By: Cece Jarry
After Halloween, many of us are looking forward to one thing: the holidays. And what rings in the season for most people are none other than our friends the seasonal coffees. This year, even though our world has been turned upside down by COVID-19, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks have still come through with many new and old holiday drinks. Obviously I can’t taste every single drink being offered this year, but I’ve rated some of the most advertised coffees so you know which ones will definitely make your season bright, and which ones to skip out on.
Starbucks:
Peppermint Mocha:
7.5/10. The Peppermint Mocha was good! It is the perfect holiday drink, and the one that most of us would think of when we think of Christmas. There was a strong peppermint flavor bursting through the coffee, and it was overall nice. I do think that they should add more chocolate, but if you’re not a huge chocolate fan, then this is for you. The only reason that I gave it a 7.5 was because it isn’t really anything special, but it’s a classic that I think many people love.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha:
8.5/10. The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha had a nice coffee taste, with just a hint of a white chocolatey, almost caramel flavor. However, it doesn’t really remind me of the holidays, and just seems like a drink I would have any day of the year. I also think Starbucks could add a little bit more white chocolate, but if they didn’t, it would still be good. Overall, it was a yummy drink and it was one of my favorites, which I wasn’t expecting. If you do choose to try the White Chocolate Mocha, I would suggest getting it iced, which I did!
Caramel Brulee
9/10. The Caramel Brulee Latte didn’t taste like I expected, and was very yummy! I was anticipating an overly sweet flavor, which normally makes me feel a little bit sick, but the caramel is very balanced out with the coffee. The latte is very milky and buttery, and even though it isn’t distinctly holiday flavored, it still reminds me of Christmastime. It also has a slight cinnamon zing, which adds a lot to the latte and elevates the taste a lot for me. All in all, the Caramel Brulee Latte was one of my favorites, and it is balanced out nicely with caramel, coffee, and cinnamon flavors. I would definitely recommend it!
Dunkin’ Donuts:
Signature Peppermint Mocha:
8/10. The Dunkin’ Donuts Peppermint Mocha was, in my opinion, better than the Starbucks one. As I said before, it is the perfect Christmas coffee to remind us of snowy December days. It was a little bit more chocolatey than the Starbucks mocha, which was yummy, but the peppermint flavor wasn’t as strong. I overall think that the actual coffee blend tops the Starbucks blend, so in my opinion the Dunkin’ Donuts Peppermint Mocha is slightly better.
Signature Gingerbread Iced Latte
9/10. The Gingerbread Iced Latte was SO. GOOD. It was definitely one of my favorites out of all the drinks, along with the Caramel Brulee Latte. It tasted just like a gingerbread cookie and reminded me of building gingerbread houses. The spices were very bright and cheerful, and I give props to Dunkin’ for this one. If you ask me, the Gingerbread Latte was the most Christmasy out of all of the drinks. Personally, I got it iced, but it is probably just as good if you get it as hot coffee!
Chai Oatmilk Latte
5/10. The Chai Oatmilk Latte was okay, but personally, I didn’t really like it that much. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and other holiday spices in the chai added a nice taste to the drink, but other than that, there weren’t very many redeeming qualities. I don’t really like tea, which is why I didn’t really like the latte, as I was expecting it to be coffee. If you are a tea lover, then you might enjoy this drink, but if you’re like me, you should probably steer clear.
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