If you ask me to break a piece of this Kit Kat bar, I will shake my head and then give you your own individually wrapped piece. Because these look too small and thin to share by breaking them. (Spotted by Kelly at Walmart.)
No, it’s not mint flavored.
I assume this is the answer to the first question that popped into your head when you saw the product name. And it’s a reasonable thing to ask: Dunkin’ introduced the Shamrock Macchiato in a news release only two days after the iconic St. Patrick’s Day shake with the same moniker and color returned to McDonald’s.
I love mint and coffee together, so I was let down to learn this beverage instead contained the preexisting (albeit seasonal) Irish Creme flavor swirl with a clover-hued makeover. Still, I think Irish cream is delicious and I love that this swirl lets me enjoy the taste of it sans alcohol, so my disappointment quickly dissipated as I became eager to see how it complemented a macchiato.
As I mentioned, the Irish Creme swirl is a bright, grassy green this year. It was drizzled into 2% milk (the default at that store) in the bottom half of my to-go cup, which lightened the shade to a pastel. With the espresso on top, there was a unique color blocking effect that would cause a few rubbernecks from passersby, but I honestly didn’t find the combination of colors all that attractive.
I’ve heard of people drinking a simple two ingredient cocktail of Bailey’s and milk, and I totally get it now. I took a sip of just the Irish Cremed milk before mixing the two halves, and it was rich and delicious. Dunkin’ definitely got the essence of Irish cream right and did a great job mimicking the taste and slight burn of the alcohol in this swirl. However, the sweetness of the syrup with whatever was used to give it a faux whiskey flavor oddly gave it notes of cherry and almond that, while tasty, would make more sense in an Amaretto flavor swirl.
Once mixed, the macchiato took on a nauseous green tinge that made it look like it had eaten some bad oysters. Luckily it tasted way better than it looked, and I think it was a smart move to add Irish Creme to a macchiato. The strong and bitter espresso toned down the sweetness of the swirl and made it more balanced than it would be in a drink made with Dunkin’s thinner and milder coffee. The Irish Creme paired nicely with the espresso and milk as one would expect, but the swirl may have tasted even more like the real thing if the drink had been made with whole milk since Irish cream is, well, creamier.
If you can overlook the misleading name, the occasional discomfort of feeling like you’re breaking the law as you drink it in the car, and the sickly green hue upon stirring, give this macchiato a try. I wouldn’t say it sham-rocks, but it’s clo-very good.
Purchased Price: $5.05
Size: Medium
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (With whole milk) 280 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of total carbohydrates, 45 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.
Here are some new seasonal products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
(Spotted by Robbie at CVS.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)
(Spotted by Rachel C at Walmart.)
Rockstar Unplugged?
Folks, the only Rockstar Unplugged I care about is Kurt Cobain circa 1993.
Oh, Me. That was Dumb. All Apologies.
And let’s just throw one more track from Nirvana’s classic MTV Unplugged setlist right here – Come as You Are… to this review of Rockstar’s new hemp seed-infused energy drinks!
Heh? No? Alright, alright, I’ll just review the drinks now.
Rockstar Unplugged is a new line of beverages that combine hemp seed oil, B vitamins, spearmint, and lemon balm for a “fruit-forward energy boost that helps maintain an easy-going, free-flowing and soul-fueling attitude for any mood or occasion.” Whew.
That contradicts what I expect from an energy drink, but whatever Bruh, I dig the vibe.
I tracked down two of the three flavors – Blueberry and Passion Fruit. Rockstar also released a Raspberry Cucumber variety, but no one told any store within a 20-mile radius of me.
Passion Fruit is a fruit I’ve never eaten, but a flavor I enjoy from various other drinks and candy.
For something called “Unplugged,” the yellow color is ELECTRIC. Unfortunately, the carbonation was weak, so the drink itself never lived up to the color’s vibrancy. It didn’t have that POP I was hoping for.
Taste-wise, it was just generic “tropical fruit,” and a bit too sweet. The flavor reminded me of those little hard guava candies you get after sushi dinners, if you know what I mean.
Blueberry looked and smelled incredible. I thought I was about to drink some Great Blue-dini Kool-Aid, which made me ponder – is blueberry a unique energy drink flavor? Normally when I see a blue energy drink, I expect some uber-masculine name like “Razzmatazz Haymaker” or “Electric Bluedriver,” but here we just get little old blueberry, and it succeeds.
It wasn’t too sweet, leaning more towards a slightly underripe blueberry flavor, but in no way bitter or sour. Not sure why, but the carbonation was also stronger. It “popped,” with a sharp taste that finished with a mellow, satisfying sweetness.
With that said, they both left a light coating in my mouth that I guess I’ll chalk up to the “herbal blend” and hemp seed oil? It wasn’t gross by any means, but was mildly off-putting.
In the end, they’re mid-tier energy drinks, but I’m glad Rockstar tried something new because I feel like they’re getting swallowed up by Red Bull, Monster, and Bang – which seems to have conquered about 75% of every convenience store I go to these days. (When did Bang explode on the scene?)
I drank both in the afternoon and never felt jittery at all. They kept me pretty alert for the rest of the day, so if that’s what adding hemp does to an energy drink, Rockstar Unplugged might be onto something big here. It was borderline Nirvana.
That’s what we call a “really bad callback.”
Overall, I like this concept, but I don’t think Red Bull is in any danger of losing my business. I’ll probably get the blueberry Unplugged a few times this summer, and I hope to find Raspberry Cucumber someday.
Purchased Price: $1.69 each
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Blueberry), 5 out of 10 (Passion Fruit)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugars, 0 grams of protein, 1.53 milligrams of Vitamin B, and 80 milligrams of caffeine.
Have you ever tried to eat popcorn like how Chester Cheetah is doing it on the front of this bag? It’s not efficient. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and a piece of popcorn will land in the mouth or stick to the tongue, but for the most part, the tongue gets in the way. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
