The Good: Tastes good, Easy to prepare
The Bad: Environmentally irresponsible packaging, Comparatively pricier than other Swiss Miss cocoas
The Basics: Delicious, though a little more expensive than most Swiss Miss products, Mint is worth the added expense.
It always surprises me when a brand that I associate more with value than anything else releases a premium product. When it comes to hot cocoas, common brands like Swiss Miss and Carnation are ones I think of as being inexpensive and basic. So, when my wife found us a box of Mint Premium Cocoa, we were pleasantly surprised. As one who loves mint, this made a great gift for me when she presented it to me.
The Premium Cocoa Collection of Swiss Miss hot chocolates seems to be Swiss Miss's excuse to charge more for hot cocoa as the boxes tend to contain two to four fewer packages of cocoa for an average of a dollar more. In the case of Mint, it is well worth it, though I would still prefer a more environmentally responsible package, like a canister with a scoop.
Basics
Swiss Miss Mint mix is a hot chocolate mix put out by Swiss Miss as part of their premium cocoa line. The box of hot cocoa packets is a small six oz. box, containing six one ounce packets of hot chocolate. Trading on the flavor of peppy mint flavoring, as opposed to the usual milk chocolate, Swiss Miss created a lighter flavor for their hot chocolate drink. When hot water or milk is combined with the powder, it makes a pretty wonderful hot chocolate beverage, likely to become a favorite with mint and cocoa consumers alike!
Ease of Preparation
Swiss Miss Mint mix is very easy to prepare, as most hot chocolate products are. Because each packet in the box is a single serving, one need only have a mug large enough to accommodate the powdered mix and some water with a little room for mixing it around. Because the powder has some mass to it before it is dissolved, I recommend using an 8 oz. mug.
Preparation is simple; empty the contents of a single packet from the box of six into an eight ounce mug. Bring a pot of water to a near-boil - the Mint does not require boiling water, just very hot water. Boiling the water does not cook the powder, so if one does boil the water, there is no adverse consequence to the beverage. Once the water is hot, simply pour six fluid ounces of water over the powder and stir it up. It is simple to transform the powder into a delicious beverage.
Taste
The Mint cocoa has a delightfully strong aroma. There is a recognizable peppermint smell to the beverage that beckons to fans of mint. The chocolate of the cocoa actually has a muted quality that is not as noticeable as the mint scent.
The scent is a pretty good foreshadowing of the flavor of this particular premium cocoa. The mint flavor is light and immediate followed by a drier, more obvious chocolate flavor. The chocolate flavor acts more like an aftertaste that chases the initial peppermint bite. The chocolate taste dominates after the first second or two and it lingers on the tongue for several minutes thereafter.
Interestingly, as the Mint Premium Cocoa cools down, it takes on a more distinctive and recognizable mint flavoring. The mint flavor only dominates as the cocoa gets lukewarm.
Nutrition
Swiss Miss Mint is a chocolately drink, so any expectation that this is a beverage that is going to meet a lot of one's daily needs is fairly unrealistic. Still, there are worse beverages out on the market. One serving - a single packet - has 120 calories, twenty-five of which are from fat. With two and a half grams of fat, this drink is not a great beverage choice for dieters, but it could be much, much worse. This Mint hot cocoa has no cholesterol or any vitamin or mineral nutrients, outside calcium (which it has an impressive 30% of the RDA!), but it does have 130 mg of sodium. This is not a food to try to live off of.
It is hardly a surprise that Swiss Miss Mint is not a nutritious food product considering that the primary ingredients are sugar, corn syrup, and cocoa. For those with allergies, it is noted on the package that the powder contains milk and there is no notation that this is gluten-free or kosher.
Storage/Clean-up
Swiss Miss Mint mix is ridiculously easy to store and clean up. Because the packets are individual servings and self-contained, as long as one does not store the packets in a wet environment, they will last. My box of cocoa, purchased in early November 2012, has an expiration date in June 29 2014, but it is hard to imagine this would not last past the expiration date so long as the packets inside are kept cool and dry.
Cleaning up Swiss Miss Mint mix is easy, as it is a powder which may be easily brushed up. If one spills it after it is mixed with water, it is highly likely to stain lighter fabrics and one ought to consult one's fabric guide for cleaning if that happens. Mugs, though, clean right out with hot water as this fluid does not stain ceramics.
Overall
Swiss Miss Mint is a good hot cocoa that could pack more mint flavor (or a more distinct chocolate flavor) in for the price, but it is still worth picking up and enjoying for anyone who likes hot cocoa!
For other Swiss Miss hot chocolate reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Mocha Cappuccino
Indulgent Collection French Vanilla
Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Indulgent Collection Dark Chocolate Sensation
7.5/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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