

The birthday cake bar does not have the same softness as the brownie (or as one would expect from a cake). It might pass as a very small serving of boxed birthday cake with limited frosting that has been left out for a few days. It has a drier texture, but still retains the sugary taste of sprinkles and other Funfetti-themed products.

Anything else you need to know?

These are small (about 2-inch squares) and not very thick. They are also only 100 calories per brownie/bar. Due to their size, you might need to consume several to feel satisfied.

I occasionally snack on Fiber One bars (also made by General Mills) and found these similar, although slightly more satisfying. Based on taste alone and ignoring the nutritional differences, I would opt for these snack cakes vs. Fiber One bars.

Conclusion:

If you do not feel like turning on the oven and can appreciate pre-packaged desserts for what they are, these suffice. They are convenient and enticing enough to serve as a quick treat. If you need to appease a strong dessert craving, you will likely want more than one or go for an actual brownie or slice of cake.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the products. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 5.34 oz (6 brownies/bars)
Purchased at: Received from Pillsbury
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Chocolate Fudge Brownies), 5 out of 10 (Birthday Cake Bars)
Nutrition Facts: Chocolate Fudge Brownie (1 brownie) – 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 9 grams of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein. Birthday Cake Bars (1 bar) – 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 9 grams of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Coca-Cola with Coffee (Dark Blend and Vanilla)

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Coca Cola with Coffee U S Cans

Update 3/14/22: We also tried the Mocha version! Click here to read our review.

The cans of Coca-Cola with Coffee tell me they have great Coca-Cola taste blended with rich, luxurious coffee.

In less flashy terms, it is a coffee-flavored soda containing real coffee powder for a uniquely fizzy hybrid beverage. I’ll be reviewing the Dark Blend and Vanilla flavors, but there will also be a caramel one when these debut nationwide in early 2021.

I am a coffee lover and a soda lover, so I’m absolutely pumped to experience their love child months before the official release. Both have a nice fizz and the signature dark brown color of regular cola. Each one also starts off with a very familiar Coca-Cola taste.

Coca Cola with Coffee U S Vanilla

It’s interesting as the beginning just tastes like cola, but then each one transforms. The vanilla one brings in some creaminess towards the end, but I’m not sure where the coffee is. I can maybe taste it if I really think about it. This one pretty is much like Coca-Cola Vanilla. It’s good, but the coffee flavor is kind of lost amongst the cola and vanilla.

I was underwhelmed with the vanilla version, but boy oh boy does the Dark Blend make up for it. After trying it, I can confirm the coffee flavor is scarce in the Vanilla variety because this one contains such great coffee essence.

Coca Cola with Coffee U S Dark Blend

The beverage starts off cola-y and morphs into a fizzy roasted coffee drink. If you have ever had an imported Italian coffee soda, it actually tastes like a lighter, Coke-flavored version of those. The flavor was pretty intense upon first sip but then lessened a bit the more I guzzled down. This may not be the best drink to wash down a burger and fries because of the flavor mashup. But as a late morning/early afternoon drink or in the heat when cold brew is not an option, it would be absolutely phenomenal. YUM!

It also likely won’t 100% replace your favorite go-to soda or satisfy your coffee fix whenever you need it (it has 69 mg of caffeine, more than a regular cola but less than a cup of joe). But overall, it is a darn good drink to add to your rotation.

There is a pretty well-known saying of Everything Old is New Again. Well, here we are again, as this drink follows Coca-Cola Blak and Pepsi Kona from years past that failed to light the world on fire. So it is not a brand new idea by any means, but maybe 2020 can be the year when cola coffee finally becomes a drink staple. Not to mention that a version of this beverage has been making the rounds internationally for the past few years.

Coca Cola with Coffee U S Ingredients

One odd thing about this beverage is the sugar content. Not only is it a hybrid with flavors, but it is also a hybrid on the sweetener scale because it contains high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. I don’t think the taste is impacted as it doesn’t taste too heavy like a soda or too sweet/fake like a diet one. However, it does worry me that it may put off those that exclusively drink one or the other.

Ever wonder what a mixture of Coca-Cola and coffee would taste like? Or are you tired of the fruity-flavored colas and want to quench your thirst with something new? Come January 2021, you are in luck. But skip the Vanilla version and reach for the Dark Blend one for a deliciously unique coffola (It should have a fun name, like a celebrity couple) experience. Maybe we can make it stick around this time!

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. (Thanks, Coke!) Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Received as part of the Coca-Cola Insiders Club
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Vanilla), 9 out of 10 (Dark Blend)
Nutrition Facts: (1 Can) Both flavors have identical nutrition facts – 70 calories, 0 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Mtn Dew Spark

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Limited Edition Mtn Dew Spark Bottle

What is Limited Edition Mtn Dew Spark?

It’s a Dew with a burst of raspberry lemonade flavor, and it’s an exclusive Speedway flavor. The label features a drawing of a crazed race car. It’s a fitting image for a convenience store named Speedway, which is what car racing tracks are called. I also imagine that a crazed race car with a mouth is also something someone who takes speed way too much would hallucinate.

How is it?

Its aroma reminds me of a pack of Starburst, and its flavor brings another Mtn Dew to mind — Mtn Dew Amp Game Fuel Zero Charged Raspberry Lemonade. (And maybe Voltage?)

In my Mtn Dew Amp Game Fuel Zero review, I wrote, “…for some reason, my taste buds and brain occasionally think they’re drinking a raspberry iced tea. Maybe it’s because the berry flavor reminds me of the Lipton Brisk Raspberry and the lemon flavor, which doesn’t really pop that much, makes me think of lemon iced tea.”

With Mtn Dew Spark, the berry part still reminds me of Lipton Brisk Raspberry Iced Tea, but the flavor and tang of the lemonade stand out much more. There’s also a little bit of an added non-lemonade citrus taste, but it didn’t confuse me into thinking this was anything other than raspberry lemonade-flavored. It’s tasty, but I’m a little disappointed it’s kind of a recycled flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

Limited Edition Mtn Dew Spark Bottle Label

Some of you might be wondering, “What’s a Speedway?” Well, **puts on reading glasses** it’s a chain of convenience stores with a few thousand locations mostly in the Midwest and East Coast. Just this month, it was purchased by the parent company that owns 7-Eleven. For more brick-and-mortar retail chain news, don’t depend on this site.

Also, there doesn’t appear to be a diet version. But if you want a beverage that tastes somewhat similar and with zero sugar, there’s Mtn Dew Amp Game Fuel Zero Charged Raspberry Lemonade.

Conclusion:

Mtn Dew Spark is another solid Dew offering. If you live near a Speedway store, it’s worth a purchase.

Purchased Price: More than anyone should pay
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 290 calories, 0 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 77 grams of carbohydrates, 77 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Dunkin’ Cereal

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Post Dunkin Cereal

Don’t even talk to me in the morning until I’ve had my Dunkin’ coffee…cereal?!

That’s right folks, Post and Dunkin’ have collaborated on a coffee-based cereal.

Why it’s taken this long is anyone’s guess. But it makes sense as both coffee and cereal (along with about seven other things) have long been part of “a complete breakfast,” according to commercials. Why not combine the two?

This isn’t Dunkin’s first cereal, but it’s the first time the brand has cerealized a beverage flavor. You can now try Dunkin’s famous Mocha Latte and Caramel Macchiato in a bowl instead of a cup. I mean, you can probably use a cup if you want. You do you.

Post Dunkin Cereal Marshmallows

The cereals consist of Cocoa Puffs-style pieces with flavored marshmallows that look like little foam swirled lattes, and feature real Dunkin’ coffee, so you can add an additional, but negligible amount of caffeine to your morning. Sounds good to me.

Post Dunkin Mocha Latte Cereal Bowl

Mocha Latte hit me with a huge waft of coffee smell, which is both pleasant and mildly strange coming from a cereal. As far as taste, the cereal pieces aren’t that far off from the Cocoa Puffs they resemble. They’re chocolate heavy, with a generic coffee flavor accompaniment. The marshmallows burst with the titular coffee drink’s flavor. They taste exactly like sugary coffee foam and syrup.

If I had to narrow down a description, I’d say this is Count Chocula if you swapped coffee for milk (more on that later). Imagine a cereal called “Count Coffula” or “Café Chocula” or “Count Chock Full o’ Nutsula,” OR, don’t imagine anything. You do you.

Post Dunkin Caramel Macchiato Cereal Bowl

Caramel Macchiato smells like, and forgive me for crossing company lines, a Caramel Frappuccino. Think of any caramel centric cereal you’ve had, but with a kicker – you get a nice little coffee flavor infusion.

Imagine one of those gourmet popcorn companies making a “caramel coffee” flavor. That’s the flavor profile I keep coming back to. To use this example again, think of when you get to the bottom of your caramel Frap and its mostly ice, whipped cream, and caramel drizzle. It tastes like that.

I could have gone for even more coffee flavor, but I guess they have to appeal to kids. The cereal piece shapes are a bit uninspired, but the marshmallows are cute, and they’re the star of the show for me.

As far as the cereal milk flavor, Imagine the drinks the cereal is based on, but swap the coffee to dairy ratio. They each tasted like a coffee drink that is 75% milk or whatever your preferred dairy is.

Oh, and just out of sheer curiosity, I tried this: both cereals with coffee instead of milk.

Look out, we got a wild man here!

Post Dunkin Cereal Mixed

Why not? I had some coffee left over, threw in my splash of half and half and mixed equal parts of each cereal in. It was a half and half and half and half. I kinda loved it. The coffee sopped into the cereal pieces and gave it that extra oomph I wanted, and the mocha and caramel flavors pushed through. If you’re feeling bold, give this a shot, but obviously, use cold coffee.

So yeah, these are ultimately a winner for me. There’s just enough coffee flavor to get your fix while also not scaring off the kids. I’m probably just gonna mix the two bags together at this point. I may even isolate a bag of the marshmallows and use them as ingredients in some kind of snack mix. Feel free to leave some suggestions on what I should add.

I’m hoping this leads to more coffee cereals. You have to imagine Starbucks will put something out if these do well. Hit us with a line of Frap cereals. As for Dunkin’, I’m not sure which coffees they can mimic next, but how about a Munchkin Cereal that features ALL the Munchkin flavors in one box?

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 11 oz boxes
Purchased at: Received from Post Cereals
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Mocha Latte), 8 out of 10 (Caramel Macchiato)
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup) Mocha Latte – 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Caramel Macchiato – 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

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