Nearly every coffee shop has their version of a blended coffee creation – Starbuck’s has the Frappucino, Dunkin’ Donuts has the Coolatta, Seattle’s Best has the JavaKula, and many neighborhood coffee shops have their own version – they’re all the rage! Sweeter and thicker than a latte, they are part coffee and part frozen treat. You’ll need a sweet tooth to enjoy these creations, but they are a cool treat and can be a nice break from your standard cup of joe, while still offering the jolt you need.
When I heard that Cold Stone Creamery had introduced their own blended coffee drinks, Sweet Cream Lattes and Flavored Lattes, I was intrigued. Cold Stone’s Lattes are avaible iced or blended and come in three sizes - Like It, Love It, and Gotta Have It (aka small, medium, and large). I eagerly ordered up a small Raspberry Truffle Mocha Latte Light (the light is lower in fat). The clerk seemed confused by my order and took a very long time for my drink to be made.
When my drink was finished, I peered into the cup. It was a pinkish-greyish color but it appeared thick and frappe-like. I took a sip. At first, it tasted like nothing…then, a horribly bitter after-taste. I refrained from grimacing in the store, but when we left I scowled. I thought that perhaps my drink hadn’t been well-blended enough, so I stirred it vigorously with the straw and tried it again. Still, I couldn’t detect any chocolate or raspberry flavoring - it was thick and bland with a bitter aftertaste, probably from whatever coffee product was within. I stirred it again and my husband tried it – sure that my face was an exaggeration - but he grimaced and asked if we should go try to get our money back (we didn’t). I tried one more sip, just to remind myself that it was okay to throw away an entire coffee drink, and then tossed it. I drink Starbuck’s Frappucino Lites often enough to know that a blended coffee drink should not taste like this.
I headed to a nearby Borders where I ordered a Cookies N’ Cream flavored JavaKula at the Seattle’s Best Cafe within the store. Much, much better – it was sweet, with nice flavors of chocolate and coffee and lovely bits of chocolate cookie throughout. A perfect treat for a summer afternoon – and, as a bonus, it got the taste of the Sweet Cream Latte out of my mouth (which wasn’t sweet or latte-like at all). I guess the moral of the story is to stick to Cold Stone for ice cream and coffee shops for blended coffee drinks.
