Tag: Coffee

QUICK REVIEW: Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut

Sean

Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut

What is the Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut?

The latest glaze-makeover from Krispy Kreme in celebration of National Coffee Day pairs two of the culinary world’s best friends. There’s no longer a need to dunk your doughnut in coffee with KK’s Limited Time Coffee Glaze.

How is it?

I gotta tip my hat to Krispy Kreme for the super obvious but fresh innovation at play here. Because for as many times as I’ve had a cup of black coffee alongside a doughnut (90 percent of all the time) I’ve never had a doughnut flavored like the bitter beverage.

Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut 2

Like most alternative KK glazes this one is subtle and does a good job of tempering the usually hyper sweet wash of sugar that defines the experience of the OG. The coffee flavor is there but doesn’t hit you in the face like a bold coffee ice cream or candy like the recent Crunchy Espresso M&M’s. It’s delicate and soft with just a touch of bitterness. The modified glaze is a bit thicker than the regular one and has a darker tan color.

The coffee flavor is a bit more pronounced on the finish, as it leaves a taste in my mouth like I had coffee three minutes ago. The fluffy texture of the yeast doughnut is amazing as always, and I enjoy eating this even if it is a bit underwhelming.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut 3

Popping the Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut into the microwave for the suggested six seconds is never a bad idea, and the result with this one is pretty damn good. The coffee flavor doesn’t intensify, but the bitterness is a bit more subdued. The warm, soft texture is much more like doing an actual doughnut dunk, and the overall experience is incredibly satisfying.

Conclusion:

This is yet another limited Krispy Kreme glaze that’s good but nothing mind-blowing. The OG is so strong on its own that slight variations still yield a delicious doughnut, but nothing so extreme that you should go out of your way for it.

Purchased Price: $1.29
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro

Heather 2 Comments

Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro

What is the Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro?

I’m convinced the reason Starbucks keeps coming up with new cold foam beverages is to drive home the idea of the strawless lids. I don’t hate it! The latest is the Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro, which adds cocoa cold foam on top of the tried-and-true Nitro Cold Brew. In the in-app description of the drink, Starbucks says the cold foam is “bringing out the coffee’s natural chocolate notes.”

How is it?

Two words: Slam Dunk.

I usually prefer my cold brews to have a little cream in them, a la the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. That’s why I love cold brew on nitro – it adds a creaminess to the drink. This Dark Cocoa Nitro does not disappoint in terms of creaminess and flavor.

Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro 2

There’s a slight cocoa taste when you get your first sip of cold foam and the cold brew, and it is just enough to sweeten it without being overpowering. The subtleness of the cocoa is a delight. I also got a whiff of cinnamon – it smells like fall in a cup. (Don’t tell the Pumpkin Spice Latte I said that!) And the caffeine is strong enough to power you through your afternoon or snoozefest of meetings at work.

Is there anything else I need to know?

If you go searching for this puppy, make sure your friendly Starbucks has the nitro tap. Not all of them do, so I suggest checking your Starbucks mobile app to see which nearby locations carry the drink.

Conclusion:

The Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro is officially my favorite cold foam beverage from Starbucks. I can only hope it sticks around long enough for me to get my fill!

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Tall 12 fl oz – 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 215 milligrams of caffeine.

QUICK REVIEW: Starbucks Protein Blended Cold Brew

Heather 5 Comments

Starbucks Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew

What is it?

Are you ready to get your caffeine and protein all in one?

The new Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew and Cacao Protein Blended Cold Brew from Starbucks kill two birds with one stone. The Almond version has almondmilk, cold brew coffee, a plant-based protein, almond butter and a banana date fruit blend. The Cacao is very similar – although with coconutmilk instead of almondmilk and cacao instead of almond butter.

How is it?

Let’s get to the point: I really enjoyed these. Going into it, I thought I would like the Almond more than the Cacao, but the Cacao beat it by one point in my ratings! Both drinks have a smoothie-like consistency – I’m surprised that “smoothie” isn’t in the official name.

Starbucks Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew 2

Here’s the low-down: Almond was not overly sweet, and the cold brew coffee flavor came in the aftertaste. I could definitely taste the banana date blend, which I enjoyed. It took me a while to finish this one, as it was more of a sipping beverage.

Starbucks Cacao Protein Blended Cold Brew 2

Cacao was more chocolate and less coffee, and a little bit smoother of a consistency. Almost tasted like a healthy dessert! (#notcomplaining) The cacao powder masked the banana date blend.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I tried each of these on separate mornings and replaced my typical oatmeal and coffee with this all-in-one drink. I thought it would be weird to essentially drink my breakfast, but I loved how I was getting both my breakfast and coffee together – so productive. And, even with running a couple of miles one of the days, the drinks still held me over until lunchtime. Yay protein! They also kept me properly caffeinated, thanks to the cold brew.

Conclusion:

Great move, Starbucks. In the future, I see this for me as either a breakfast on the go or an afternoon pick-up/snack to get me through the rest of the day. I wonder if Starbucks can come up with any more flavor options?

Purchased Price: $5.95 each
Size: Grande
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Almond)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Cacao)
Nutrition Facts: (16 oz) Almond – 270 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugars, and 12 grams of protein. Cacao – 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 26 grams of sugars, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: International Delight Oreo Coffee Creamer

Marvo 3 Comments

International Delight Oreo Coffee Creamer

I like my coffee how I like my superheroes — masked and from far away lands.

How masked do I like my daily cup of Joe?

Well, here’s my coffee-to-creamer ratio that some of you will ridicule me for — for every cup of coffee, I add 1/4 cup of creamer. The beverages I make this way, hot or cold, have just enough coffee flavor to peek through the clouds of sugar and natural and artificial flavors in the creamer.

However, even at that sweet, sweet ratio, with International Delight’s new Oreo Creamer, I can taste the java more than I can taste anything that reminds me of Oreo’s dark cocoa flavor.

But that distinct chocolate wafer flavor does come out when drinking it by itself. When pouring it into my mouth, it tastes as if International Delight used whatever process non-dairy milk producers took to make cashew and almond milk and applied it to Oreo cookies. There aren’t any cookies crumbs floating in it, but I recommend shaking it very well every time you pour it because there are some sweet dregs at the bottom of the bottle.

International Delight Oreo Coffee Creamer 2

But who drinks creamer straight from the bottle?

(Looks out into the internet.)

Okay, a few of you.

But for most, it’s mixed with coffee, and this is where it becomes not s-Oreo impressive.

There are moments when I think I’m about to get to the distinct dark cocoa, but then it disappears. And to get to that point, I have to focus super hard, like trying to bend a spoon with my mind. Even adding a few more splashes of creamer doesn’t turn the Oreo dial up a notch.

Instead, the medium roast coffee I poured it in has a mild generic mocha flavor. It’s tasty, but not what I was hoping for. It’s astounding to me how it strongly tastes like liquid Oreo when consumed by itself, but there’s no trace of that signature cookie when combined with coffee.

International Delight’s Oreo Creamer is fine, but, again, it’s not what I expected or wanted, and it’s no International Delight Reese’s Creamer, which makes coffee taste Reese’s-y and I’ve bought more times than I’d like to admit. Although, since you know I use 1/4 cup of creamer for every cup of coffee, I drink coffee daily, and the Reese’s one has been out for a year, you can do the math.

DISCLOSURE: I received a sample from International Delight, which did not influence my review.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 Tbsp – 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 32 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Received from International Delight
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like Oreo when consumed by itself. May not give coffee an Oreo vibe, but it does give it a mocha vibe.
Cons: Oreo not noticeable when added to coffee. How quickly I go through bottles of creamer.

QUICK REVIEW: International Delight Limited Edition Oreo Iced Coffee

Leonard

International Delight Limited Edition Oreo Iced Coffee a

What is it?

Since the coffee flavor triumvirate of Mocha, Vanilla, and Caramel has already been showcased, International Delight’s Iced Coffee has decided to expand their line with a limited-edition Oreo flavor. It comes in a nice hefty half gallon container and is made with real milk and cream. It’s basically a ready-to-drink cookies and cream iced coffee.

How is it?

I wasn’t sure how Oreo in coffee would translate exactly, but they pretty much nailed the flavor profile. Taking a few sips makes me think instantly of Oreo cookies as if someone had secretly crushed some up and mixed them into my drink just before I had taken a sip.

International Delight Limited Edition Oreo Iced Coffee 4

The cream part of the Oreo is hard to distinguish since most iced coffees usually always contain some creamy element. The cookie part, though, wow! It tastes exactly how I would expect it to, and even the smell is indistinguishable as a chocolatey wafer cookie. There is a nice coffee base flavor to it that still comes through and it’s not too rich or sweet that I find some ready to drink iced coffees to be. (I’m looking at you Frappuccinos!)

Is there anything else I need to know?

International Delight Limited Edition Oreo Iced Coffee 3

The coffee has a slightly darker tone than maybe a regular flavor, but otherwise, the appearance is not immediately visible to be related to an Oreo. It would have been nice if there were actual cookie bits throughout to add an interesting visual element but you can’t have it all.

International Delight Limited Edition Oreo Iced Coffee 3a

In addition, the carton has one side with a neat idea to freeze some up and add to your iced coffee in lieu of ice cubes. I highly recommend it as it does elevate the whole experience. Nobody likes watered down coffee. Nobody!

Conclusion:

This is a pretty delectable iced coffee, perfect as a creamy caffeinated treat during the hot summer months. If you’re tired of the same old coffee flavors and love Oreo cookies, then give this a try as you won’t be disappointed.

Purchased Price: $3.56
Size: Half gallon
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 120 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.