Wondershop Hot Chocolate Drink Bombs

The premise of the next Home Alone movie: Now-adult Kevin McCallister is flying home to Chicago from New York City to visit his family and have a lovely Christmas in that beautiful, ginormous house from the first film. He swings by Target on his way to LaGuardia and picks up a bunch of these hot beverage chocolate and marshmallow mixers. As he passes through security, he happens to mention that his suitcase is "full of bombs," of course innocently referring to this particular product. Thinking he's referring to a different kind of "bomb," TSA promptly seizes McCallister, once again endearingly portrayed by Macaulay Culkin, and interrogates him at airport security.

Another hilarious mishap coincides with these goings-on that surround Kevin, as the real terrorists have their luggage switched with Kevin's by a pair of bumbling airline clerks, Harry and Marv, who have just recently started their jobs after hard time in prison. Madcap antics ensue as the foreign terrorist cell attempts in vain to detonate balls of chocolate filled with marshmallows and Kevin McCallister is unwittingly on the hook for having real explosives in his Christmas vacation luggage! Pure hilarity.

But seriously though, makes you wonder whose idea it was to call these "bombs." I would have gone with "spherical surprises," "wonderglobs," or "balls of joy" before I'd use the term "bombs." Eh, whatevs. It's Christmas and nobody's thinking of terrorism or war, we hope. As long as you say "hot chocolate drink" before the word "bombs," I think we'll avoid problems with TSA.

These are fun. That's all I have to say. They look cool, they taste pretty good, and I've never had anything like them. I'm glad three different flavors come in the pack. The white chocolate is my favorite, followed by milk chocolate, and finally dark chocolate is my least favorite, but it's still pretty tasty.

I suppose it depends on how hot you've got your milk, but at first, the sphere just sits there, floating in your soon-to-be hot chocolate—it's just hot milk at this point. Then, there's a delightful moment when the surface of the "bomb" is breached. With my first one, it was audible. A little "pffft" came from the ball. Fun, like I said.

I'm not a patient man, so rather than wait and see if the bomb would completely dissolve on its own, I poked it with a spoon and discovered that the ball would fill with milk and quickly drop to the bottom of my mug. At that point, it began dissolving more swiftly, and one by one, mini-marshmallows buoyed up to the surface in rapid succession. I stirred again for a bit, and voila: a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows.

I'd like to see more flavors of this in the future. Strawberry, salted caramel, Irish cream. I could go on.

$3.99 for three bombs in one pack. They would make a great stocking stuffer.

I give these hot chocolate drink bombs 8 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Cucumber Mint Sparkling Water

Water? Why in the world would I review water when I haven't even looked at those vegan ice creams from Archer Farms?

Oddly, we're never staying close enough to a Target store. I'm always afraid the ice cream will melt completely before we get back to our campground. Water is already melted. It might pick up a little plastic flavor from the bottle in the hot sun, but at least it won't leak out of its container.

Anyway, on to the review. Plenty of carbonation, no calories, no fat, no sodium...all things I love. When it's ice cold, cucumber water can be very refreshing. They serve it in fancy waiting rooms. Just a few slices of cucumber and a sprig or two of mint can turn boring old water into a gourmet affair.

That's what they're going for here. I'd say it's a moderate success IF you like the flavors of cucumber and mint. You can taste both, especially the mint. If anything, I would have erred the product toward less mint, more cucumber, but that's just me. Mint can be refreshing, but it can also be very annoying if you aren't wanting a bunch of it.

Some might think consuming this beverage is a bit like drinking mouthwash. It's definitely more subtle than an actual mouth rinse flavor, but if you're not craving a blast of mint, it could be a little off-putting. I'd be happy to drink this if I were super hot or thirsty, but in general, I'd prefer one of the fruit flavors.

Cucumber by itself might be a little better for general thirst quenching purposes.

I give this sparkling water 6 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Mix

If you're zeroing in on a product with "Pumpkin Spice" in the title and a big illustration of a pumpkin and cinnamon sticks on the packaging, then chances are you like the taste of pumpkin spice and want a fair amount of it in said product.

I'm not saying pumpkin spice can't be overdone, because it certainly can. There's a fine line between not quite enough pumpkin spice and WAY TOO MUCH—but I'll just tell you right now that this beverage errs on the side of "not enough pumpkin spice."

It's there, but it's very subtle—overshadowed by the taste of traditional hot cocoa. There's just a whisper of cinnamon and nutmeg, particularly at the finish. Even pumpkin spice-haters and people quite tired of the ubiquitous orange gourd and its complimentary seasonings could probably stand this warm, autumnal beverage.

A while back, my wife bought a bunch of fancy paper cups with plastic sippy lids and cardboard heat guard thingies so she could feel like she was having fancy coffee shop coffee even when it's normal instant stuff or, in this case, instant hot cocoa. Sonia made this pumpkin spice hot cocoa with milk, and it turned out to be high-quality, creamy, and overall pretty tasty.

No major complaints. It just doesn't taste that much like pumpkin spice.

I give this hot cocoa mix 7 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Mocha Cold Brew Coffee

I always have to preface coffee reviews with the disclaimer that I'm not really a "coffee guy." How unAmerican, right? I know.

I'm not saying I've never had coffee. I've had plenty of it. I just don't really like it as much as other people seem to—at least in most instances. I've been a coffee-drinker out of necessity from time to time. I've had to wake up at ridiculous hours to be at work by 6am, I've braved the cheap stuff in the office coffee pot while trying to shake myself out of that post-lunch food coma, and I've had it in place of an energy drink just to change things up.

But I'm not a "true coffee-lover" by a true coffee-lover's standards. However...

If all coffee tasted like this, I might be a little more inclined to drink it every day. There's a genuine coffee flavor, but it's already lightly sweetened, and it tastes like mocha—not a sticky sweet candy chocolate mocha, either. It's a subtle dark, earthy chocolate that blends perfectly with the cold brew coffee flavor. It's thin and chuggable, and even I didn't feel the need to add any extra sugar or creamer.

I can't imagine this flavor working quite as well hot, but maybe that's because the heat index here in South Jersey is well over a hundred degrees today. Cold is the only way to consume coffee in this weather. I've generally gravitated toward cold beverages my whole life. I'll do an ice cold Rockstar in January, but a piping hot cuppa in August? Not so much. And lucky for me, cold brew coffee was meant to be consumed chilled.

The wife—a certified coffee fan—loved this flavor as much as I did. We'll be checking out the other AF cold brew offerings in the near future. Stay tuned.

I give this coffee 9 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Grapefruit Sparkling Water

I may have mentioned this previously, but I used to be heavily addicted to soda. When I was just out of college, jobless, paying off student debt, and not yet living the dream that I am now, I did all my grocery shopping at the nearby Walmart. Now I only do 85% of my shopping at Walmart—and the rest at Target, obviously. Walmart Supercenter groceries are dirt cheap. A flat of 32 Dr. Thunders was just around $3 and some change. Each can was less than ten cents. I did the math. It was actually cheaper than water. Okay, maybe not cheaper than tap water, but tap is bad for you anyway.

Long story short: in those days, I drank more Dr. Thunder than water because it was cost effective.

But then I got obese and my digestive system no longer functioned thanks to high fructose corn syrup overload. So I slowly switched to diet sodas. I was slightly less fat, but the beverages were still wreaking havoc on my system—all that aspartame lowered my IQ a few notches and gave me chronic headaches.

I knew regular old water wasn't going to take the place of my nasty soda habit, so I tried sparkling water. I'd sampled my parents' Perrier as a kid and didn't mind it, so I started checking out all different brands. Now I'm a connoisseur of fine sparkling mineral waters. Aside from the fancy stuff like Perrier and San Pellegrino, I highly recommend Polar brand, too. Trader Joe's also carries some good sparkling water. So how does this offering from Target compare?

It's in the middle somewhere. The grapefruit flavor comes through nicely, but I feel like it leaves a slight unpleasant aftertaste. The cans are very convenient (eight 12oz cans) but I feel like the packaging is overly "girly." In general, the Simply Balanced line tends to give off a feminine vibe, but whatever. I keep telling myself I'm comfortable with my masculinity. I just wish their stuff were a little more gender neutral sometimes.

But I digress. I paid $2.50 for the box. It's not a bad value at all, but I think they were on clearance or something. Not sure what their original price might have been. Ah, look at that. $2.99 on Target.com. What score shall we bestow this refreshing beverage with today? A seven, methinks.

Final score: 7 out of 10.

Archer Farms Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Mix

If you've never tried Mexican hot chocolate, please go do so immediately. It's worth checking out. One brand to look for would be Abuelita, available pretty universally in the US nowadays. I think it's even available at Target stores.

I mean, this offering is pretty close flavor-wise, but it's less spicy and more sweet. That combo might appeal to many of you, but I'm partial to the original—although this stuff is nothing to complain about.

This is one of the few hot chocolates that actually tell you to "add milk." I mean, we always use milk or almond milk anyway, but the instructions generally say "just add water" as if milk is too fattening or expensive or scarce that most people simply don't have any on hand. I appreciate the honesty here. What kind of person adds water to his hot chocolate?

But milk is perfect here. It yields a creamy, flavorful mix, with a detectable amount of cinnamon. It's not overly or unpleasantly sweet, but I'd say it's nearer the sweet end of the hot chocolate spectrum. It's definitely not a "dark chocolate" type flavor here, and that's just fine with me.

The wifey grew up on Mexican hot chocolate, and she'll still take Abuelita over Archer Farms brand in most cases, but she thoroughly enjoyed this product as well. It's a great Valentine's treat—or perfect for keeping warm on a cold winter day. We both just wish it had a bit more kick from cinnamon and spice.

$3.99 for eight packets. Fifty cents a cup, plus the cost of milk isn't too bad at all.

I think this product is worthy of 9 out of 10 stars.

Market Pantry Fruit Punch Liquid Water Enhancer

I must confess I thought this was an "energy" water enhancer with caffeine and such when I purchased it. I saw "infused with B vitamins" and just assumed, wrongly, that there would be caffeine as well.

But I have plenty of use for non-caffeinated water enhancers, too. Whether you're looking to replace expensive energy drinks or any other type of beverage, these little bottles of concentrated flavor can save big bucks in the long run—basically generic Mio.

And as far as flavored water additives go, this one is pretty tasty. It tastes like a typical sugar free fruit punch. There's a bit of that tart, unpleasant aspartame type taste that lingers on the tongue, but that's pretty common with water enhancers in general.

Just to clarify, this product does NOT contain aspartame, but there are about a half dozen other unpronounceable chemicals present, not to mention Red 40. Probably not great for you, but let's all hope that we're ingesting them in such small quantities that it'll take a really long time to actually kill us.

Zero calories, $2.97 for the bottle, B vitamins, 24 servings, and a flavor that's not entirely revolting?

I give this product 7 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Cinnamon Churro Coffee

I think the first time I ever had a churro was while I was living in California, during a trip to Disneyland with friends. One churro cost something like $10, but I didn't even care. I was amazed. How could something so delicious have eluded me for so many years? I don't think I'd even heard the word "churro" until I was in my mid-twenties.

Scrumptious.

I started buying churros and mini churros from El Pollo Loco, Jack in the Box, street vendors, and anyplace else I found them. My wife, Sonia, loves churros too. They were a staple in her Southern California diet long before I ever came into the picture.

And since she's a churro expert, AND she loves coffee...for the first time ever on this blog, I'm going to let her do most of the reviewing, and I'll defer to her for the product's final score.

She liked it overall. She thought it tasted more like just plain cinnamon than an actual churro, but she admitted that there were hints of something churro-esque. It didn't require any more or less sugar than her normal cuppa, but she did make sure to use brown sugar for a more authentic churro-y taste. As you can see from the photo, she brewed the coffee in a French press and was pleased with the results.

Overall, it's a pleasant flavor, but there's quite a ways to go until it's unmistakably churro-tastic.

Sonia gives this product 7 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Organic Mango Lemonade

This isn't really a winter item, but it's definitely worthy of a review. I could see it being a huge hit in the summer time since it's incredibly refreshing, as most lemonades are.

It's not super sugary, syrupy sweet, but it's sweet enough that it will hit the spot if you're craving something at that end of the spectrum. It's got the sweet and sourness of normal lemonade, but also the mango puree adds a bit of extra tartness.

The balance of mango flavor and lemonade flavor is pretty spot-on here. If you absolutely hate mango or mango juice, this probably isn't the product for you. But by that same token, the mango flavor isn't overwhelming either. Whenever I see "puree" in ingredients lists, there's a little red flag that raises in my mind, and I worry that the product will be full of sediment that collects on the bottom of the bottle. A little shaking normally solves the problem, but not always. Thankfully, this beverage was thin and smooth, just the way I like it.

In addition to being organic, the ingredients list is short and simple. I'm not the most health-conscious consumer in the world, but I'm always happy to see that I'm not eating unpronounceable weirdness. The Simply Balanced line is usually pretty good at keeping things...well, simple. This product is no exception. Even that bright orange color comes from beta carotene, the naturally-occurring pigment in carrots.

In general, I'm a big fan of juices and sweet beverages, but I've certainly seen my share of sub-par drinks from Archer Farms. This isn't one of them. This is exactly what a mango lemonade should be.

I give this drink 9 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Apple Cider

I really want to like everything Archer Farms puts out, but this stuff was just a little sub-par in my opinion. It wasn't bad. But I expect more from Target and Archer Farms. This seasonal beverage tasted like store brand apple juice with a little bit of...something? in it. Oh—that special something was apparently just "natural flavors." A little vague, no?

And again, the flavor wasn't terrible. It just didn't feel like they did anything special here. At all. It's passable as apple juice I suppose, but calling this stuff cider is a bit of a tease. No cinnamon? Nutmeg? Cloves? Allspice? Unless those are some of the unnamed "natural flavors" mentioned in the ingredients. It's hard to say whether there were any spices in it or not. And sure, you could add them yourself if you have a decent spice rack at home.

I guess I shouldn't complain. It's pre-packaged, shelf-stable (until opened) 100% juice from concentrate at a reasonable price—if memory serves me correctly, it was about $1.99 at our local Target.

I just like my apple cider...to taste more like cider. Or I want something unusual, like pear cider. Or cider-flavored tea. C'mon Archer Farms, you can do it. We expect more from you. You're not just a run-of-the-mill store brand, so don't act like one.

I give this "cider" 6 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Coconut Pineapple Essence Water

In lieu of a season-appropriate product like Cupid's Crunch Trail Mix, which is unfortunately not available at any of our nearby Targets, we're going to take a look at this "essence water" today, which was on sale for something like 69 cents at a local Target a few months back.

In its favor: it's light and moderately refreshing. I think it would be better in the hot summer months—perhaps after an afternoon of grueling yard work or sports. It would make a nice, lightly-sweet thirst-quencher. It's only 10 calories, yet its main sweetener is real sugar. I think that's where the "essence" part comes in—it's mostly water, and all the other ingredients are there in just enough quantity to add a minimal amount of sweetness and flavor. It's not an overbearing taste at all.

But there are plenty of things working against this product, too. For one, this flavor, in my opinion, just didn't taste that good—and I generally enjoy anything coconut and/or pineapple-flavored. Had the taste been more than an "essence," I would have liked this product even less. I think I'd rather drink half a cup of real pineapple juice and then just chase it with regular water. Also, in addition to real sugar, there's a sweetener called "rebiana" near the end of the ingredients. I guess they used it to keep the calorie count so low. But still, there is a tiny hint of that artificial sweetener taste that lingers in your mouth just a bit after you finish drinking the product.

I'm wondering if these beverages were on sale because they're on their way out...anybody else tried them? I found a review of the blood orange flavor that's a bit more positive than this one. Maybe that flavor is just better...? Or maybe I'm just being more critical...? Either way, I think 6 stars is about all I can muster for this happy yellow beverage.

I give this drink 6 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Candy Cane Coffee

Let me start this off by saying I'm not really a coffee person. I'm highly addicted to caffeine, but I generally prefer to take it in the form of energy drinks or something cold and sweet. However, I've reviewed some of Archer Farms bottled lattes on this blog: some good, some not-so-good, in my opinion. And as far as actual ground coffees, I've taken looks at Cinnamon Vanilla Nut, and another seasonal favorite—Pumpkin Spice. So let's check out this candy cane concoction, shall we?

It's minty, that's for sure. Pepperminty. Which must be a word, if you ask me. I don't need a dictionary to give me permission to use it.

It's a light roast, so it's not very bitter. I didn't need a lot of milk and sugar in this brew. It's mild enough for me.

I felt like after drinking it my breath wasn't as bad as it normally is after drinking coffee. It's like a weird combination of sipping java and chewing breath-freshening gum at the same time.

In summary, this is one of the few hot coffees I've had that I would even consider having on a regular basis. If you're into candy canes, peppermint, or just mint in general, this is a fun, festive, seasonal brew that might be a nice break from your normal everyday roast.

I give this product 8 out of 10 stars.
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Check out another review of this same item.

Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee

Ah, it's fall! And the delicious smell of pumpkin spices fills the air once again. This has become one of my favorite times of the year—in large part because of all the pumpkin-flavored things everywhere. I'm definitely a fan of the pumpkin spice phenomenon, but my wife, Sonia, is an even bigger pumpkin aficionado. No, she's not a Basic White Girl, but she does have some BWG tendencies.

This Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice coffee is one of them. But I must admit, it's pretty tasty. We still haven't had much luck finding pumpkin stuff in our local Targets—just some Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal and some Pumpkin Salsa, of all things, both of which are decent but not stellar.

I'd rank this coffee in front of all AF pumpkin stuff at this point. It's a really mild coffee, light roast, and it has a great blend of subtle pumpkin pie type spices. It's not at all bitter. For some reason, coffee always tastes better to me when made in a French press. So that's how we made ours. A touch of cream and sugar certainly helps with this brew, but you don't really need much, which is good.

Sonia raves about this coffee. She's an even bigger fan than I am. And as it stands, I'm gonna give it 9 out of 10 stars on my deliciousness scale. As I've mentioned before, I am not a coffee connoisseur, so take my opinion with a grain of salt—but if you want my bottom line as an amateur: as far as mild coffees with pumpkin spices go, this one's among the first I'd check out.

This coffee gets 9 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Cinnamon Vanilla Nut Coffee

At the beginning of every coffee review I do, I feel the need to insert a disclaimer that I'm not much of a coffee expert, because I'm not. I've never been "a coffee guy." But I'm hoping there's some value in my opinion since I've tried and shared my thoughts about a number of Archer Farms coffee products, including the Vanilla Caramel Latte and Candy Cane Coffee. Hopefully Target won't discontinue all of their coffees the way they did their yogurt line after I unofficially crowned myself the world's leading expert on Archer Farms yogurts. (For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I use that lofty title in the MOST tongue-in-cheek manner possible).

There was just a bit more bitterness in this coffee than I would have liked. But

I always want my coffee to taste like candy, especially when it has a dessert-like name like this one does. There are subtle hints of cinnamon and vanilla, and perhaps a smidge more than a hint of nuttiness. It's a light roast, so the overall flavor is fairly mild.

Another way I measure the success of a coffee is how much sugar and cream I have to put in it to make it palatable to my kid-like tongue. This flavor required very little of both, and thus, I'll go ahead and declare it a success in that department. My wife enjoyed it, too.

So I'll give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Sparkling Peach Mango Juice Beverage

I think the only reason I didn't enjoy this drink quite as much as the Cranberry Cherry and Grapefruit Juice drinks is because it's just a bit unfamiliar to me. The grapefruit version was not just similar to, but an improvement upon, Wink, Squirt, Fresca, or any other citrus soda. The cranberry version was vaguely reminiscent of cranberry ginger ale to me. A comparison doesn't immediately pop into mind for this juice-sweetened beverage.

I like peach in pretty much any context. I like chunks of actual mango fruit with chili powder, but mango-flavored products are hit or miss. Although I think this drink might have been stronger had Target just aimed for a "peach" flavor, it's definitely not bad the way it is. Plus, adding "mango" to the title of a product makes it sound so much more exotic, don't you think?

As is the case with all of these new Simply Balanced drinks, I think the really brilliant thing about this product is that it's totally juice-sweetened. I'm really not sure why this trend hasn't caught on on a much bigger scale than it has. I'm sure it's a tad more expensive to use juice than high fructose corn syrup, but I think most people would be willing to shell out a tiny bit more money if they knew how much better it was for them.

I'm gonna give this product 7 stars, because I definitely liked the other flavors a little better, but it's really probably more like 7 and a half. Definitely worth a purchase.

Simply Balanced Sparkling Cranberry Cherry Juice Beverage

A short while back, I looked at the Grapefruit Juice equivalent of this stuff. In my opinion, it's pretty amazing.

This cranberry version isn't too far behind. It stands to reason that if you prefer cranberry juice over grapefruit juice like my wife does, you'll actually like this one a little better. I, however, prefer grapefruit juice. Furthermore, I think the aforementioned Grapefruit Juice Beverage approximates an actual citrus soda more than this drink approximates any previously-established beverage.

That is to say: it is its own thing...and that's not a bad thing. But if I had to compare it to something I've tried before, I'd say it's similar to Cranberry Ginger Ale, but like its citrusy sibling, the thing that really makes it stand out is that there's absolutely no high-fructose corn syrup. In fact, these drinks are only sweetened with fruit juice.

And don't think it tastes exactly like cranberry juice either. It's much sweeter than that, thanks to the white grape juice and apple juice. And of course, it's carbonated like a soda.

I've now tried 3 out the 4 flavors I saw available at my Target. They're all highly-drinkable, but this is my second-favorite one so far.

I give this product 8 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Sparkling Grapefruit Juice Beverage

Ever had Wink, Squirt, or Fresca? This stuff is just like any of those, but better for you and, in my humble opinion, better tasting.

It sparkles like a soda, and it has a citrus fruit flavor, but it tastes like they dumped an extra half cup of grapefruit juice into a can of one of the aforementioned citrus-flavored beverages. They also infused it with apple juice, so the resulting product is not only more tart, but also sweeter.

I had a nasty soda addiction for a good part of my life. I always had to have one with any meal. I think all the high fructose corn syrup did irreparable damage to my digestive system. I still have a soda from time to time, and I often have an energy drink for breakfast, but I'm always on the lookout for sweet beverage options that won't kill me as quickly as Coke or Pepsi.

I think they're trying to market these Simply Balanced beverages as semi-healthy soda alternatives. They were on sale, two for $5. I hope that doesn't mean they're having a hard time selling them, and thus, that they may be in danger of being discontinued, because these things are excellent. They had four flavors. I tried this one and one other, and enjoyed both.

Four little mini-cans come in each box. I'm not a huge fan of the smaller can size, because I always want more. But I get the whole "portion control" thing. And I guess on at least one occasion, I stopped at one little baby can, which prevented me from putting 90 more unnecessary calories into my body, which I suppose, in the end is a good thing.

I give this drink 9 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Vanilla Caramel Latte

This is the best of the Archer Farms bottled lattes that we've tried so far. I can't imagine anyone thinking that either the Raspberry Mocha or the Chai Tea Latte is equal to or better than this stuff. But sure as shootin' you can bet that somebody out there thinks so, and they'll undoubtedly be the one to comment below and tell you how far off I am on my assessment of these coffee beverages.

But barring that happening, you'll just have to take my word for it that unlike those other two caffeinated drinks, this one is actually worth purchasing. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It actually tastes of coffee, vanilla, and caramel, though none of the flavors are overbearing. It's got 40mg of caffeine, a fact which is conveniently printed on the back of the bottle. That's something that virtually nobody else does but that I would greatly appreciate. To the best of my understanding, 40mg is just a little more than the amount of caffeine in a can of Coke or Pepsi. Perfect for a single serving of coffee, if you ask me.

This latte was very drinkable, with no major aftertastes or flavor imbalances. There was no grittiness, and it was pretty smooth. The only thing I might point out as a  minor flaw is that, like the previously reviewed coffee beverages, this too tastes a mite bit watered down.

But it is "low-fat." And a lot of times, wateriness is what you can expect from reduced guilt options. If you're wanting it thicker, I imagine you could just pour some whole milk into the mixture and make your own "slightly-more-guilt" concoction.

All in all, it's a respectable coffee beverage and a valid alternative to the Starbucks pre-packaged lattes and frappuccinos. Finally.

I give this product 8 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Chai Tea Latte

I've always liked chai. I've had some good chai from cafes and coffee houses in my day. And of course, I've had some really good chai mixes from grocery stores. This product, unfortunately, is neither.

My biggest complaint is that it's chalky. I don't know what other word I could use to describe it. No matter how much shaking I did, I just didn't feel like the product was smooth. It felt and tasted like it had just come from a powdered mix. And there was...this, like, medicinal taste.

It wasn't all that sweet, and it wasn't all that spicy. It did taste vaguely like chai...but it was a second-rate chai at best.

A couple months back, we felt similarly disappointed with AF's Raspberry Dark Mocha Latte. Both Sonia and I thought it was "watery" or watered-down-tasting.

I felt the same about this chai. Rather than tasting a rich, spicy flavor—or even a milky flavor, I just tasted water and a goofy, lightly-sweetened powder. My wife thinks this product is significantly better than the raspberry mocha, but I would actually have to say that it's a little worse.

I was going to give this product the same score as the raspberry mocha, but after giving it a second chance and trying another bottle this morning, I am even more displeased than I was with the first bottle. These chai lattes are nasty.

I give this product 4 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Raspberry Dark Mocha Latte

There are some things I really like about Starbucks and some things I really hate about them. I love the taste of their frappuccinos, although I'd probably take a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf frozen drink over a Starbucks. I like the vibe in most Starbucks locations, and I like that they provide inexpensive health care to their workers. But I hate how they crush mom & pops coffee shops, and I hate that they practically have a monopoly on the pre-packaged frappuccino market.

From time to time, I'll see Seattle's Best or some other cold coffee drink pop up in supermarkets, but many times, they wind up disappearing soon thereafter. I guess they simply can't compete with Starbucks' sales. And I very rarely see another brand name cold coffee beverage in convenience stores. So every chance I get, I try to buy the competition's cold coffee drink.

This Archer Farms product is a good example of why that's not always a good idea. In its defense, it is low-fat. But it tastes like it, too. It almost tastes watered-down to me. The level of raspberry-ness is pretty good, but there's very little mocha flavor. It honestly tastes like they made a half-decent frappuccino-style drink and then cut it by adding water. Like, lots of water.

At 100 calories, I can't complain too much. And after all, the main reason people drink coffee isn't just for the taste, but for the effect of the caffeine. And this product contains caffeine. I'm not sure how much, but it definitely has some.

And don't get me wrong, it doesn't taste bad, it just isn't particularly dessert-ish. Certainly not as dessert-ish as I wanted it to taste, and not nearly as dessert-ish as "Raspberry Dark Mocha" sounds.

I can totally conceive that there are people out there that do like this product, but I'll certainly never buy it again. I'm torn between 5 and 6 stars. I assumed my wife would like these more than I did, but she actually found them revolting. So I'll go with 5.

I give this product 5 out of 10 stars.