RAVE: Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Latte

Let me start by saying I love Starbucks. I really do. Even as someone who is no longer a caffeine addict - oh I didn't mention that I'm caffeine free these days? No, I'm not pregnant. I did it for health reasons and let me tell you it's fabulous. But that's a topic for another day.

Anyhow, this time of the year everyone is raving about Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. Sure, I've had them. In fact, I've given them a shot a few times over the last couple of years, but they're just "meh" in my book.

I love a good, hot (decaf) coffee drink, but there's just something yucky and artificial - almost metallic - about the taste of the Pumpkin Spice syrup at Starbucks.

Needless to say, I'm sticking with my soy AmeriMisto.

Then, the other day I got a coupon in the mail for a free (yes, FREE) small latte from Dunkin' Donuts. I'm typically not a Dunkin' girl. No real reason why, I just find myself in closer proximity to Starbucks most often, but when I hear free, I can't say no.

So, I took a trip there on Wednesday - which was a crisp fall day - and gave their Pumpkin Latte a shot. I figured, even if it tasted just so-so like S-bucks, then I'm not out anything.

And what'd I taste at first sip, you ask? PURE HEAVEN.

Let me take a step back for a second and say that I love fall. I love the weather, I love the changing leaves, I love the fashion and I simply adore all the pumpkin flavored items you can buy. There's nothing better than a pumpkin donut and fresh apple cider from my hometown cider mill.

I'm no stranger to this flavor, to say the least. So when I sipped that latte I about came unglued with joy. It blasted my tongue with pumpkin flavor, and didn't leave that strange after-taste that you can sometimes get.

Dunkin' got this one right for SURE. I'm not one for spending much on fru-fru coffee drinks, but there's a good chance I'll be headed back before the season is over - and I highly recommend you do the same, at least once.

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Trader Joe's Coffee

Okay, so now that I'm living in Chicago and spending way more $$ on commuting each month than I'd like, I've decided to start making my own coffee at home.

When I first considered this, I had seen this Kona coffee at Trader Joe's that I just had to have - and given that it's Trader Joe's, it's rather inexpensive, or so I thought. The coffee I had my eye on was $20. EEH, wrong answer.

So I went with a similar Hawaiian coffee, called 100% Kauai. It's a medium roast, comes in a 13 oz jar of whole beans (which is nice, because freshly ground always tastes better) and it's packaging touts that it's aromatic, earthy and sweet.


And let me just tell you something - I'm so glad that the other stuff was too expensive for my taste, because this is the best coffee ever!

Okay so it's probably really not, but it's the best I've ever made at home. Hands down. When I was in Hawaii 10 years ago, I remember having the best cup of coffee there, while I was in Kona. I've never been to Kauai, but I can only imagine it's just as good - at least, now that I've tried this stuff.

All I need is a little Splenda to make this the perfect cup of coffee. It's so good, I almost missed my train the other day because I didn't want to put it down. It definitely gives me something to look forward to in the mornings. And tomorrow, you can bet that I'll have my morning cup, curled up on the couch with a good book!

So before I call it a day and get back to my favorite cup, let's get a little technical on this review:

-Aromatic - the packaging didn't lie, this coffee smells amazing, especially after grinding up the beans.

-Sweet - normally I use either a couple spoonfulls of Splenda or a packet of Sweet 'n Lo (ew, I know) to make my coffee drinkable. Barely need anything in this, it's got a yummy sweetness of it's own.

-Smooth - the label called it Earthy, I'm not that much of a coffee connoisseur to know what that actually means, but it does have a very smooth taste, nothing that kicks you in the jaw.

-Inexpensive - this is of course a huge plus for me. Got it for$6 I think...compared to the $20 I almost spent on another kind of bean from the same group of islands, which could be better, but for now, my wallet likes this!

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Dark Cherry Mocha

As a girl who's appreciation for coffee started at a local (what has since turned regional) coffee house, I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I've jumped on the Starbucks bandwagon.

But let's be honest here, it's directly across the street from my office and I have gift cards that I received at Christmas that need to be used. Plus, it's not like I drink it every day...

Wait, what is my deal - why am I defending myself?

I drink Starbucks on occasion...deal with it.

Moving on.

So the other day I was feeling like something other than the standard Americano (espresso and water - it's smoother than their coffee that kicks you in the mouth), and notice they were featuring a dark chocolate cherry drink. Uh, yum!

I've always been a fan of the chocolate covered cherry so how bad could it be, right? So I ordered me up a soy dark cherry mocha latte and needless to say my taste buds were thrilled.

As you can imagine, I've been waiting for the opportune time to order another, and as I sit here this morning, I can't help but feel that my workday is a little bit better with the liquid chocolate covered cherry that sits in front of me.

Highly recommended!

Cheers!

-A