First impression: I decided to open the sample bag and "play" a bit to really get an idea of what I was dealing with here. Upon opening the bag, I was surprised to find that the scent of the new flavor was rather light... When compared to say SD or CNC, this was a very light scent. Upon further sniffing, I can see how others might have found a slight coffee smell but I found it to be more of a toffee type smell, with a slight chocolate/caramel note. I did dig around a bit to find some of the "crunchies" that have been noted in other reviews and managed to dust one off to discover a tiny, white little speck that resembled a white cookie crumb. My first thought was that this might be some type of marshmallow but upon tasting it this was dismissed and I believe it to be some type of cookie or biscotti type crumb.
Next up, I mixed it up in 10oz of water. As soon as the water hit it, the smell was instantly stronger. Much more of a caramel/toffee scent then dry. With just a few shakes, it mixed without any issues. No sticking to the sides or bottom of the shaker (sometimes SD tends to stick a bit) at all and no floaters. There was a few signs of the crumbs that settled to the bottom as I let it sit for a minute just to see.
I took a few sips before using it to make my proats.
The flavor is very unique. It has an interesting combination of caramel/chocolate/toffee that reminds you of a coffee shop that makes cookies and coffee. The flavors mix in your mouth and stimulate your nose as well and I can easily see how people picked up notes of a coffee flavor. I would best describe the smell/taste combination as that of a homemade biscotti cookie dipped in a caramel/toffee latte. Its a very "warm" or "comforting" flavor that will make you think of cold nights and warm, fragrant ,hot cocoa type drinks (with toffee or caramel flavoring

) The little crunchies are hardly noticeable unless you swish it around in your mouth an really look for them but they do add in interesting "surprise" now and again with their added texture.
I took the rest of the shake and mixed it into 1 cup of oats. A few min in the microwave and the smell was magnified ten fold.
Smell was warm and sweet, with hints of toffee, caramel, chocolate, and vanilla that all mixed together to create something unique. It made my whole kitchen smell like I had spent the day baking cookies, brewing coffee, warming hot cocoa and having a relaxing night in front of the fire (without the smokey smell ha). 1 scoop (minus the few sips I drank) was more then enough to flavor the oats. It was not overly sweet, but rather a nice balanced flavor that would be perfect for baking.
I would rank this as my new favorite flavor as it has all of the positives of SD and CNC as far as straight flavor, but has an even more intricate,thought provoking, and exciting flavor. I could see this being a great addition to a mix with SD or CNC for an amazing combo.
My guess for flavor: Caramel Toffee Crunch
Thank you to the guys at PES, especially
bdcc for the chance to try this out. Its definitely another winner.