Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees Review: A Treat For Fans Of Cloying Coffee
The rise and fall of Four Loko during the mid-to-late 2000s likely led many consumers to conclude that caffeinated alcoholic beverages are illegal under U.S. law. Yet the FDA only took action against Four Loko in 2010 because the brand added caffeine to its product. Hence, if you're wondering how Dunkin' could legally release its new Spiked Iced Coffee line, it's rather simple: The ban on caffeinated booze doesn't apply to drinks with preexisting caffeine.
Now, the new Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee flavors — announced in mid-August 2023, along with the concurrently new Spiked Iced Teas line — does, in fact, contain caffeine. But with a mere 30 milligrams found in each 12-ounce can – much less than a typical cup of non-alcoholic coffee — it's hardly a successor to the far-more-potent Four Loko cans that college students from the 21st century's first decade (sort of) remember.
Regardless of how much caffeine is found in each new Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee flavor, though, once it was announced, we knew we had to try it as soon as possible. And thanks to Dunkin's generosity, we were able to do just that. After gleefully taste-testing each new flavor, we're proud to present our critical analysis. So without further ado, here's our review of the Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees.
What's in Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee?
First off, as is made perfectly clear on the label and in the company's promotional materials, each new Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee flavor is made with real coffee. But there's obviously more in this new line of beverages than coffee — there's also alcohol derived from fermented sugar.
Now, there are four Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee flavors to choose from: Original Iced Coffee, Caramel Iced Coffee, Mocha Iced Coffee, and Vanilla Iced Coffee. Yet what, precisely, is added to each of these four beverages to create the expected flavor profiles is unknown. After all, beyond what's listed on the box and the side of each can, there appears to be little publicly available information regarding what's actually contained in each Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee.
In other words, we can promise you that each can of Spiked Iced Coffee from Dunkin' will have real coffee, natural flavors, and artificial flavors. Unfortunately, as much as we'd love to reveal more, we can only share the information we have at our disposal.
How much does Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee cost?
We're not always capable of providing an accurate estimate for what a new food or drink item will cost. This review presents a particular problem: Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees aren't for sale yet as of this writing.
Now, just because Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees can't be found at liquor stores at the time of this review, that doesn't mean we're incapable of providing a relatively accurate price range. After all, Dunkin' has already released its Spiked Iced Teas to the public, and we'd presume the Spiked Iced Coffees will be sold at a similar price point.
In that sense, since a 12-pack of Dunkin' Spiked Iced Teas tends to cost between $16 and $20 each, we think it's fair to say a 12-pack of the Spiked Iced Coffees will be about the same. Additionally, just as the standard, Slightly Sweet Spiked Iced Tea is available as a single 19.2-ounce can for $3 to $4 each, expect a 19.2-ounce can of the Original Iced Coffee to fall in that price range, as well. We don't want to guess about the four-packs of 12-ounce Original Ice Coffee cans, because Dunkin' isn't offering an iced tea equivalent just now.
How long is Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee available and where?
As we mentioned in the previous slide, the new Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees aren't yet available for purchase as of August 2023. In fact, while the Spiked Iced Teas can already be found at select locations in certain states, the Spiked Iced Coffees won't be in stores until early September 2023.
Now, as you might have guessed, we can't say exactly what day the Spiked Iced Coffees will be found on shelves. But given this new product is being advertised as a permanent addition to the Dunkin' portfolio — rather than a seasonal or limited-time item like the Harpoon Dunkin' Box O' Beer – you can likely assume the Spiked Iced Coffees will be fairly easy to find by the end of September 2023.
Unfortunately, you won't be able to buy Spiked Iced Coffees at any actual Dunkin' restaurant. Additionally, not every U.S. state will have Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees for sale right off the bat — though the company is quick to note that may change in "2024 and beyond." For the time being, consumers in or near the following 14 states will be able to purchase Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees beginning in September 2023: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.
What is the nutrition info for Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee?
Unlike the non-boozy iced coffee typically sold by Dunkin', the nutrition info for the new Spiked Iced Coffee isn't as easy to ascertain. In fact, while the calories, fat, and sugar content is almost stunningly simple to find for standard Dunkin' iced coffees (with or without any additional flavor swirls, sugar, or dairy), there doesn't appear to be any information available regarding those same nutritional stats for the Spiked Iced Coffees.
Of course, considering each of the new Spiked Iced Coffee flavors contains a substantial 6.0% ABV, and are boozified (so to speak) with fermented sugar, they're not the sort of beverages one should view as a pillar of health. And given the excessively saccharine flavor of each Spiked Iced Coffee variety, we'd be willing to bet there's a pretty significant amount of sugar in each can, as well.
If nothing else, though, the new Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees are safe for lactose intolerant individuals to consume, as there's no dairy in any flavor. But on that same note, any gluten sensitive folks should stay away, as grains are used in the production process — meaning the Spiked Iced Coffees aren't gluten free.
How does it compare to other Dunkin' products?
While the Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees are the company's first attempt to market alcoholic versions of its beloved iced coffee, it isn't the first time the fast food chain has released a branded alcohol product. Of course, unlike the Harpoon Dunkin' collaborations of years past, the new Spiked Iced Coffees aren't simply beers brewed and flavored with the fast food chain's coffee or food. In other words, the Spiked Iced Coffees aren't really comparable to any of the Harpoon Dunkin' beers — though we're sure the Spiked Iced Coffees and Spiked Iced Teas wouldn't exist without the Harpoon-brewed precursor.
Additionally, despite the clear connection to well-liked non-alcoholic iced coffee flavor swirls sold at Dunkin' locations, the Spiked Iced Coffees don't taste especially similar to their booze-free counterparts. In fact, the only thing we can say for sure is that the four Spiked Iced Coffee flavors are just as cloying as any sugar-and-cream-filled version from a Dunkin' restaurant.
Do we wish the Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees were closer to their non-alcoholic alternatives (flavor-wise) along the lines of, say, the Spiked Iced Teas (which, in our estimation, were imperceptible from the regular versions)? Of course. But we're not here to project our hopes and dreams — only to relay the facts as we uncover them.
Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee Verdict: A quartet of excessively saccharine beverages
Initially, we intended to write a separate slide for each new Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffee variety. But after tasting each flavor, the reality became clear — namely, that there's little-to-no difference in the overall drinking experience between the four of them. More than that, unless you're a fan of sickly sweet, overly rich iced coffees, you'll likely walk away as disappointed in this new Dunkin' product as we did.
Now, we're not saying all four of the supremely saccharine Spiked Iced Coffees tasted identical, per se. In fact, we could easily identify each flavor in a blind taste test. The Original Iced Coffee reminded us of a cheap, off-brand Kahlúa cocktail, while the Caramel Iced Coffee tasted akin to a generic bottle of syrup infused with an artificial butter flavor. We did find the Mocha Iced Coffee a tad more palatable, perhaps owing to the chocolatey portion of mocha. But the Vanilla Iced Coffee felt like taking a shot of vanilla extract — which, as you might imagine, was fairly nauseating.
Clearly, then, we weren't fans of Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees ... yet we still might recommend it to a certain segment of the population. If you're the type of person who enjoys sugar-filled iced coffees, you may find something to love with this new product. As for us, we'll stick with the exorbitantly better Spiked Iced Teas, instead.