Baskin-Robbins & Dunkin Donuts Team Up

[New for 2018] Alright, I mentioned the Dunkin Donuts - Baskin-Robbins flavor collaboration in the 2018 flavor guide, but I decided to give one of the flavors a try when they were massively on sale last week. The two things to remember here are: 1) Baskin is owned by Dunkin and 2) Baskin at home isn't as high a quality as their scoop shop stuff. (I'm sure they don't appreciate me saying that but it's the truth. Did you really expect the same quality for 1/2 the cost? hehehe)

Baskin-Robbins Dunkin Donuts Ice Cream
Coffee  -  Coffee Chocolate Chip  -  French Vanilla Coffee

Why did Dunkin change my beloved Coolatta?

Look, I've been drinking Coolattas since they first came out. I don't remember exactly when I feel in love with the Strawberry one, but I remember them setting up on a Boston street and handing out free samples of the "new" coolatta in the 90s. I think my wife and I tried the vanilla bean one at the time, but I'm not positive. My point is it has been forever, and now, in 2018, they've finally gone and ruined the Coolatta. Why I ask, WHY?

No, it's not totally dead to me, I will still get them on occasion, but the switch to a much finer ice particle has taken away the magic that was the strawberry coolatta. I can't tell you how many times that I would grab an icy cold strawberry coolatta to help with one of my headaches. Or how about those fun days where I would take a long walk to get one with one of their discontinued lunchtime sandwiches. Man Dunkin, you sure have wormed your way out of my heart.

I now open the floor to anyone else who would like to vent about Dunkin, whether it's their coolattas or lackluster donuts or something missing on their menu.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Reader Meghan is right! You can still get a Coolatta the "old" way! I felt a little silly asking, but the very nice lady behind the counter was like "no no, I never use the new Oasis machine for coolattas". She made my beloved Strawberry Coolatta the way I love it and off I went on my drive home. Guess I need to be careful on all my future orders!

Dunkin Donuts Wildberry Smoothie

[New for June 2016] So there is a new wildberry smoothie at Dunkin Donuts that I've been meaning to try for several weeks now. Technically I've never actually tried any of their other smoothies, but as I always say in my Dunkin reviews, I adore strawberry coolattas, so I often hesitate to try something else. Complicate that with the fact that the first Dunkin I went to doesn't offer smoothies. Anyway, we're here now and it's time to try...

Dunkin Donuts Wildberry Smoothie

creamy low-fat yogurt, blended with real strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry

Dunkin Donuts Chips Ahoy Coolatta

Hello Nosh Show Listeners! As the guy who almost puked up the Oreo Coolatta when it first came out, I was a little afraid of this new Chips Ahoy Coolatta... but still it kept calling to me. Maybe it's the urge to nosh everything new but I'm going to take a risk and try this for everyone.

Dunkin Donuts Chips Ahoy Coolatta

Speaking of noshing, on Episode 58 of the Nosh Show we talk Turkey, just kidding, but we do talk spam, pizza with hot dogs in the crust, pretzels and cookies among other things. Oh, be sure to listen all the way through to the end of the show... and now back to the coolatta!

The Nosh Show Episode 50

Oh man, where does the time go? It just keeps flying on by without a care for my to-do list. I mean, can you believe we made it to Episode 50 of the Nosh Show already? I know it's literally just a number, but we're all conditioned to think that 50 of anything is a big deal.

Speaking of time flying by, my Nosh of the Week was Dunkin Donuts February special.... that I picked up on Sunday, March 1st. It was dumb luck that my local DD was still making these and I have to say that the brownie batter donuts are amazing. It's a chocolate covered donut filled with a chocolate frosting like substance and I was entranced with every bite. I also tried the cookie dough donut (the one their with chocolate chips on top) about an hour later but it just didn't click the same way. One, the frosting drowns out the filling, and two, the filling doesn't really taste like cookie dough. It's sweet, but it's more gooey (less gritty) than the brownie batter filling. Oh well, at least me and the Mrs. tried them before it was too late.

Ok, enjoy the show and have a good week everyone.

Dunkin Donuts Croissant Donuts

Hello Nosh Show listeners! Episode 42 is alive and well and awaiting your listen. We forgo "let's chew on this" in favor of a double sized helping of Nosh or Not. We also recap Marvo's runt-filled Halloween failings and everyone's apparent love of Reeses... or money, we had a bit of trouble agreeing on exactly why Ryan got almost half of your votes.

Since followup was a bit light this week, we took a minute to discuss the new overpriced Croissant Donut from Dunkin Donuts. While it's not a bad product, it's plenty tasty enough, it just reminds me way too much of the larger and cheaper DD coffee roll that I adore (it's a giant glazed cinnamon roll basically). Feel free to try this faux cronut once, but after that, try the coffee roll and you'll see what I mean. You can also check out second opinions at GrubGrade and The Impulsive Buy.

Have a good week everyone!

My new Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Pie Coolatta was kind of horrendous

Disclaimer: On Sept 3rd, DD announced a pumpkin COFFEE coolatta. However, this week they started advertising a pumpkin PIE coolatta. Is it possible I got the wrong thing? It certainly didnt smell like coffee, plus it's not dark like the coffee version either. Maybe I got everything but the squirt of pumpkin (though I did see something orange in my cup before it was mixed). Whatever happened, take this angry review with a grain of salt.

[New for Fall 2014] Sorry to start this with the shocking headline, but this thing smells and tastes like a wet cigarette. I just don't know how else to describe the shocking spice imbalance in this thing. Ugg, just forced sip number three, this stuff is terrible.

Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Pie Coolatta

"a creamy, indulgent treat made with real pumpkin puree and spice flavors, 

with crunchy graham crumbles mixed in"

Dunkin Donuts Soft Serve Menu Coolatta Float, Extra Thick Shakes, Mix-ins & Cones

It's not often that I get the scoop on anything, and really it's just dumb luck that a friend of a friend of a friend spied these, but guess what Dunkin Donuts is testing in good old central Mass? Oh yeah, years after Baskin-Robbins has disappeared from our area, softserve has returned to at least a few select Dunkin Donuts locations!

Dunkin Donuts Extra Thick Shakes, Mix-ins, and Coolatta Floats!

Mix-ins are either Oreo or M&Ms

Shakes are Coffee, Chocolate or Vanilla

Coolatta floats are Coffee, Strawberry and Orange

(and we've got traditional soft serve cones)

Dunkin Donuts "New" Arnold Palmer Coolatta and the return of the Watermelon Coolatta

Let's get caught up with the summer selection of coolattas shall we? Rather then bringing back any of last year's coolattas, Dunkin Donuts has chosen instead to bring back a few older choices instead. Oreo returns from 2012, Watermelon returns from 2009/2010 and the Arnold Palmer appears to just be a rename of the frozen ice tea lemonade coolatta from a few years back.

Dunkin Donuts Arnold Palmer Coolatta
Dunkin Donuts Watermelon Coolatta

The Nosh Show Episode #11, Strawberry Lemonshade Slurpee, and the Strawberry Lemonade Coolatta

Are you ready for some food inspired silliness?

Episode 11 of The Nosh Show is now available! Head on over to The Nosh Show website to listen to see a complete rundown of everything we talked about. We got pretty silly in this episode as we mock everything from waffles to guitars (it'll make sense, don't worry). Instead of chew on this, we do a new segment where we all try the same food... hopefully at some point this segment will feature an ice cream! Hehehehe, or at least a candy bar! or cookies! or... ok, I'll stop. Please enjoy this latest episode and feel free to leave comments here or on the nosh show website.

Dunkin Donuts Raspberry Lime Coolatta

[New for 2013] Sorry, no new Nosh Show today, that's next Monday, but can we talk about Dunkin Donuts anyway since my nosh show cohorts Junk Food Guy, GrubGrade, and the Impulsive Buy have all posted glazed donut breakfast sandwich reviews. See, I love Dunkin Donuts, and not just for their donuts and strawberry coolattas. I love them because it's realistically the only place I can walk to for lunch. No, I don't eat donuts for lunch (at least not on a weekday), instead, I grab one of their sandwiches. So far their ham and cheese on a french roll is my favorite, but that might change.

I walked over to Dunkin for lunch on Thursday (about a mile and a half round trip) and grabbed myself the new Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich and the new Raspberry Lime coolatta. I tend not to drink things that are green, but after reading reviews of how terrible the hot chocolate coolatta is (a.k.a. the old frozen hot chocolate), I decided lime was the way to go.

New Dunkin Donuts Berry Blast Coolatta Review

[New for 2013] I love coolattas, well, I love strawberry coolattas and I long for the day when another coolatta takes it's rightful place as a worthy successor to my beloved favorite. There have been plenty of imposters, coolattas that lacked the fruity puree that makes strawberry so special. Well, on the way to work what do I hear but the traffic being brought to me by the new berry blast coolatta. Yeah, I'm excited.

So here is the new Dunkin Donuts Berry Blast Coolatta. 

I almost puked up the new Oreo Coolatta

[New for Summer 2012, returned for Spring 2014, returned for Summer 2015]

I try really hard not to be disgusting on this blog. I want it to be the kind of blog you can show your kids without fear of scarring them for life, or even for a few moments. However, even I have my limits and I literally almost puked up my Oreo Coolatta while coming home on the Mass Pike Friday night. (Note: The Chips Ahoy! Coolatta isn't much better)

Sure, he looks innocent enough, but evil lurks inside!

Dunkin Donuts Tropicana Orange Coolatta Review

Funny, according to this article, the Tropicana Orange Coolatta came out in 2005, but it seems like it's been so much longer than that -- WHOA, just had a flash back to when Coolattas first came out in the mid 90s and Dunkin Donuts was driving around Boston giving out free samples.

So here it is, and I don't think I've had one since... Iunno, 2005? hehehe. This was always my wife's favorite, but I've always been addicted to the strawberry. Hey, couples aren't suppose to agree on everything.

The going theory was that it pretty much tasted like an orange creamscicle, but now that my tastes have matured I'd say it's more orange than cream. Well, either I changed or maybe they've tweaked the formula over the years. It's definitely got more of an orange bite to it so I wound up taking things pretty slow. It's respectable, but it just doesn't satisfy my sweet tooth like the strawberry.

For the record, I begin everyday with a glass of Tropicana Orange Juice (no pulp, extra calcium). In fact, I get kinda cranky if I don't get my morning OJ. That said, I don't know if I could actually start my day with an orange coollatta (says the man who eats ice cream on the way to work).

2013 Update #1: Not sure when it happened, but this is now just the Orange Coolatta

2013 Update #2 (end of April): This is now just the Minute Maid Orange Coolatta

Captain America gets his own Cherry Coolatta

So there I am, driving to work, getting off the highway, when I hear the big news. Captain America, the first avenger, has somehow acquired his own coolatta flavor, and it's cherry flavored no less! That's right, Dunkin Donuts has sold out, and they've gone all out on this one. Now I wanted to stop right then and there to pick one up, but I had work to do. I guess it will have to wait 'til lunch.

You know, I mock DD for selling out, but at the same time, I had trouble waiting for lunchtime. I love my strawberry coolatta and I long for the day for it to have a sweet and worthy adversary.

Dunkin Donuts Mountain Dew Coolatta

[New for 2011] Having only gotten around 4 hours of broken sleep because of my poor sick daughter last night, I decided a midday sugary pick me up seemed in order. Sure I could go with my favorite strawberry coolatta, but  why not try something new?

Here is the new Mountain Dew coolatta. It kind of looks like half frozen lemon-lime gatorade.... kinda taste like half frozen lemon-lime gatorade too, just with some extra sweetener.

Dunkin Donuts Blue Raspberry Coolatta Review

Have you heard that silly radio spot for the two new Coolatta flavors? the one about mixing the red of the new watermelon flavor and the blue of the new blue raspberry flavor? Well, consider yourself lucky if you haven't. Never the less, I was somewhat excited about the new flavor until I saw this...

Holy Freholy that's a bright blue drink!

Early on as kids we learn a simple truth: Purple raspberry things tend to taste like raspberry and blue raspberry things tend to taste like fake-raspberry flavored sugar.

This bad boy is no exception, and I do mean bad. Granted, coolattas can vary depending on how well they are made, but man, this one is painfully potent. I'm thankful it only cost me $2.13 so that I don't have to feel so guilty about wasting my money... actually, that's not true. I spent my two bucks so that you don't have to.

Oh, that's got bite. It hits you as you start drinking, you keep drinking, and then as soon as you stop the aftertaste really bites you.

So, welcome blue raspberry as yet ANOTHER uninspired member of the coolatta family (and I thought the grape coolatta was disappointing). I will never understand why the strawberry coolatta has real berry bits in it yet every flavor since then seems to be some sham freeze pop flavor.

man this thing is awful like the one from TGI Fridays.

2011 Update: First, technically the watermelon coolatta debuted in 2009, so I'm not sure why they were treating it as new in 2010. Second, the blue raspberry has made it to 2011 but the watermelon coolatta did not. Shocking!

2013 Update: Spring is in full swing and the Blue Raspberry Coolatta has returned!

2014 Update: Blue Raspberry returns.... and he brought watermelon with him!

The short lived life of the Grape Coolatta

I almost wet myself the other night when I realized that my favorite sugary drink the Coolatta comes in grape now! i know it's late and I haven't slept much, but could this be real? a grape coolatta? this has to be a dream! I was so confused I actually asked if the menu was right!

I love Strawberry Coolattas: sugary, icy, and a nice flavor with bits of what appears to be real strawberries. Could this same greatness come to grapeness?

Well it sure looks official in that cup, but for some strange reason, the flavors of grape and watermelon are in a different font then the standard menu flavors of strawberry and Tropicana orange. hmmmmm. how odd.

Who cares really, I couldn't wait to try it. I take a taste and it reminds me of ....a grape freeze pop. it's not bad, and I'm really thirsty, but I can't say it has that usual coolatta quality about it. Talk about setting your expectations way too high.

Well, I just looked at the site and it's official: I've been had! That corner store pulled a fast one. There is no grape coolatta on the Dunkin' Donuts website. Oh well...

Update: I haven't been had after all!! I just happen to stumble upon a store test marketing this cheesey new beverage! Grape Coolattas are now an official yet unsatisfying part of the Dunkin Donuts Menu. Maybe I'll try another one some time, but why would I want to when I have the oh say tasty Strawberry to run with? (I just had one two days ago and it was as tasty as ever).

Update 2011: The grape coolatta is long gone. I want to say they survived for the 2010 season, but I'm not even sure anymore. Seems like all the new fangled flavors are poorly thought out and have the life span to prove it. I just don't get why they don't put more effort into these things.