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| Hot cocoa, the internet & Raphael Sbarge's darling face. |
HOW DOES THIS BLOGGER like to spend her Saturday nights? Re- watching episodes from her current favorite TV shows and writing reviews for her oddly- specific food blog, of course!
But hey, I suppose that's slightly more productive than just re-watching TV shows. Right?
Both Elementary and Once Upon A Time don't have new episodes out until February, so naturally I spent Saturday night re-watching previous episodes while trying not to cry into my cup of Starbucks Hot Cocoa with Salted Caramel. I'm only slightly exaggerating, because, DAMMIT, I NEED TO SEE THE NEXT EPISODE OF ELEMENTARY NOW.
... I mean, let's talk about Starbucks Hot Cocoa with Salted Caramel mix, shall we? I purchased this mix from Von's before this blog became more than a joke between friends, so I forgot to write down the price. But if I were to hazard a guess, I bought this mix for approximately $5. It came with six individual packets in a little cardboard box, and while the box was plain, at least it was easy enough to open. I wouldn't normally buy a Starbucks mix,* but this one piqued my curiosity. I'll admit, they had me at "salted caramel."
According to the back of the box, this mix makes a "dark, velvety cocoa with a pinch of sea salt and a dash of natural caramel flavor." Sea salt and caramel both taste fantastic with chocolate, but flavored mixes are always a bit of a gamble. More often than not the added flavoring is too strong or too weak or fails to taste how it's supposed to taste altogether. Also the box boasts that their mix is "made with ethically sourced cocoa" (though the box didn't carry a Fair Trade label). A cup of ethically-sourced salted caramel cocoa sounded good... in theory.
So what did I think? As promised, it had a dark chocolate taste and the salted caramel flavoring enriched the mix without overwhelming the drink. It genuinely tasted like Starbucks only used a "pinch" and a "dash" of the added flavors. The dark chocolate flavor straddled the border between "perfect" and "too rich," leaning towards "too rich" unfortunately. Also I don't know how to describe it, but something tasted a bit off. Not horribly off, but something about the overall taste keeps me from giving it a higher rating. I just wish I could put my finger on what.
That being said, I did like it and I was genuinely surprised that it tasted as good as it did. I might not buy it again, but I don't regret trying it. In fact, I might even make a cup while watching Elementary this Thursday night.
Presentation: ★★★☆☆According to the back of the box, this mix makes a "dark, velvety cocoa with a pinch of sea salt and a dash of natural caramel flavor." Sea salt and caramel both taste fantastic with chocolate, but flavored mixes are always a bit of a gamble. More often than not the added flavoring is too strong or too weak or fails to taste how it's supposed to taste altogether. Also the box boasts that their mix is "made with ethically sourced cocoa" (though the box didn't carry a Fair Trade label). A cup of ethically-sourced salted caramel cocoa sounded good... in theory.
So what did I think? As promised, it had a dark chocolate taste and the salted caramel flavoring enriched the mix without overwhelming the drink. It genuinely tasted like Starbucks only used a "pinch" and a "dash" of the added flavors. The dark chocolate flavor straddled the border between "perfect" and "too rich," leaning towards "too rich" unfortunately. Also I don't know how to describe it, but something tasted a bit off. Not horribly off, but something about the overall taste keeps me from giving it a higher rating. I just wish I could put my finger on what.
That being said, I did like it and I was genuinely surprised that it tasted as good as it did. I might not buy it again, but I don't regret trying it. In fact, I might even make a cup while watching Elementary this Thursday night.
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| Hot milk mixed with sea salted carmel cocoa |
Yummy taste: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★★☆ish
*Some people love Starbucks and some people absolutely hate it, but I'm mostly indifferent to Starbucks. I order their drinks and take advantage of their free wifi on occassion, but I tend to gravitate towards cafes with more personality.
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