Tag: Starbucks

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

Heather 5 Comments

Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso Cup

What is the Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso?

Non-dairy friends, rejoice! Starbucks now has oatmilk! The chain is using it in the new Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. This drink takes shots of espresso – Starbucks Blonde espresso, specifically – and shakes it up with brown sugar and cinnamon. Baristas top it off with oatmilk and you’re good to go!

(Editor’s Note: We also reviewed Starbuck’s Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espress.)

How is it?

On first sip, I noted a strong espresso taste with a tiny hint of sweet – almost like a burnt sugar. I definitely got more of a cinnamon flavor coming through over the brown sugar, especially in the aftertaste. Side note: I’m interested in trying the Brown Sugar Syrup used in this drink in a latte or cappuccino, to really see what that tastes like on its own, too!

I described the shaken espresso to a co-worker as being rather mellow, since it didn’t taste like a sugar bomb. It’s smooth with an oat-y foam on top from the oatmilk. Unless you’re used to a lot of espresso at once, I’d recommend sipping this one slowly to really enjoy the flavor.

Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso Foam

The oatmilk paired with the syrup flavor and cinnamon very well in my opinion, and I’m wondering if it will do the same with other combinations. Now off to conduct that research!

Anything else you need to know?

This drink is not for the caffeine faint of heart. A grande packs a punch of 255 milligrams, and let me tell you, I felt it the entire day (I had mine first thing in the morning). If that’s too much for you, I’d advise lowering the total number of espresso shots, or simply sizing down. A tall has two shots, a grande has three, and a venti has four.

I also thought the price was a little steep for this drink – one my usuals at Starbucks is a venti iced latte with various syrups, and it costs roughly the same even though it’s one size up. The new oatmilk is likely driving the price up on this one.

Conclusion:

While this isn’t my most favorite Starbucks drink, I enjoyed it enough to add it into my regular rotation, especially as the weather gets warmer (I’m in the Midwest and we’re patiently – or not so patiently! – waiting for spring!)

Purchased Price: $5.45
Size: Grande
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 120 calories, 3 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein, and 255 milligrams of caffeine.

Click here to read our previous Starbucks reviews.

REVIEW: Starbucks Pistachio Latte

Heather 9 Comments

Starbucks Pistachio Latte Cup

What is the Starbucks Pistachio Latte?

The new Starbucks Pistachio Latte has a typical latte base – steamed milk and espresso – with pistachio sauce and a salted brown butter topping.

How is it?

2021, you are off to an amazing start on the coffee front. I don’t think I could love the Pistachio Latte any more!

At first sip, there was a mellow, not overly sweet nuttiness, thanks to the pistachio sauce, which I’m looking forward to trying in some of my other favorite beverages. (Hint, Starbucks: Please keep this sauce forever!) While in reality I was about to go to work, I would have preferred to drink it during a cozy afternoon reading by the fire.

Starbucks Pistachio Latte Top

I’m really impressed with the pistachio sauce – I think Starbucks hit the nail on the head with a flavor that pairs nicely with the milk in the latte. It’s warm, filling, and has just the right amount of flavor. It reminded me slightly of a flat white. Even though traditional flat whites don’t have a sauce or syrup, the Pistachio Latte was reminiscent of the warm, just a tiny bit creaminess of a flat white.

Lastly, I found the flavor to be apparent down to the last drop.

Anything else you need to know?

The *only* thing that fell a bit flat for me and why I gave the rating I did was the salted brown butter topping. I typically find that these toppings sink right into the hot drinks and you can’t really taste it. This was the case with the Pistachio Latte.

Conclusion:

Go. Try. This. Latte. I can’t wait to get it again! Here’s to hoping it sticks around beyond winter.

Purchased Price: $4.65
Size: Grande
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 230 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 33 grams of total sugars, 9 grams of protein, and 75 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew

Heather 2 Comments

Starbucks Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew Cup

What is the Starbucks Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew?

Another new Cold Brew has graced the Starbucks’ menu! This one is for the non-dairy group/almondmilk lovers. The Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew has just three components: Cold Brew coffee, a little honey to sweeten it up, and almondmilk.

How is it?

First thing to note: When I got this, there was an obvious separation of the Cold Brew and the almondmilk. In fact, these separated layers stayed that way until I had about 25% left. I’ve found that to be true when I add Starbucks almondmilk to other coffees – the almondmilk just doesn’t mix in the way a sweet cream or dairy milk does.

Starbucks Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew Top

But on to the flavor! The honey taste was strong at first sip, in a great way. I enjoyed it as a nice change of pace from the usual syrups or sauces I use to sweeten my Cold Brews. It went down smooth and still kept it’s flavor after the drink sits a while. You can ask my co-workers – I’m known for milking (or almondmilking… see what I did there?) an iced drink for several hours. Two hours later, the honey flavor was still there when I finished.

Anything else you need to know?

As for its sweetness, you’re really getting a bang for your buck in the amount of sugars. A grande has only 10 grams of total sugars, even though it feels like more.

And it packs a nice caffeine punch, as the Cold Brews usually do. After having this as my morning beverage, I even skipped an afternoon coffee run with my co-workers… something I usually NEVER do. I felt satisfied by both caffeine content and taste.

Conclusion:

The Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew was good and a nice change of pace, but I won’t likely add to my usual rotation because it wasn’t anything super special. If you like almondmilk, though, this is a nice drink that pairs well with honey.

Purchased Price: $4.25
Size: Grande
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 50 calories, 0.5 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of protein, and 205 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Zero Sugar

Mike 4 Comments

Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Zero Sugar Cans

What is Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Zero Sugar?

Starbucks’ regular Tripleshot line of beverages promises an extra energy boost thanks to added B vitamins, guarana, and ginseng, with the latter two helping to lift the caffeine content to 225 milligrams. The new Zero Sugar line, available in Black and Vanilla flavors, promises all that without sugar.

How is it?

Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Zero Sugar Black

Both flavors pour black. Unlike most Starbucks grocery items, there’s no added milk here. I taste the Black first and am pleased that it’s not overly sweet and without an artificial sweetener aftertaste. The coffee itself is fairly nondescript, without any overtly positive or negative characteristics. It’s not bitter, or astringent, or flat-tasting, but there’s nothing of much interest either.

Starbucks Tripleshot Energy Zero Sugar Vanilla

I tend to agree with those who think Starbucks roasts its beans too darkly, so the roasted flavor dominates and lingers too long for my taste. The same can be said of the Vanilla variety. Although in this case, the vanilla flavor has an artificial character that battles with the dark roast to see which is more slightly off-putting. Both are entirely drinkable, but neither offers anything to highly recommend them.

Anything else you need to know?

In my experience, there are two kinds of people who are perhaps a bit too proud of the coffee they drink. Some will breathlessly tell you about their favorite third-wave tasting studio that just got in a new Yirgacheffe that can only be found on a single Ethiopian hill and must be harvested by the light of the full moon during a leap year. Then there are those who will regale you of the absolute swill they’ve drunk, just the worst dregs imaginable. Maybe it was actually scrapings from a hospital cafeteria grease trap? They don’t know, but they drank it, dammit!

Starbucks regularly earns the contempt of both these groups. Luckily for Starbucks, that leaves the vast majority of coffee drinkers: those who want to be able to go to any random street corner and find a cup of coffee that’s consistent and better than what their Mr. Coffee can produce. The Tripleshot Energy Zero Sugar beverages are for people who like coffee just fine. So if they’re in a convenience store, they might choose it instead of their usual Red Bull.

Conclusion:

As someone with a locally roasted Ethiopian Yirgacheffe on my coffee shelf right now, these Tripleshots taste like decent coffee that’s been allowed to get too cold. It’s not a terrible option if you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, but it’s not something I’d regularly drink. Then again, I am an unbearable hipster, so your mileage may vary.

Purchased Price: $2.09
Size: 15 fl oz (442 ml)
Purchased at: Woodman’s Market
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Star Drink

Heather 4 Comments

Starbucks Star Drink Cup

What is the Starbucks Star Drink?

It combines the new Starbucks Kiwi Starfruit Refresher (kiwi and starfruit juice) base with coconut milk and real kiwi pieces for a sweet, creamy beverage.

How is it?

Um, yum. This drink was GOOD. Initially, I was a little skeptical that Starbucks would release a summer-y beverage so close to the return of the beloved PSL. For me, it’s never too early for a PSL. But after trying the Star Drink, I’m over here hoping summer will hang on a little longer so I can stay in the mood for this one.

Starbucks Star Drink Top

I think Starbucks does drinks mixed with coconut well, and this did not disappoint. It’s sweet, with a small hint of tartness from the starfruit. It’s much sweeter than the Violet Drink, Pink Drink, and even the Dragon Drink (also Starbucks Refresher flavors mixed with coconutmilk). But not in a “this should be a dessert drink” way. My initial thought was that it tastes like a Starburst candy… like a combined pink and yellow Starburst. Not sad about that at all!

The Star Drink goes down easy and smooth. I (coconut)milked it – see what I did there? – for a little over an hour and it didn’t get too watery from the ice or lose its flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

With just 45 milligrams of caffeine in a Grande, I’d order this drink as a small pick-me-up in the afternoon when I’ve already had my morning coffee. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and refreshing, and gives that small caffeine hit.

Conclusion:

If you’re a fan of the other Starbucks beverages with coconutmilk, give this one a try. The flavor is unique, tropical, and fun.

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 130 calories, 2.5 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of total sugars, 1 grams of protein, and 45 milligrams of caffeine.