Photo courtesy of Emily Melvin.
To help you spring into the season of new beginnings with the perfect caffeine boost to conquer your day, Dunkin’ has launched its Sips of Springtime collection, featuring five new drinks. Rich and festive, each macchiato, latte and cold brew offer a unique burst of flavor to Dunkin’s menu.
The first drink I tried was the iced shamrock macchiato with almond milk. The best part of this drink is its presentation, as the thrill of receiving a layered green drink is truly unmatched. It's most comparable to Dunkin's pink velvet macchiato, which was sadly discontinued this Valentine’s season. Although green does not visually pop as much as pink, the green conveys the fun feelings of St. Patty's Day, as well as the clean, fresh grass of spring.
In terms of flavor, it truly gives Irish cream lovers a lucky treat. I personally am not the biggest fan of Irish cream, but I did really enjoy the subtle burst of flavors paired with Dunkin’s rich espresso. My typical go-to drink at Dunkin’ is an iced caramel macchiato with almond milk, so this was close, but it just wasn’t capturing the same love I typically feel for my iced macchiato.
Because of the Irish cream flavor, which blends sweet cream, vanilla and Irish whiskey flavoring, it tasted more like espresso with creamer rather than espresso with milk and flavoring. The milk meshed almost too well with the flavored syrup, which may be good for some, but for me, I wasn't that happy that I couldn't have distinctive tastes between the three. The beauty of a macchiato is embracing the layers. With this drink, I found myself mixing it more than I usually do, simply because the layered sips were unsatisfactory.
However, I did not find myself excessively stirring my hot shamrock macchiato. To keep it creamy and rich, I took it with oat milk, which is definitely the way to go when ordering hot drinks with dairy alternatives; it is much smoother and thicker than almond milk, which closely resembles whole milk. It just tasted like a nice warm drink, which was especially lovely to sip on during my chilly walk to class. Although we can’t see the fun bright green through the solid white to-go cup, if you take off the lid you will see hints of green on top.
The hot drink is certainly the stronger of the two, and I definitely will order it again. This is, however, quite disappointing to me. Spring doesn’t feel like hot coffee weather, so I wish I enjoyed the iced version more. Thankfully, we still have plenty of chilly days ahead of us and hot macchiatos to keep us warm.
Just like the shamrock macchiatos, hot is better than iced when it comes to the new salted caramel signature lattes. I tried the iced version with almond milk first, and I was not impressed.
Dunkin’s salted caramel tasted just like any other ordinary caramel flavoring. The flavor was a bit more prominent in the hot latte, but again, it just tasted like Dunkin’s regular caramel latte. I still thoroughly enjoyed the latte and drank the whole thing, but it was not a standout beverage.
Despite these similarities, I would still recommend trying out the salted caramel if you’re a fan of it. Maybe you’ll be able to distinguish the salty and the sweet.
My favorite sip of the season is without a doubt the salted caramel cream cold brew. It was significantly better than the other drinks, because the salted caramel was mixed into the coffee and in the cold foam. When you take that first foamy sip, you are greeted with sweet and salty just seconds before the rich cold brew comes along. I paired my first sip with an audible “aaah,” feeling refreshed and accomplished to have found my new favorite drink.
Despite my love and praise for the dairy alternative options, it’s the creamy cold foam that truly made my decision so easy. Another plus of this drink? Cold brews are cheaper than espresso products, so you’ll definitely get a better sip for your buck — or Flex dollars.
I will say, the best part of getting the salted caramel sip options was getting them for only three dollars (plus 70 cents for alternative milk). As a DD Perks member with the Dunkin’ app, I was able to receive exclusive deals on the springtime collection at off-campus locations. The offer goes until March 22, so be sure to sign up for DD Perks if you aren’t already.
If you are looking for a new coffee order or just feel like switching it up sometimes, every Sip of Springtime is worth trying. Head over to the Adler Center or your favorite local Dunkin’ and sip for yourself. Who knows, you might find your new favorite drink.
emelvin@ramapo.edu
