REVIEW: Dunkin’ Tropical Guava Refresher

If you take your caffeine cold, Dunkin’s newest Refresher promises to wake you up and cool you down with tropical flair. A limited-time summer menu offering, the Dunkin’ Tropical Guava Refresher pairs a green tea base with guava-flavored concentrate for a fruity burst of energy. Also infused with B vitamins to promote energy production, a 24-ounce medium drink contains around 99 milligrams of caffeine.

My Refresher was delivered icy cold and looked like a sunset. The flavor is similarly vibrant: sweet, tart, a little floral, with a realistic guava flavor that tastes to me like a cross between a pear and a strawberry. As someone who has traded in sugary drinks for flavored seltzers (despite a persistent sweet tooth), the sweetness was not a shock to my system. Tartness weaves in and out of the drink, either by design or the way the concentrate is mixed, which prevents it from being consistently either too sweet or too sour.

Most guava-flavored products I know are paired with another fruit flavor, so it was a treat to enjoy something so guava-forward. As the ice dilutes the drink, the tartness fades, and the flavor tastes more like watery strawberry. Icy drinks will water down—such is life—but if you want to prolong the pucker, the lemonade version would also be delicious.

I didn’t detect the flavor of green tea and was not disappointed, because let’s be honest: the tea is merely a vehicle for caffeine and fruity goodness. I do blame the green tea for a drying effect on the tongue—thanks to tannins, if Google is to be believed—which made the drink a little less refreshing than it could have been. I am splitting hairs (slicing guavas thinly?) here, and it feels very “Princess and the Pea” to complain about a slightly dry tongue when I enjoyed this beverage on a day off, lounging about and expending only as much energy as it takes to complete that day’s New York Times Connections puzzle. I would order the standard drink again in a minute, but if I were absolutely parched, I’d consider choosing water as a base.

Whether you are vacationing by the poolside or simply evading life’s responsibilities in the drive-thru, the Dunkin’ Tropical Guava Refresher is one you should guava-tate toward. Depending on your taste preferences, consider swapping bases to customize your own tropical paradise in a to-go cup.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 130 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 28 grams of total sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pistachio Signature Latte

On the cusp of summer, Dunkin’ has brought back its popular pistachio swirl, this time featured in the Pistachio Signature Latte. Available hot or iced, the drink combines espresso and milk with a sweet pistachio flavored swirl and is topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and waffle cone pieces.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of summer flavors, pistachio doesn’t exactly spring to mind. Then again, I’m not sure I want watermelon in my coffee (a quick search tells me that watermelon coffee is actually a thing – shows what I know!). What does come to mind is ice cream, and perhaps this is where everything comes together.

I recently had a delicious pistachio gelato that actually tasted like pistachios, but I’ve enjoyed pistachio ice cream plenty of times, and my general expectation for it is that it will be tinted green but otherwise mostly just taste like ice cream. Considering this, it didn’t surprise me when my first thought after sipping the iced version of the Pistachio Signature Latte was “this tastes like ice cream.” Since I’d put a straw in the drink and not encountered any waffle cone pieces yet, I don’t think I can chalk that up to being influenced by cone bits. There’s a rich, creamy sweetness that I associate with ice cream, but there isn’t much in the way of real pistachio flavor. It makes sense to me that it leans more into the pistachio ice cream realm because of Dunkin’s association with Baskin-Robbins and the fact that Dunkin’ is typically a bit more mainstream and doesn’t try to step too far into the gourmet zone. The chain has chosen to top this drink with waffle cone pieces instead of chopped pistachios, which I think tells us where their heads were at.

Speaking of those pieces, they are a great addition. They provide a fun, toasty-sugary crunch that I didn’t expect would make such a difference in how much I enjoy this drink. Should you opt for the iced version and don’t take a million years to drink it, they’ll probably stay sitting atop the whipped cream and remain somewhat crunchy. If you get the hot version, they’ll sink into the drink and take on a texture like slightly sogged cereal pieces. I’m aware how unappetizing that sounds when we’re talking about something we’re drinking, but for whatever reason, it works here, and I couldn’t stop sipping on this. It’s definitely more of a treat than a morning coffee, but it still managed to strike the right balance of sweetness without being overpowering.

If I’m reaching, and knowing it’s supposed to be pistachio flavored, I could say that it has some nutty notes, but if this were a blind taste test, I would never have guessed this is pistachio flavored. What it is is a very tasty drink, and in the spirit of summer, Dunkin’ should call it what it is: the Pistachio Ice Cream Signature Latte.

Purchased Price: $5.64 (Small Iced), $5.42 (Small Hot)
Size: Small
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Iced), 8 out of 10 (Hot)
Nutrition Facts: (Small Iced) 310 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 38 grams of total sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake

With desserts and coffee on the same menu, Dunkin’ always compels me to eat cake for breakfast. That undeniable urge brought me back to the drive-thru for its new summer menu. The Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake cried out to my sweets-for-breakfast-loving heart, and it ultimately further encouraged my habit. How?

This loaf cake tastes a lot like Trix cereal. Thanks, Dunkin’. In my mind, cake that tastes like cereal = cereal = breakfast = a sensible morning meal. Right?

Ignore my flimsy rationalization for several moments, and let’s return to the cake. In smell and taste, the loaf’s fruity flavor is very similar to Trix, Fruity Pebbles, and any candy, snack, or sweet inspired by such sugary cereal icons. It’s definitely an enjoyable and nostalgic, although nondescript, flavor that pairs well with the cake’s rich, buttery taste. While I could discern lemon flavor (but very little strawberry) primarily in the aftertaste, I wish that the loaf tasted more specifically fruity as opposed to generically fruity.

The loaf lists lemon juice, strawberry puree, and natural flavors among its ingredients, so it’s funny that the resulting taste is so similar to products that lean on cocktails of artificial fruit flavorings. I wonder if sticking to one flavor would have yielded a result similar to the lemon loaf from Starbucks, which I haven’t had in years but still remember as tasting like lemon zest.

Despite the unexpected flavor, the Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is not a bad bite. The slice is thick, moist, and dense in crumb—a perfect, filling pound cake consistency. The layer of strawberry-flavored icing coating the top is semisoft powdered sugar icing, neither crusty nor runny. It adds an extra touch of moisture and sweetness without being cloying, although the purported strawberry flavor is pretty mild. Bonus points for the cool marble swirl effect that paints the cake yellow and pink. In these respects, the loaf satisfies, rivaling similar products you’d find at other coffee or grocery store chains.

Pre-packaged for on-the-go convenience, Dunkin’s seasonal Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is here for a limited time. For breakfast, snack, or dessert, it won’t serve up a slice of summer flavor, but fruity cereal fans won’t leave any crumbs.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: 4 oz (113 g) slice
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 450 calories, 21 grams of total fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 40 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Arctic Cherry Energy Drink

Dunkin’ could’ve jumped onto the mystery flavor train with its Dunkin’ Arctic Cherry Energy Drink. It comes in a typical “mystery flavor” color that doesn’t give away what it tastes like. Heck, the chain could’ve even used part of the name if it decided to make it a mystery flavor, and I’ve got the perfect name it could’ve had — Dunkin’ Cryptic Arctic Energy Drink.

BOOM! Please hire me for your not fully fleshed out product name ideas!

The beverage’s opaque white color could be confused with any number of drinks, especially lemon-lime ones. But it does look “arctic.” Brrrr. Just looking at it makes me want to put on some Uniqlo Ultra Warm HEATTECH clothing.

The coffee and donut chain says Cryptic Arctic Energy (I’mma making the name change happen) has “sweet and tart cherry notes with flavors of blueberry and grapefruit.”

When I took my first straw sip, I got hit with a strong dose of the syrup mixed in and couldn’t really pinpoint the fruit flavors as my taste buds were dunked on with sweetness. After giving the drink a stern stirring, I took another sip. But this time, I mostly tasted the carbonated water with a hint of fruitiness. Worried that I had just sucked out all of the drink’s flavor with the previous sip, I gave it even more drink gyrations. Thankfully, I got the right amount of flavor with the following slurp. While I didn’t notice the grapefruit, I could primarily taste the cherry, and in the aftertaste, I noticed the blueberry more. It’s a nice flavor, but you do not need to rush out the door to try it.

Dunkin’ Arctic Cherry Energy Drink (okay, I give up trying to make a name change happen) is fine, just like the other Dunkin’ Energy flavors available. I’d repurchase it if I don’t feel like getting a coffee for my caffeine fix, since it does have 144 milligrams of the good stuff.

Purchased Price: $3.99*
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 130 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 26 grams of sugar (including 26 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 144 milligrams of caffeine.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Ham & Swiss Pretzel Sliders

The promotional photos for Dunkin’s Ham & Swiss Pretzel Sliders feature two sliders with round fluffy buns. However, my order looked more like Dunkin’ Ham & Swiss Pretzel Smooshers, if you will.

I promise it wasn’t me who did that. I treated them like wounded baby birds when they were handed to me.

Those squished mounds you see above feature Black Forest ham, a honey mustard spread, and Swiss cheese between smashed King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Slider Buns. The two warm sandwiches came out of their sleeve like conjoined twins fused at the cheese. I thought their whole smooshy presentation gave off a school lunch-ish vibe. I don’t know why I felt that way because it’s been a while since I entered a school cafeteria.

While that sounds awful, after surgically separating the conjoined mini sandwiches with a butter knife, the first one I grabbed had an acrid aroma and flavor that reminded me of burnt food. However, the bun didn’t look burnt in any way. Not every bite I took from the slider tasted that way, and with the other one, I didn’t experience any burnt smells or flavors, which is a little weird since they were prepared simultaneously.

Despite their flatness, they tasted quite meaty. I guess when a slice of ham is folded over onto itself twice, there would be a decent ham wall. Because of this, the sliders have an exporksion of flavor with a hint of honey mustard and even less cheesiness. From what I could taste, the honey mustard was applied lightly to my order, which was disappointing since I love the condiment.

As for the buns, the salt crystals on them provided occasional big bursts of saltiness, but I wouldn’t say the buns had a pretzel taste to them. I don’t know if that initial acrid flavor I noticed was supposed to be it, but I hope not. However, while they lacked pretzel-ness, the buns were sweet enough that you could convince me that these were regular King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls.

Apart from the initial flavor twist, Dunkin’s Ham & Swiss Pretzel Sliders were just average. Since one of the sliders had an off taste while the other didn’t, I suspect I received a subpar slider. Even with the one that tasted normal, nothing about it excited my taste buds. My enthusiasm for the sliders was as deflated as the buns that came with them.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 2 sliders
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 sliders) 340 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1440 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar (including 13 grams of added sugar), and 19 grams of protein.

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