Critic Rating: 7.5/10

The holiday break is quickly approaching, with Dunkin adding four festive drinks to its menu: the Toasted White Chocolate Iced Signature Latte, Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte, Cookie Butter Cold Brew, and Spiced Cookie Iced Coffee. Despite their elongated titles, these drinks received outstanding reviews upon release, with the Toasted White Chocolate Latte being the most popular. Holiday-themed beverages have gained immense popularity over the past few years. For these reasons, I visited Dunkin’s Ditmars-Steinway location in Queens with high hopes and ranked them from least to most favorite.

Spiced Cookie Iced Coffee (6/10)

Ingredients: Includes espresso, milk, peppermint mocha syrup, topped with whipped cream, mocha sauce, and hot chocolate powder.This drink didn’t particularly stick out to me compared to the other ones. At first glance, it looks like a normal iced coffee and smells like vanilla. It tasted like a vanilla sugar cookie, which was a pleasant surprise. However, it quickly felt watered down and wasn’t strong enough or sweet enough for me. 

Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte (7/10)

The swirls of chocolate in the foam and the smell of warm mint tea gave me a remarkable first impression. Personally, I don’t like the taste of peppermint, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the peppermint didn’t overpower the drink. Even so, I would have preferred it if this beverage had a stronger mocha taste. Nonetheless, the warmth and scent of the latte make it perfect for the frigid weather.

Toasted White Chocolate Iced Signature Latte (8/10)

Before trying it, I immediately noticed how visually alluring it was, and how it smelled like cinnamon. Along with its appearance and scent, it had an indescribable nostalgic taste. Regardless of these qualities, it was slightly too sweet for me. Nevertheless, I can picture myself drinking this throughout the winter, since the combination of caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla brought a creamy, rich flavor that perfectly encompasses the current festive spirit.

Cookie Butter Cold Brew (9/10)

This cold brew became my new favorite drink from Dunkin. It has a stunning ombré of colors and smells like caramel. The texture of the cookie pieces combined with the perfect level of sweetness and strength left a rich taste of brown sugar and cinnamon. Even though the beverage didn’t necessarily taste like what it advertised, it was still outstanding. 

Out of all of these drinks, I strongly recommend the Cookie Butter Cold Brew and the Toasted White Chocolate Iced Signature Latte. They truly impressed me and became two of my favorite drinks at Dunkin. Despite this, there are many delicious holiday foods and beverages to choose from based on your preferences, whether your favorite festive flavors are gingerbread and vanilla or peppermint and chocolate.