Author: Heather

What is the Starbucks Cordusio?

Having recently returned from a trip to Italy, I was excited to try this new Starbucks Cordusio, which the coffee chain’s site says is named for and inspired by the Piazza Cordusio, a popular city square in Milan. It’s also where Starbucks just opened its new Reserve Roastery. This espresso-meets-mocha drink consists of espresso, mocha, and whole milk.

How is it?

I enjoyed the dark mocha flavor – the description says it has a taste of dark chocolate, which I definitely tasted. It felt like I was indulging in a super dark chocolate bar. Give me all the chocolate! There’s more of a coffee taste than Starbucks’ regular mocha, which in my opinion is creamier and less coffee-like. Because it seems like I’d be drinking dessert, I rarely get a regular mocha. Coffee is what I want!

I took my time with it and found it to be more of a sipping drink that can last you through the morning.

Is there anything else I need to know?

The menu sign at my neighborhood Starbucks advertised this as a short, but you can get it in any size. My friendly barista shared that both the short and the tall have two shots of espresso, so it just depends on how much milk and mocha you want with it.

Conclusion:

I thoroughly enjoyed the sophisticated feel of the Starbucks Cordusio. Heck, even the name sounds fancy! I’ll definitely get again, now that I’m finally moving to hot drinks after iced coffee season.

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Tal
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Tall/12 fl. oz.) 200 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugars, 9 grams of protein, and 155 milligrams of caffeine.

What is the Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro?

I’m convinced the reason Starbucks keeps coming up with new cold foam beverages is to drive home the idea of the strawless lids. I don’t hate it! The latest is the Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro, which adds cocoa cold foam on top of the tried-and-true Nitro Cold Brew. In the in-app description of the drink, Starbucks says the cold foam is “bringing out the coffee’s natural chocolate notes.”

How is it?

Two words: Slam Dunk.

I usually prefer my cold brews to have a little cream in them, a la the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. That’s why I love cold brew on nitro – it adds a creaminess to the drink. This Dark Cocoa Nitro does not disappoint in terms of creaminess and flavor.

There’s a slight cocoa taste when you get your first sip of cold foam and the cold brew, and it is just enough to sweeten it without being overpowering. The subtleness of the cocoa is a delight. I also got a whiff of cinnamon – it smells like fall in a cup. (Don’t tell the Pumpkin Spice Latte I said that!) And the caffeine is strong enough to power you through your afternoon or snoozefest of meetings at work.

Is there anything else I need to know?

If you go searching for this puppy, make sure your friendly Starbucks has the nitro tap. Not all of them do, so I suggest checking your Starbucks mobile app to see which nearby locations carry the drink.

Conclusion:

The Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro is officially my favorite cold foam beverage from Starbucks. I can only hope it sticks around long enough for me to get my fill!

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Tall 12 fl oz – 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 215 milligrams of caffeine.

What is it?

Are you ready to get your caffeine and protein all in one?

The new Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew and Cacao Protein Blended Cold Brew from Starbucks kill two birds with one stone. The Almond version has almondmilk, cold brew coffee, a plant-based protein, almond butter and a banana date fruit blend. The Cacao is very similar – although with coconutmilk instead of almondmilk and cacao instead of almond butter.

How is it?

Let’s get to the point: I really enjoyed these. Going into it, I thought I would like the Almond more than the Cacao, but the Cacao beat it by one point in my ratings! Both drinks have a smoothie-like consistency – I’m surprised that “smoothie” isn’t in the official name.

Here’s the low-down: Almond was not overly sweet, and the cold brew coffee flavor came in the aftertaste. I could definitely taste the banana date blend, which I enjoyed. It took me a while to finish this one, as it was more of a sipping beverage.

Cacao was more chocolate and less coffee, and a little bit smoother of a consistency. Almost tasted like a healthy dessert! (#notcomplaining) The cacao powder masked the banana date blend.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I tried each of these on separate mornings and replaced my typical oatmeal and coffee with this all-in-one drink. I thought it would be weird to essentially drink my breakfast, but I loved how I was getting both my breakfast and coffee together – so productive. And, even with running a couple of miles one of the days, the drinks still held me over until lunchtime. Yay protein! They also kept me properly caffeinated, thanks to the cold brew.

Conclusion:

Great move, Starbucks. In the future, I see this for me as either a breakfast on the go or an afternoon pick-up/snack to get me through the rest of the day. I wonder if Starbucks can come up with any more flavor options?

Purchased Price: $5.95 each
Size: Grande
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Almond)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Cacao)
Nutrition Facts: (16 oz) Almond – 270 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugars, and 12 grams of protein. Cacao – 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 26 grams of sugars, and 10 grams of protein.

What is it?

Starbucks is continuing down its cold foam path with a new summery iced beverage, the Salted Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew. It’s description says it best – it’s the “signature, super smooth Cold Brew. sweetened with a touch of caramel and topped with a salted, rich cold foam.”

How is it?

I liked this drink, but I didn’t love it. My friendly barista, who knows me by name (being a Starbucks regular was on my bucket list, so I’m living the dream), likened it to the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew but with caramel.

Let me give you this warning: If you don’t like the idea of salt in your coffee, do NOT try this drink. My first sip was very salty, and I wasn’t sure how the rest of the experience would go.

Fortunately, it did look up: The Cold Brew itself was very smooth and subtly sweet. I didn’t taste too much caramel, but the salt could have overpowered that. Once the salt and the cold foam settled, I enjoyed the way it dispersed into the cold brew. That part did remind me of the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew – it became a creamier drink, in a good way.

Is there anything else I need to know?

This was the first time I tried one of the cold foam lids and sipped straight out of it, and I give it two thumbs up. Don’t throw your coffee grounds at me, but I was one of those people still sticking a straw in when I would order the cold foam cappuccinos Starbucks released earlier this year. But now that I’ve gone strawless, I won’t look back.

Conclusion:

The Salted Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew is most definitely worth a try. But if you don’t like a salty-and-sweet combo, it may not be for you.

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Tall
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Tall) – 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugars, 1 grams of protein, and 140 milligrams of caffeine.