Never before has an iced drink proved quite as divisive as the Dunkin' Donuts new Frozen Hot Chocolate (at least in our office anyway). Half of us were singing its praises, while the other half couldn't pour it down the drain fast enough. In fact, the treat sparked so much heated debate, it really should come with a warning label.
From the beginning, the drink had two things going against it: An oxymoronic name (how can something be both "frozen" and "hot"?). And, an irritating commercial, which seems to suggest that only stupid people indulge in it. Yet, The Stir staff was willing to ignore these drawbacks and embark on an unbiased taste test. Here are the results:
First, those who loved DD's Frozen Hot Chocolate numbered more than a few. Generally, they found it refreshing -- especially for summer -- and tasting exactly like you would expect hot chocolate over ice to taste.
It tastes like a treat I would love in the second grade -- cold and sweet.
And, one person was particularly enthusiastic about it:
It tastes like the best of both summer and winter combined -- don't know if I want to go skiing or head to the beach.
Now, on to the detractors in the bunch. We're so used to iced coffee drinks that without that strong bitter/nutty flavor from the coffee beans, the drink seemed a little weak and watery. Essentially, however, the most common complaint was its overpowering artificial flavor:
It's too thin -- tastes like Swiss Miss and ice cubes put through a blender.
And, some tasters were even more offended:
This frozen hot chocolate is disgusting. It's very fake-tasting. The after-taste is the worst part. I want to drink or eat something else right away to get the taste out of my mouth.
Here's the bottom line: If you don't mind the taste of instant hot cocoa mixes and whipped cream from a can, then you'll probably find DD's Frozen Hot Chocolate to be quite delicious. Sure, it will make homemade hot chocolate purists grimace, but the overwhelming chocolaty syrup flavor will likely satisfy an afternoon sugar craving (as long as you don't mind the 430 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 77 grams of sugar).