Did Dunkin' Change Its Iced Coffee Brew?

There is a small controversy brewing on the Reddit rumor mill, and it has to do with, well, brew. Specifically, Dunkin's iced coffee brew. Dunkin' is known for its flavorful and inventive iced coffee drinks, but many swear that the simple, original iced coffee is the best. Recently, though, a committed Dunkin' iced coffee drinker made a post on the r/DunkinDonuts Reddit thread pointing out that there seems to have been a change to the brew used in the caffeinated cold drink. According to the Redditor, they have been ordering a black, iced coffee from Dunkin' for up to a decade, and their last few orders, mainly placed on the East Coast, have resulted in bad-tasting coffee.

Although this person's evidence is purely anecdotal, it did spur a flurry of comments from individuals claiming to work at Dunkin', many of whom corroborated that yes, the brew has changed. For full transparency, we reached out to get confirmation from Dunkin', but did not receive a direct response. Can anyone get us in touch with Chef Nick from Dunkin'? He'd surely be able to clear this up.

Reddit isn't the only place to find murmurs about a potential recipe change. Someone in the Dunkin' World Facebook group claimed that after she noticed a change in her coffee, she asked her local Dunkin' barista what was going on, and the barista apparently confirmed that they did indeed change the flavor. But another commenter claimed that the flavor didn't change — it was just the intensity of the brew that changed.

Regardless of whether it was the flavor or intensity that changed, both threads seem to note that the brew is more bitter. One Redditor claims that they were, "Instructed to tell customers that noticed that the brew is stronger and to up their cream." If you or someone you know is struggling with this potentially disastrous change, take a deep breath and do not freak out. Consider ordering the chain's cold brew instead, or even making it at home — it's less acidic and tends to be smoother with a more palatable flavor.