Holiday shopping season. Hurrah.
If it's not Black Friday then it's Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday or Giving Tuesday or it's any of those extended for one whole week or more. And of course it's complete with the TV ads and jingles and must-buy lists and all that. Apparently this year I am supposed to find a good deal on something called "Fingerlings" for my kids. No, not play potatoes....something like some sort of animal toy that hangs on to your finger. Flamingos and sloths or something like that. It's another must buy item at a must buy time of year...because someone is telling us so.
Well, I can't be too opposed to the whole notion behind all this holiday buying nonsense....because you must go buy Trader Joe's Chocolate Peppermint Almond Beverage! Right now! While supplies last! Your holidays will be incomplete without it! Go! Go! Gooooooooooooooo!!!!
Alright, alright, let's catch our breath a little bit. I mean, this seasonally festive TJ's drink is a pretty decent beverage after all. There's a little extra creaminess that most almond-based milk-type substances seem to lack that's a real nice touch. It's smooth and very non-chalky, with a small hint of almond taste to give away that it's not the usual cow juice type deal for its base. That nuttiness certainly isn't too heavy handed. The chocolate part is fairly rich and somewhat decadent - it'll hit your sweet tooth for sure.
It's the peppermint part that could be construed as problematic. If consumed cold, the mint is bit much, like these matching Christmas pajamas. There's nothing too wrong with it, and it's kinda cute, but it's just a bit much. Yet when heated to hot cocoa-type temperatures (i.e., it's prime consumption mode) a lot of the mintiness just disappears. It's still there, but the chocolate really kinda takes over, with only a hint o' peppermint. I wish it'd be more minty then.
Regardless, for a dairy-free holiday option, the chocolate peppermint almond beverage is a pretty good and reasonable buy. It's only $1.79 for the quart carton, so it's a good product at a reasonable price...and since it's shelf stable at room temperature, hey, stock up if that's your thing. Just no trying to charge five times MSRP on eBay for it. I'm thinking of you, you Fingerling hucksters, you...grumble. Both the wife and I are gonna hit it with a fourspot.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Chocolate Peppermint Almond Beverage: 8 out of 10 Golden Spoons
SPOTTED: Monster Ultra Vice Guava Energy Drink
3 hours ago
I wasn't that into it, the minty flavor was just weird in my hot chocolate- like i brushed my teeth and then drank hot chocolate. (Really didn't like this cold). And it's a lot of sugar. And i want to add marshmallows!
ReplyDeleteI buy the refridgerated unsweetened vanilla almond milk all the time and just heat it up with some cocoa powder or a half serving of the euro sipping chocolate powder and it's delicious and lower sugar so i can add those marshmallows which add enough sweetness for me.
The mini marshmallows are super awesome because they melt evenly and don't have weirdness like pork gelatin.
Ttrockwood
I agree with Ttrockwood. 17 grams of sugar for 8 oz is a little much. I might give his combo a try with the mini marshmallows,some of the Euro sipping chocolate and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. And if I wanted a bit of mint I could throw in a dash of peppermint oil or fresh mint leaves. I am definitely not vegan but this does sound like good mix.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather eat my sugar calories opposed to drinking them, especially in such a small quantity.
I think I might try spiking with Kahlua.
ReplyDeleteKahlua with chocolate, yes... but with mint?! My eyebrows are currently residing somewhere near my hairline.
DeleteKahlua? Excellent idea......alot of Kahlua...lol.
ReplyDelete