Nerd Fuel: Dunkin’ – Ho Ho Honey Cinnamon

I tell you, it keeps getting harder and harder to find new seasonal coffees to try and review. But thankfully, Dunkin’ came through this year with a rather unusual offering – Ho Ho Honey Cinnamon. I found this flavor to be an interesting option. I’m a pretty big fan of cinnamon-flavored coffees. But I can’t say that I’ve ever seen it paired with honey. Before even tasting it, I had a pretty strong suspicion that this coffee was going to end up being either very good or absolute trash. Either way, I was curious to see how this was going to play out.

I became even more confused once I started brewing a cup. The aroma of the brew only seemed to have a hint of cinnamon to it. Instead, my nose was receiving a buttery/spicy smell that’s difficult to describe. It wasn’t bad. But I can’t say I’ve ever smelled a coffee quite like it.

The flavor of the coffee is also very unique. The honey is front and center and it’s very authentic tasting. The cinnamon is present, but it certainly takes a backseat in the flavor profile. Overall, I’d say the two flavors are well balanced, as the cinnamon could easily overtake the honey if they were 50/50 in the mix. So, I think Dunkin’ made the right choice here with the way they blended the flavors together. That being said, I’m not really sure why Dunkin’ is trying to pass this off as a holiday coffee. It doesn’t seem particularly festive. I suppose if I really wanted to stretch my imagination, I could say the taste is somewhat reminiscent of baklava. But, like I said, that’s really giving them some serious creative credit.

As far as flavored coffees go, you can certainly do a lot worse than this. I think on its own this coffee could have a pretty solid fan club. But I’m just not sure people who are in the market for a holiday brew are going to jump on a cinnamon/honey combo.

Still, if you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something unique, this is isn’t a bad option. I guess in that regard, my expectations of this being either incredible or absolute garbage  ended up not playing out. Instead, what we have here is a solid, middle-of-the-road average brew.

Score: 3 out of 4

Would buy again?: No. While this coffee doesn’t have a bad flavor at all. It’s just not the kind of thing I personally look for in a flavored coffee. I’m not the biggest fan of honey, so that might be the issue here. Still, it’s just not for me.