“Be Prepared” for Girl Scout Cookie Lattes

Chances are you’ve gone to Dunkin’ Donuts to get a drink. In fact, when I was waiting in line the other day, the five people in front of me all got some kind of coffee or latte. Now, I’m realizing why the company may have changed their name to Dunkin’ without the Donuts. (All of us are still going to call them Dunkin’ Donuts, though; it’s such an iconic name.) But while most people just order a classic coffee, iced coffee, or vanilla latte—the normal choices—three lesser-known, wild flavors are the new spring-exclusive Girl Scout Cookie drinks.

Girl Scout Cookie season is underway, and to recognize it, Dunkin’ Donuts signed an agreement with Girl Scouts of the USA to promote awareness about Girl Scouts and their work in our communities by providing three flavors based on the classic cookies: Coconut Caramel (based on Samoas), Shortbread (based on Trefoils and replacing last year’s Peanut Butter Cookie), and Thin Mints (based on…Thin Mints). These uniquely flavored drinks are the price of a regular latte, regardless of which size you order. They are also offered as a coffee or iced tea, though the latte is probably the most popular option.

Trefoil Latte [★★★]

At first sniff, I could not distinguish any difference between this and a regular coffee. It smelled good, of course, but nothing exceptional. The taste wasn’t much different—exactly like a regular coffee with a little sugar. In addition, the drink felt very thin in my mouth, as if it completely lacked any cream. The shortbread flavor was absent, and I wondered if they had given me a regular coffee by mistake. Perhaps it’s because shortbread is a relatively plain flavor, and it might be hard to incorporate it in a drink. A different Girl Scout cookie with a more distinct taste, such as the Savanna Smiles (lemon flavored), would have made a better option.

Thin Mints Latte [★★★★]

I was especially excited to taste this one because Thin Mints are my favorite Girl Scout Cookie. A hint of mint could be smelt right off the bat, so that was already a good sign, putting it over the Trefoil Latte. What was slightly disappointing, however, was the minimal mint flavor. While this drink was slightly creamier than the Trefoil Latte and contained more sugar, it tasted more like sweet milk chocolate than mint. Had the drink not been named a “Thin Mint” Latte, this drink would’ve been bomb, purely due to the chocolate.

Coconut Caramel Latte [★★★★½]

I had high expectations for this one, not just because I love Samoas, but also because this one was said to be the best flavor. And just from its vanilla and coconut scent, I agreed with this review. Though the chocolate was lacking, the vanilla and coconut flavors blended together perfectly. For someone who has never had a coconut drink before, I was pleasantly surprised: the sweetness was perfect and the texture was slightly creamy, not too thin. This drink also had the most flavor. In the other two drinks, one flavor always dominated the other, but in this, both the vanilla and coconut were distinguishable and mouthwatering. Despite not tasting completely like a Samoa because of its lack of chocolate, it was by far the best Girl Scout Cookie latte Dunkin’ Donuts had to offer.