Author: Vin

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Beyond Sausage Sandwich

Vin 2 Comments

Dunkin Beyond Sausage Sandwich

It seems like only yesterday when I first heard rumblings that mad scientists were attempting to create “meat-less” meats, and here I am, getting it at Dunkin’.

That’s right, Dunkin’ has jumped into the plant-based protein fray with the new Beyond Sausage Sandwich.

According to the official press release, this sausage from Beyond Meat is “made with 100% plant-based proteins and a mix of spices crafted especially for Dunkin.” So far, I’ve only tried plant-based burgers, so I was pretty pumped to see what breakfast had to offer.

Dunkin Beyond Sausage Sandwich Closeup

Well, right out of the gate, the Beyond sausage patty looked pretty gross, evoking memories of the “hamburgers” I used to get in my school lunches.

It smelled familiar, but it took me a few bites before I nailed the scent down.

The aforementioned press release mentioned the following are used to construct the patty, “peas, mung beans, rice and sunflower to provide the protein and coconut oil to ensure juiciness.” Now you know how the “sausage” is made. Who doesn’t love a good mung bean?!

Along with the sausage, the sandwich had that typical plasticky egg, a piece of cheese, and a super floppy English muffin that has a flavor like an Egg McMuffin. When I bit in, nothing tasted amiss.

The “meat” itself was pretty chewy, but the texture wasn’t that far off from what I expected from prior Dunkin’ breakfast sausage. I snipped a piece off to try solo, and it tasted like slightly over spiced, low-grade meat, but that’s honestly how I’d describe all Dunkin’s meats.

Now getting back to the smell, because it finally dawned on me what the meat seasoning smelled and tasted a bit like – stuffing.

Dunkin Beyond Sausage Sandwich Split

What’s the main spice in stuffing? I could easily Google it, but I’d rather ramble on until it pops in my brain. I remember when I reviewed the Lay’s Biscuits and Gravy chips, the main takeaway was that it tasted like Stove Top. This sandwich brought back memories of those which brought back memories of that!

Is it sage? I think it’s sage and some onion powder. That’s the best I can do, with Dunkin’ being all Colonel Sanders secretive on its spices. For all I know, it could also have parsley, rosemary, and thyme, and the recipe could have been concocted while listening to Simon and Garfunkel.

If I had any sage advice, it would be to ease up a bit on the spices.

Beyond that, they succeeded. For what this is, it’s pretty remarkable, most definitely edible, and enjoyable. I’m not a big cheese on breakfast sandwich’ guy, but that slice helped here. The generic egg and the slightly weird protein would have made for a worse sandwich without it.

In the breakfast pantheon, it’s middle of the road at best. I’m not sure I’ll be a repeat customer. While I appreciate the nutritional improvements, it doesn’t taste quite as good as real meat to a heathen such as myself. For a vegetarian, though? This is an excellent option.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 470 calories, 24 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 910 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate Bar

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Hershey s Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate Bar

Hershey’s Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate Bar

You guessed it! It’s an extra creamy version of a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar.

How is it?

The best Hershey’s bar I’ve ever had came directly from the source. As a kid, my family took a trip to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. After the factory ride, an attendant (disappointingly NOT Hershey’s version of an Oompa Loompa) handed me the freshest, most delicious Hershey bar I’d ever had or would ever have.

Until now?

This Extra Creamy version gives that fabled chocolate bar a run for its nostalgic money.

Hershey s Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate Bar 2

I usually feel like Hershey’s chocolate is a tad plasticky at first, but I literally *SNAPPED* a rectangle piece off, and it melted in my mouth almost instantly.

It reminded me more of Cadbury chocolate or any of the other various “premium” brands than Hershey’s. If regular bars are “milk chocolate,” this tasted like “milkier chocolate” – more on that later.

I really think it’s an improvement on the classic.

Is there anything else you need to know?

I’m sure you’re wondering what’s actually different. I mean, it’s right in the name, but how can it prove it’s “extra creamy.”

My answer to that is, I don’t know.

I compared the ingredients of Extra Creamy and a regular, and there were a few small differences. Extra Creamy uses skim milk, whereas the original has “milk.” Regular also has “lactose, vanillin and emulsifier” listed, whereas Extra Creamy doesn’t. I guess that’s enough to make this one extra creamy?

Whatever tweaks were made, I dig them, and I want them to stick.

Conclusion:

Look, ultimately, it’s a Hershey’s bar. How often are you buying them for non-s’ more purposes? There are ten candy bars made by Hershey’s alone that you’d probably buy before this, but I definitely recommend trying one.

I hope Hershey’s makes this the standard moving forward. Hit me with an Extra Creamy Krackel. How about some Extra Creamy Reese’s Cups? Rolos? Mr. BETTER Bars?!

Keep it creamy, Hershey’s.

Purchased Price: 78 cents
Size: 1.58 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 220 calories, 13 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Sour Strawberry Skittles Freeze

Vin

Taco Bell Sour Strawberry Skittles Freeze

What is the Taco Bell Sour Strawberry Skittles Freeze?

If you’re a fan of Taco Bell’s Strawberry Skittles Freeze, you can now get a mouth puckering upgrade with an added pump of sour green syrup.

How is it?

Do you like Sour Skittles, but hate the coarse mouth-ripping sugar they’re coated in?

I mean, even if you love that tart palate-scraping sand, I have no doubt you’ll love the Sour Strawberry Skittles Freeze. This drink is a pretty spot-on representation of its namesake candy.

Taco Bell Sour Strawberry Skittles Freeze Top

Actually, while I was sipping this, I had a revelation – I never eat Skittles individually. I toss at least 4 in my mouth at once, so I’m not sure I’ve ever actually experienced the true standalone flavor of a Skittle. I guess I can officially confirm that Sour Strawberry is an elite Skittles flavor.

The level of sourness is right on par with Sour Skittles, but the fact it’s a frozen drink counteracts the usual feeling of thirst you’d have after polishing off a bag.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Taco Bell Sour Strawberry Skittles Freeze Bottom

As often happens, the advertising photos of this drink looked much better than the finished product. The sour syrup wasn’t striped throughout, but rather pooled at the bottom of the cup.

For some reason that didn’t register with my pre-frozen brain, so only my first few sips tasted like a delicious sour Slush Puppy.

If I wasn’t an aloof dope, I would have mixed it immediately to try and extend the sour sensation. I only ended up getting about five sour sips before it turned back into a normal Strawberry Skittles Freeze.

I’m not mad about it though, the regular is just as delicious and authentic to the candy I love, and it acted as a tasty palate cleanser.

Conclusion:

This refreshing drink was a great counterbalance to Taco Bell’s food, and I now realize I’ve been sleeping on their frozen drink menu for far too long.

Go enjoy one before National Skittles Day*.

*Which I’ve just declared as November 1st aka Half Price Halloween Candy Day!!!

Purchased Price: $2.39
Size: Regular
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 190 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 43 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Coca-Cola Cinnamon

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Coca Cola Cinnamon

What is Coca-Cola Cinnamon?

Like every other brand, it’s Spice Season over at the Coca-Cola Company. Thankfully for us, it’s opted to add cinnamon to its classic recipe instead of pumpkin.

How is it?

Coca-Cola Cinnamon smells and tastes like someone added about a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a bottle of Coke. I wouldn’t say it’s subtle, but it’s also not overwhelming. The cinnamon flavor rides the line nicely.

Coca Cola Cinnamon Closup

After the quick, overwhelming bursts of effervescence in each sip fade, you get a little hint of the warm spice. I think I prefer this to regular Cola, which is usually only a drink of choice for me when mixed with something harder, but this isn’t too big of a departure from the classic you’re used to.

Honestly, they probably could have gone a little further with the cinnamon flavor, but I’m not complaining.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The best part of the said flavor is the fact that the usual dryness does not follow it. No matter what I have with cinnamon, I always feel like I ate a handful of the Sahara and need to chug a bottle of water immediately.

Coca Cola Cinnamon Label

Oh, and cinnamon is not in the ingredients. This is a “cinnamon flavored” soda. It seems odd to me, but maybe it’s an allergen thing or something. Why not use the real thing?

Conclusion:

Coke has a winner here. This is gonna go over well with the masses as there is enough cinnamon to separate it from regular Coke, but not enough to make people feel like they’re taking the Cinnamon Challenge.

I’m probably gonna pick up another bottle to try as a mixer. I also kinda want to try using a cinnamon stick as a straw the next time because I am a child.

I hope it does well, and it pushes Coca-Cola to get more creative because a Cinnamon Vanilla Coke would be a God-tier soda.

Purchased Price: $2.12
Size: 20 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Quick Check
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition 2019 Mystery Oreo Cookies

Vin 22 Comments

Limited Edition 2019 Mystery Oreo Cookies

Who doesn’t love a good mystery?

Well, after Oreo’s previous lame mystery flavor, I’m sure plenty of people don’t.

Despite already releasing a flavor called “Fruity Crisp,” the big reveal ended up being Fruity Pebbles. They were barely different, and it all felt like a publicity stunt slash brand partnership.

In fairness to Oreo, many people suspected that flavor but didn’t pick it because, well, it’s been done already.

I guessed Froot Loops, so I found the reveal to be disappointing and lazy, which is why I was excited to see Nabisco give the “Mystery Oreo” another go-round.

I believe it was the legendary mystery author, Agatha Christie, who once said:

“The less you think, the more you’ll know. Whilst solving Mystery Oreo.”

While I respect old Aggie’s knowledge on the matter, I knew damn well I was gonna overanalyze the so-called mystery that sat before me.

I went into the review blind, avoiding all online chatter.

First, I checked the ingredients. Nothing. Just a list of stuff that translates to “don’t worry about what you’re eating.” Nabisco wouldn’t be so sloppy as to give it away there anyway.

The package had a hint that read:

“History is divided on how this came to exist. A shepherd? A sailor? There’s no easy fix.”

Using my Holmesian intellect, I deduced this riddle was clearly alluding to some kind of spice? Perhaps an ancient edible adhesive of some sort? Molasses?

The crème is the mystery, so I theorized it would most likely be a flavor that goes well with a chocolate cookie. Then I remembered many Oreo flavors before – including Fruity Pebbles – really didn’t, so I quickly tossed that out.

Limited Edition 2019 Mystery Oreo Cookies Tray

It was time to tear open the package and push all preconceived notions to the back burner. Like Toucan Sam, I had to first follow my nose.

I was hit with an immediate waft of cinnamon bun – a flavor Oreo has already tackled. Could this be a rebranding like the Fruity Pebbles fiasco? Are these Pillsbury Cinnamon Bun Oreos? Cinnabon?

It was time to chow. I separated the cookie, scraped the crème off with my teeth and yeah, it tasted like it smelled. Did a Shepherd or Sailor discover cinnamon? Invent the cinnamon bun?

Limited Edition 2019 Mystery Oreo Cookies Halves

With $50,000 riding on this guess, I have to imagine Oreo would try a little harder than to reuse an old flavor. Did it stick with the cereal theme of the last one? Is this Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Milk Oreo? Hmmm. That ain’t bad.

Before I tell you my final guess, I have to say; these are damn good. The alleged cinnamon and chocolate are an excellent pairing. If nothing else, these crush the previous Mystery Oreo.

Ok, back to the mystery. The cinnamon flavor is prominent, but it doesn’t punch you in the face, so I’m suspecting it’s a cinnamon based dessert with a co-star. There hasn’t been a Churro Oreo, but there’s more to it than that. Is Cinnamon Pie a thing? Shoofly Pie?

Limited Edition 2019 Mystery Oreo Cookies What

I kept thinking there must be some kind of dessert that’s made with cinnamon and possibly tea (?) that I wasn’t aware of, but in the end – and this pains me to say – I had to lock in on an answer I’m pretty positive is wrong – Cinnabon. Yes, Oreo is pulling another one over on us, and re-releasing an old flavor with a brand partnership. Good cookie, boring outcome.

Proceed to tell me how wrong I am, and enjoy.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 12.2 oz. package
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Cookies) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.