REVIEW: Mtn Dew Infinite Swirl

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I’ve enjoyed every Dew blasted with pineapple flavor, from Maui Burst to Baja Gold. Although, I enjoyed the former more than the latter. And that adoration extends to the 7-Eleven exclusive Mtn Dew Infinite Swirl, a Dew with a blast of pineapple berry flavor.

Its Smurf blue color brings to mind other recent Dew varieties, Liberty Chill and Summer Freeze. That blue hue looks good with the soda’s yellow and red-colored label.

Infinite Swirl has a pineapple-forward taste with some berries on the back end. At first, the blue color made me think it was blue raspberry. But, as always, the label artwork gives a clue. The red ribbons with seeds on them seemed to indicate strawberries, and when I realized that, I began to taste that berry more prominently. The two flavors make a delicious fruity combination. As someone who is a fan of pineapple and strawberry-blasted Mtn Dew varieties, this is definitely a favorite. In fact, I love it as much as the Dollar General-exclusive Maui Burst, one of my favorite Mountain Dew varieties.

Unfortunately, like Maui Burst, it’s a store-exclusive product. But 7-Eleven locations (and sister stores, like Speedway and Stripes) I think are a bit more plentiful than Dollar General locations, so this might be easier to come by. (UPDATE: Did a quick Google search to fact-check, and it turns out there are as many 7-Eleven locations the US as there are Dollar General locations, which is very surprising.) Also, for those of you wondering if there’s a zero sugar version, there isn’t one at this time. But I’ll try to buy enough of it to perhaps give PepsiCo a reason to make one because this pineapple berry Dew is that good.

I hope Infinite Swirl’s time on shelves is infinite. I read that this is a permanent flavor, and I really hope that ends up being the case because it’s a DEWlicious tasting Dew.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 0 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 76 grams of carbohydrates (including 76 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 94 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Campfire S’mores Cup Noodles

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Ah, summertime: that period of the year for road trips, pool parties, outdoor concerts, and stuffing marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate into every conceivable sweet. Like cereal, cookies, and ramen.

Wait. Ramen?

Yes. Ramen.

In recent years, Nissin’s Cup Noodles have provided us with unusual sweet and savory mashups: pumpkin spice, breakfast, and everything bagel. And now s’mores have joined the noodley family. I was pleasantly surprised by the pumpkin spice variety, so I was eager to try this one.

When I remove the lid, I see the usual dry noodles with mini marshmallows on top. It’s an amusing and tantalizing sight: I enjoy s’mores-flavored treats, and the marshmallows remind me of what is supposed to be coming. There’s also a brown and tan powder, which I presume is the chocolate and graham crackers.

I pour water into the cup to the fill line, then microwave it for three minutes as instructed (I’m very good at following rules), and it still bubbles over.

Unlike an actual s’more, there are no gooey marshmallows to enjoy after cooking. Instead, they have dissolved with the rest of the ingredients. Oh well, that means the flavor will just incorporate with the other ingredients to taste like a delectable campfire treat, right?

Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to taste any s’mores flavor. I don’t taste graham crackers or chocolate, and marshmallows don’t really have a flavor. There’s just a generic sweetness mixed with a generic savoriness. The list of ingredients includes garlic powder and onion powder. I don’t detect those (thankfully), but I still taste a bit of a usual Cup Noodles umami.

This product is weird because what else would you expect from s’mores ramen? But more than anything, it’s disappointing. The noodles don’t really taste like what they’re supposed to. If I want a sweet treat, I can grab one of the million other s’mores items. If I want something savory, there are better options.

Look, these noodles won’t ruin your summer. They’re better than a sunburn or a mosquito bite. Instead, they’re more like that one book you read one day during summer vacation but can’t remember what it’s about or that nondescript snow cone you got at the amusement park. Campfire S’mores Cup Noodles just aren’t that interesting or memorable.

Purchased Price: $1.18
Size: 3.07 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 400 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 800 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Limited Edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal

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I’m curious. The last time you ate chocolate cake for breakfast, were you:

a) Enjoying a donut with sprinkles
b) Digging into your birthday cake early
c) Having a rough week and running out of hoots to give
d) Actually enjoying a chocolate cake-inspired cereal?

Maybe the more important question is, what will you do NEXT TIME you have run out of your typical breakfast or personal quota of hoots? While other actions are certainly acceptable, Post Limited Edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal makes choice d) possible and just as appealing as buttercream at dawn.

It’s a shredded wheat-style cereal consisting of cocoa-flavored biscuits made with chocolate chips and topped with sugar coating. The product offers a decadent twist on the shredded wheat you may pair with fruit or yogurt. However, it still boasts the whole grains and fiber absent from the layered cake you were dreaming about hours earlier.

Typically, the Venn Diagram of Frosted Chocolate Cake and shredded wheat cereal do not overlap much. While I can be critical of products that do not live up to their flavor inspirations (seriously, not every strawberry-flavored product needs to be named Strawberry Shortcake!), this cereal does justice to its namesake while remaining a palatable breakfast option.

The crunchy biscuits have a strong cocoa flavor with a dusting of extra sweetness from the solid white icing. Within the layers of wheat, chocolate chips add delicious pops of texture and taste. Not every biscuit is blessed with a chocolate chip, which might be a metaphor for life. But when they are present, the chips have just a hint of fudgyness that is never overwhelming or cloying. Like many shredded wheat products, the biscuits soak up milk like a sponge and soften quickly, but the chocolate flavor doesn’t diminish.

For those keeping score, we have flavor, layers, and, if I’m reaching, spongelike properties. The cereal ticks one more box of a good chocolate cake: it is satisfying in large or small portions. One serving is 26 biscuits, a solid breakfast, and now feels like the right time to sneak in how much I love that these pillow-shaped pieces of shredded wheat cereal are called biscuits.

Post Limited Edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal tastes almost exactly like the now-discontinued Kellogg’s Chocolate Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites, even down to the chocolate chips embedded within the wheat. While the Kellogg’s product consisted of smaller biscuits (and less sugar per serving), the Post product is an excellent dupe. Whether you were a Little Bites fan or simply appreciate a quality chocolate cereal, consider snatching up a few boxes of Post’s limited edition product while you have the chance.

Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 16 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 serving of 26 biscuits) 210 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein

REVIEW: Starbucks Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

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Here’s a little TMI about me. My go-to drink at Starbucks is the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Actually, it’s the only drink in my regular Starbucks coffee rotation because, as my therapist has pointed out, I don’t like coming out of my comfort zone. Also, it’s a simple drink — vanilla syrup, vanilla sweet cream, ice, and cold brew. The only times I deviate is when I have to review something new. But no matter how good those new products are, none of them stick with me, so it’s back to c-old relia-brew.

But there’s now a new cold brew drink on the menu that might have a chance to stick with me — the Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Yes, it’s the same drink, but it’s nondairy. Oatmilk and soy milk are used to make the dairy-less vanilla sweet cream, which helps make this coffee drink slightly healthier than the regular version. In a grande, we’re talking about four grams less saturated fat and a slight decrease in calories, total fat, and sugar.

There’s a slightly odd vegetable flavor with the very first sip. I want to say pea-like. But that taste disappears after a few quick swirls to mix the drink. The vanilla and cream flavors are less pronounced in this nondairy version, but the level of coffee also tastes less striking than with the regular Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. I’m all for hiding the taste of coffee behind cream and sugar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like this more than the dairy version. I enjoy both equally. However, since the nondairy vanilla sweet cream is a permanent addition to the menu and, as my primary care physician has pointed out, I need to cut back on my saturated fat, I’ll be ordering this from now on. Actually, I’ve already purchased it three times since it debuted.

So, I now have a new go-to coffee at Starbucks, which is almost exactly like my old go-to at Starbucks. I guess it’s sort of like replacing original Oreo cookies with Oreo Thins as my favorite sandwich cookie.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Size: Grande
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 185 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee

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Summer is here, and so is another iced coffee from Starbucks to keep you hydrated. (Note: I am not a doctor, who would probably tell you to hydrate with water, but iced coffee is made of water too, so it counts… right?) The coffee chain recently released the Carmel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee, and honestly, I would have thought something like this was already on the menu. Nonetheless, this flavor profile is right up my alley, so I was excited to try it.

I was delighted to find out this iced coffee features caramel syrup and Vanilla Sweet Cream. I LOVE the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream and could probably drink it straight. My initial thought was that they would have just combined vanilla and caramel syrup, so this got me excited right off the bat.

Readers, this iced coffee did not disappoint. I’ll start with the only negative – when I received the coffee, it did not look pretty and swirled like the promotional photo. But as my grandfather used to say, if that’s the worst thing, then we’re still doing pretty well.

At first sip, the Vanilla Sweet Cream flavor really hits you up front—so much so that I wondered if they forgot the caramel. But don’t worry! The caramel syrup really shined through in the aftertaste. The flavors paired together nicely and were very present while I milked the drink (I’ve said before in my reviews that I can make an iced beverage last several hours, depending on what I’m caught up in).

The other thing I really liked about this iced coffee was that it wasn’t too sweet. With 26 grams of sugar in a grande, it certainly had the potential to be, but I was pleasantly surprised. And the caffeine also packs a nice punch – I could see myself getting this either as my first OR second coffee of the day!

I’ll definitely be adding the Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee to my rotation, and you should too!

Purchased Price: $4.25
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 26 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 165 milligrams of caffeine.

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