REVIEW: Starbucks Honey Oatmilk Latte

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Starbucks Honey Oatmilk Latte Cup

What is the Starbucks Honey Oatmilk Latte?

Now that Starbucks recently introduced oatmilk, I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll see a lot more featured drinks with it added to the menu. The new Honey Oatmilk Latte is blonde espresso, oatmilk, and honey with a toasted honey topping.

How is it?

Honey lovers, run to your nearest Starbucks – you won’t be disappointed. The honey flavor is super prevalent here, something I didn’t find with the Almondmilk Honey Flat White from early 2020. You’ll taste it at first sip, but it was the aftertaste that really knocked my socks off. Smooth, sweet, and comforting – and most important, a very natural taste since it’s real honey and not a flavored syrup or sauce.

Starbucks Honey Oatmilk Latte Top

I think the oatmilk adds a nice thickness to the latte that I don’t always feel with dairy milk. I’ll waver between talls and grandes for hot drinks, and I was very satisfied with a tall here. And with 85 milligrams of caffeine in the tall, I’d recommend it as an afternoon treat to power you through.

Lastly, as I typically note with hot drinks and toppings – the toasted honey topping melts in too quick with the drink and doesn’t provide the added taste it truly could.

Anything else you need to know?

This really felt like a cool weather beverage for me – perfect for sitting around the fire in the fall. I’ll definitely be remembering that in the future… but hey, I’m not wishing away the summer!

Conclusion:

If your go-to Starbucks beverage is a latte and/or you really like honey, add this to your rotation for a delightful flavor profile.

Purchased Price: $4.95
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of protein and 85 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Avocado Toast

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Dunkin Avocado Toast Full

What is Dunkin’s Avocado Toast?

Better late than never, Dunkin’ tries to court millennials with the ever popular avocado toast. Dunkin’s version has a piece of toasted sourdough bread as the base, topped with avocado spread (made with four ingredients: avocado, sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice), and finished with a hearty sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, and garlic).

How is it?

Dunkin Avocado Toast Toasted

Avocado toast is a tricky thing to nail. Yes, it seems simple, but it can go bad very quickly. Dunkin’s iteration sits in that “firm middle of the road” category. It isn’t good, nor is it bad. It’s just okay. The sourdough provides a good base for the item. Thoroughly toasted, it holds up well to the spread and keeps its structural integrity.

Dunkin Avocado Toast Split

The avocado spread is certainly better than most spreads I’ve had, but the lemon flavor will come on strong every few bites. It’s not necessarily unpleasant, but it’s not a flavor I associate with avocado toast. Of course, I understand the necessity of lemon to help the avocado stay stable and not turn brown.

The everything bagel seasoning does most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise. The strong flavors of the garlic and onion bits make the lemon less pungent. I can say with pretty strong confidence that the item would be rated much lower without the seasoning.

Anything else you need to know?

Dunkin Avocado Toast Cut

The item was relatively light for a breakfast item on its own. After the fact, I cursed myself for not getting some of Dunkin’s snacking bacon. I think that might make it a little more substantial, and I’d be curious how the bacon worked with the spread.

You can also buy the spread separately to add to other Dunkin’ items if you so want.

Conclusion:

Dunkin’s Avocado Toast is a solid try at a popular item. It’s not going to wow you if you’re looking for the flavor of pure avocado, but works well as a very light breakfast/snack. It’s a nice change from the more traditional breakfast offerings at Dunkin’ that can sometimes be heavy on the stomach.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 piece) 240 calories, 11 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 530 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sonic Oreo Big Scoop Cookie Dough Blast

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Sonic Oreo Big Scoop Cookie Dough Blast Big Scoop

I recently stumbled across something on the internet suggesting that Missouri actually has 12 seasons. Right now, we are in the Spring of Deception, which is past Fool’s Spring and Second Winter, and just ahead of Third Winter, the Pollening, and Actual Spring. As funny as this is, it is also hauntingly accurate.

And here in the Spring of Deception, the weather has been in the upper 60s and lower 70s, which means it is a perfectly reasonable time to try Sonic’s new Oreo Big Scoop Cookie Dough Blast. (We have a chance of snow next weekend, which will usher in Third Winter, but I suppose there are plenty of people who say there is never a bad time for frozen desserts. Then there are those who crave ice cream even more when it’s cold; if you’re in either of these camps, please ignore my preamble.)

Here’s the bottom line about this Blast: I would gleefully consume this thing in real Winter, even the one we just got out of where we spent days in a row without the temperature getting above 0. It is just that good.

Sonic Oreo Big Scoop Cookie Dough Blast Diggin In

Sonic describes its new offering as “Real Ice Cream blended with cookie dough bites then topped with even more cookie dough bites, Oreo cookie pieces, and a big scoop of Oreo chocolate chip cookie dough.”

The first thing of note is that this is a legit Oreo cookie dough scoop. A fat golfball-sized chunk of tongue-numbingly delicious dough takes up a great deal of real estate on top of the Blast, meaning that it is quite possible to nick a nice spoonful with every bite. I’ve never had Oreo cookie dough, but from what I can tell, it’s like if some lovable klutz knocked a handful of Oreo into the batch of chocolate chip cookie dough they were whipping up in the mixer. In other words, divine.

Then, peppered around the dough mountain is a large amount of crumbled Oreo along with more dough pellets.

Sonic Oreo Big Scoop Cookie Dough Blast Cookie Dough Closeup

And here’s where I’ll explain why, while this thing is tremendous, it’s not perfect— the cookie dough pieces are a bit weird. They are VERY uniform in shape and size, which makes me wonder about their origin story. Additionally, the texture is a bit odd. Contrasted with the Oreo’s crunch and Sonic’s vanilla ice cream’s smooth creaminess, the cookie dough pieces come across as almost gummy.

Sonic Oreo Big Scoop Cookie Dough Blast Spoon

But it’s a small quibble, really, as there is plenty of other magic happening in this styrofoam cylinder to make me forgive such a minor transgression.

You’ll also note that the nutrition is, well, maybe don’t even look at that. Because honestly, if you’re eating this, you know what you’re getting into. But I will suggest that I got a small, and I was actually satisfied eating about a fourth of it. This feels like the sort of thing you might want to split with a significant other. You could also probably make multiple desserts out of it.

No matter what you do, though, you should definitely make a plan to eat one. You’ll be glad you did.

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 820 calories, 50 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 520 milligrams of sodium, 106 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Chocolate Stout Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam

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Dunkin Chocolate Stout Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam Full

What is Dunkin’s Chocolate Stout Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam?

Ever wanted your cold brew to taste more like a cold brewski? Well, Dunkin’s got you covered.

How is it?

I drink more stouts than I should admit.

Seriously, here’s a list of stouts I’ve had since Christmas – Coffee, Cacao, Russian Imperial, Chai, “Rainbow Cookie,” Peanut Butter, “Almond Joy,” S’mores, Coconut, Peppermint, Banana, Maple Cinnamon, Cookies n’ Cream, and one with hot peppers. Yup, I’m one of those annoying craft beer guys.

Does that make me an authority on stouts? Yes. It absolutely does. I felt it was my duty to review Dunkin’s new Chocolate Stout Cold Brew for you good folks.

Dunkin Chocolate Stout Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam Top

It actually started out looking like a nitro stout, with syrup streaks cascading down the side of the cup. I tried the cold foam before mixing it in, and it tasted like a very light typical cream topping with a hint of saltiness. Weird start.

The first full sip tasted like some prankster bartender put ice in a chocolate stout and let the cubes melt before serving. It was like a watered-down ghost of a chocolate stout.

The stout-flavored syrup insisted on clinging to the bottom, so it did get more and more stouty as I sipped on but never really came close to the flavor I was hoping for.

Dunkin Chocolate Stout Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam Bottle

I wasn’t expecting it to be spot on, as “stout” is an acquired taste, but it wasn’t malty or even very roasty, which caught me off-guard because it’s coffee, after all.

The chocolate flavor wasn’t bursting either. I kept tasting a Fudgesicle, but not even a good one, like one of those reduced-fat Fudgsicles.

Anything else you need to know?

The cold brew itself got lost. It definitely didn’t taste like a chocolate coffee stout to me. The coffee may have been the least discernible flavor. I love a sweet cold brew, but I still wanna taste the coffee. This was neither too sweet nor too coffee forward. It landed in a watery limbo.

Conclusion:

If you want chocolate, just get a pump of mocha. If you wanna pretend you’re drinking booze at Dunkin’, just get a shot of Irish crème flavor instead.

I can appreciate the effort, but this is not replacing my usual Dunkin order, or furthering my stout obsession.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: Medium
Purchased at: Dunkin
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (with cream) 270 calories, 11 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 mg of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of total carbohydrates, 37 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso

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Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Full

What is the Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso?

Starbucks recently released new shaken espresso beverages, and the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso is one of the two. (Here’s the review of the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.) This one pairs Starbucks Blonde espresso with almondmilk and chocolate malt powder.

How is it?

Um, yum.

I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty it is. This thing tasted like a melted candy bar – and I loved it. The most notable thing with this drink compared to its Brown Sugar cousin is the espresso was more muted, perhaps masked by the chocolate malt powder. With a smooth finish, this is a delightful dose of caffeine if you like your morning java to have some flavor.

Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Top

Now let’s talk about that chocolate. I was super intrigued to see the drink used malt powder as opposed to a sauce or syrup. But I am here for it! The malt powder made it sweet, but not too sweet, and reminded me of a milkshake you might have gotten with your grandpa when you were a kid. Since the baristas shake these ingredients in a shaker like you would a cocktail, I’m thinking the malt powder mixes more evenly.

The other thing I really enjoyed is how “shaking” the beverage really mixed the almondmilk with the espresso. Sometimes I find almondmilk and coffee can separate easily, but that was not the case here.

Anything else you need to know?

Is the chocolate malt a little strong for you? Or just want a hint? As with most other ingredients, you can request different levels of the powder – extra or light powder are also options.

Conclusion:

Cannot wait to have this one again. If I’m feeling fancy, I might even add some whipped cream on top to take it to the next level.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 110 calories, 3 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 grams of dietary fiber, 16 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein, and 255 milligrams of caffeine.

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