While the Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee shops have been ongoing rivals in the industry, one aspect that Starbucks has excelled at over Dunkin Donuts is providing holiday themed drinks every year around October. From pumpkin spiced lattes to Irish Cream Cold Brew to the Peppermint Mocha, these holiday exclusive drinks bring millions of customers to the Starbucks chain every holiday season.

This season, however, Dunkin Donuts has decided to retaliate and we couldn’t be more pumped. Among the holiday exclusives introduced this year include the  maple Wake Up Wrap and the apple cookie donut. Both are very enjoyable and festive with tastes similar to the chain’s pumpkin and apple pie munchkins. Perhaps the most notable, however, is the Autumn Cookie Butter Cold Brew, a coffee drink covered with cookies and brown sugar. Here was our experience:

Upon entering the store, the smell of brown sugar had lingered around the room. While the fresh coffee smell was still noticeable, the sugar had mixed in. The warm baked cookie smell had flourished around the room, but rather faintly. We ordered a small Cookie Butter Cold Brew and, after waiting about 5 minutes, the smell grew stronger as the server passed me the drink. The drink looked similar to an apple pie donut, boasting about the fall colors of orange, red, and predominantly light brown. The cost was $7.50 which, for a small size, seemed too expensive.

We then dipped in the straw in the drink and the texture immediately felt smooth, bar the cookie pieces. At this point, we were worried that the taste of the cookie would overpower the coffee, losing it’s holiday feel. However, we were pleasantly proven wrong. The taste struck a perfect balance between sweet and bitter. There was also a hint of apples and an even smaller hint of mint, just in time for the holidays. It left a satisfying aftertaste and the cookies blended perfectly with the mixture. It was truly something unique and was definitely worth the price.

If the Cookie Butter Brew doesn’t top Starbucks, then it is definitely a strong rival especially to the pumpkin spiced latte. We could definitely see this beverage trending in the near future and hope it gains more recognition. Needless to say, this holiday season will reach new levels of rivalries between the two coffee chains.