With Valentine’s Day here this month, there are new sweets, gifts, but most importantly seasonal flavors! This season Dunkin and Starbucks have both brought back fan favorite items and created new ones for us to enjoy. Gianna Clement and I went out to review these specialties.
At Dunkin we tried the returning Raspberry Watermelon Refresher with green tea and rated it 6/10. It was a good combination of sweet and sour and Gianna added that“it tasted a little like jello.” We rated the iced Lava Cake Signature Latte a 6/10. The beverage tastes like melted dark chocolate, but is so sweet it tastes more like a dessert rather than a morning cup of coffee. Lastly, we tasted the fan favorite Cupid’s Choice and Brownie Batter specialty donuts. The Cupids Choice is filled with Bavarian cream and topped with strawberry frosting, this combination earned it a 10/10. The Brownie Batter earned an 8/10 because there were no interesting flavors, “it tasted exactly like brownies,” Gianna described. I also noticed that the consistency of the filling is very similar to actual brownie batter.
At Starbucks we tried the returning Chocolate Hazelnut Cold Brew with cream. This drink has a very unique flavor combination but it works out incredibly well. The sweetness is offset by the boldness of the cold brew and hazelnut, earning it a 10/10. On the other hand the returning Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Creme Frappuccino was not a hit. Although the presentation was nice, the flavor was not. Earning a 5/10 the drink did not do chocolate covered strawberries justice as there was on odd aftertaste of the mocha and the strawberry flavor was too faint.
We asked students their opinions on their favorite holiday treats. Seniors Maddie Esposito and Morgan Lewis shared their love for Dunkin’s Brownie Batter donuts. Maddie said she’s typically not a donut fan but she loves the Brownie Batter.
Olivia Clement said her favorite seasonal item is the iced Lava Cake Signature Latte, “I like super chocolatey things.”
Nate Osman said, “I tried the Raspberry Watermelon refresher and it reminded me of summer.”
Riley Goodin shared, “I tried the Cupid’s Choice donut, it was really good.”
Lily Sargent tried the Brownie Batter donut and said, “It was good, there should’ve been more filling inside. The heart shape was a cute touch.”
“At first, I tried the Raspberry Watermelon refresher with green tea and it was just okay, but with lemonade it is so much better. It is definitely tart but really good,” Joslyn Delsignore said.
Overall both Dunkin and Starbucks offer great seasonal menus. Whether you favor chocolate flavors, refreshing sips, or festive donuts, there is something for everyone!
