☕Review - Dunkin' Spiked Vanilla Iced Coffee

Dunkin' Donuts Spiked Vanilla Iced Coffee

Released as part of Dunkin' Donuts ready-to-drink(RTD) alcohol suite in 2023, this Vanilla Iced Coffee hopes to convert on the booming canned cocktail trend. This wasn't Dunkin's first foray into alcohol, having previously partnered with Harpoon Brewery (Mass Bay Brewing) to collaborate on a few brews like Harpoon Dunkin' Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale. Though those were limited edition craft beers, Mass Bay continues to be the producer for these mass(achussets)-market canned cocktails under the entity "American Spiked Beverages" and plans on keeping the two brands isolated from one another. “These tend to be thought of as a tailgating [product], a pick-me-up in the afternoon,” says Nathaniel Davis, President of Mass Bay Brewing. The coffees and teas are more of “a late-afternoon play” or treat. After first being released in the Northeast, the beverages can now be found in 28 states. The expansive Dunkin' Spiked lineup has many flavors including seven "coffees" at 6% ABV and four hard teas at 5% ABV, presumably because the tea has less flavor/body to cover up the booze. Sine launch, they've added a Peppermint Mocha, Summertime S'mores, and Pumpkin spice to the standard lineup, implying some success though the spiked coffee market lacks significant competition and is relatively undeveloped. They come in 12-can mixed packs, four packs of 12oz. and 19.2oz. singles. Caffeine is 30mg per can, negligible and far less than a cup of coffee. Lactose free, the spiked coffees rely on non-dairy creamer.

🌍Origin: Unknown

🔥Roast Level: Unknown

🧪Brew Method: Dunkin' Supplies its own Industrial Bean Extracted coffee extract (pressurized tanks with forced hot water to produce coffee concentrate). The alcohol in this Flavored Malt Beverage (FMB) is produced primarily from fermented sugar

👅Experience: Thin and watery, the vanilla flavor is metallic and artificial. If there is coffee in here, it's more of a coconut-milk-level undertone, slightly bitter but otherwise easily overlooked. The palate is overwhelmingly saccharine. In spite of the non-dairy creamer, which should help prevent separation, these need to be shaken VERY well prior to drinking.

🏆 Score: 1.25/5 - Pretty Poor - Did I drink it this time? Yes. Was it free? Yes. Would I drink it again? Honestly probably not. I'm not sure how the other flavors fair, but I'm very much out on this iteration. The Dunkin Double Espresso line is much better in my opinion; throw a shot in one of those.

💵Would buy again? Nope

⚖️Scale:

🥃Review 53: Costco's Kirkland 15YR Highland Single Malt Scotch 2025

The 2025 release of Costco's Kirkland 15-year Highland Scotch hit shelves in late January and is a recurring installment on an annual cadence. The first pallet to hit my local store sold out almost immediately. Thankfully, we got two more shipments at one pallet each that hung around a bit longer and I was able to snag a bottle. Like in previous years, this Highland Scotch is finished in sherry casks. Alexander Murray & Co. is the bottler with MISA imports out of Texas bringing it to the States for consumption (Costco's standard sourcing pattern for Scotch). The bottle has a nice heft to it and there is an ensconced Alexander Murray Lion adding some nice texture to the front of the bottle. Steve Lipp, CEO of Alexander Murray, calls it "Perfect for after dinner drinking." All-in-all, this shows an attempt to elevate the product and presentation from the ubiquitous blends and non-age stated iterations you'll sometimes find under the Kirkland label. Neither Alex...

🥃Review #15 Costco's Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon

Costco's liquor store is a thing of beauty. While not every Kirkland edition is a hit, there are enough standouts on a fun per dollar ratio to always merit a look. Almost all of the house brands are less than $30, and I'm always excited to take a long shot when the new seasonal releases come around. 📚 Background: Distilled by Barton 1792 in Bardstown Kentucky, Kirkland Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey hits the shelves a few times a year. Mine was from batch 1124. The bottle presentation is supposed to evoke the same feel as other small batch whiskeys and there is a decorative purity seal that is reminiscent of the ever reliable bottled in bond green filigree, albeit in a meaningless red. Unlike its bonded brethren, this edition comes in under 100 proof and does not have any age statement. There's not a whole lot of additional information provided by Costco or the distiller, but we can reasonably assume that it shares a similar pedigree as the entry level 1792...

☕ All Java Monster Flavors Tasted & Ranked

As a habitual caffeine abuser, I have a soft spot for Monster, both for their expansive lineup of flavors as well as their support for Sports and E-sports. Coffee is my standard caffeination vector, so the Java Monster suite of products is the perfect mix of bean flavor and energy boost. In this post, I'll provide my personal rankings and rationale for what is a very strong lineup. Note that I have not been compensated in any way for this write-up... I just like them. Currently, Monster Energy 's Java Monster lineup has five available flavors: Mean Bean - Vanilla Irish Crème Loca Mocha - Chocolate Salted Caramel Café Latte There are two "triple shot" versions of the Vanilla and Mocha which contain 300mg of caffeine though their flavors are very similar to the base versions above. At this point, we should also take a moment of silence for the two cold brew flavors, sweet black and nitro latte. The nitro latte was a personal favorite and I quite liked the sweet black,...

🍺🍷🥃 Beer, Wine, and Spirits Rebate Website Master List

If there is anything I love more than a good drink, it's saving money buying that good drink! The rules for providing discounts on alcohol differ substantially between states with some allowing outright discounts or coupons and others entirely disallowing any sort of purchase incentive. Thankfully though, in my native Georgia as well as most states, a simple reimbursement approach is permissible. Last Updated & Validated 4/17/2026 . Added a number off options for beer and multi-bev. Alcohol Rebate Site Master List The following sites are relatively stable for each manufacturer. New offers usually come out every few months. None of these are affiliate links and I provide no assurance as to the process. I have saved so much money using rebates and hope you have similar success. Best practices and general process advice will be presented at the bottom. New sites will be added as I uncover them. Beer Rebates Boston Beer Company Brands - Angry Orchard, Dogfish head, Hard Moun...

🍺 Definitive Light Beer Tier List: Meta-Analysis & Ranking

Trends come and go: Craft Beer, Hard Seltzer, Canned Cocktails, and more. In the world of beverage, the currents are constantly shifting, but one drink has an irrevocable grip on America: Light Beer. Good old beer flavored beer may take a hit from new competition, but brands like Miller Lite and Michelob Ultra constantly sit at the top of sales volume lists, even with the fall of Bud Light and rise of Modelo's Flagship. But which light beer is best? Let's find out. Methodology - Light Beer Ranking Taste preferences vary significantly between consumers, but across a large sample we should be able to get a somewhat representative picture of the populations preferences. For this ranking, we will combine data sourced from multiple beer rating sites with an internal Castle & Cairn house ranking to create an overall beer quality score. The starting population of beer brands will be those that are explicitly branded as "flagship light" or beers with less than 100 calor...

Castle & Cairn

Search This Blog