Tag: Starbucks

REVIEW: Starbucks White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew

Heather 4 Comments

Starbucks, you’ve done it again! Another cold brew to your lineup, and another winner.

Here for spring is the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew. New to the party are a macadamia syrup (added to the coffee) and a macadamia cream in the cold foam with a toasted cookie topping to cap it off.

The first thing I noticed when I grabbed this was how creamy it looked – I’d like to thank my barista for clearly acing the cold brew to cold foam ratio. The cold foam was already settling nicely into the drink. There was also a generous amount of the toasted cookie topping.

This might be one of the smoother-tasting cold brews I’ve had from Starbucks lately. I was delighted at first sip with its smoothness, and the macadamia brings a nice subtle sweetness. A little internet research tells me the flavor of macadamia nuts pairs well with coffee, so it’s no wonder it tasted good. For those unfamiliar with the nut, they tend to be a little buttery in taste, so there is no need to worry about a nuttiness overpowering your coffee. I was honestly surprised to see this had 20 grams of sugar in a tall, as it wasn’t very sweet at all.

I’ve mentioned this in some of my past Starbucks reviews, but I’m not the fastest cold coffee drinker. But because of that, I’m able to report that the toasted cookie topping stayed in the cold foam as I sipped my beverage. And from the time stamp on my drink to the time I finished, that was two hours! I really appreciated that it didn’t sink in, and I still got some with the cold foam at every sip. All that said, and much like I’ve felt with other Starbucks toppings, this one didn’t have much of an independent flavor to it. The toppings always seem like a nice-to-have, but they don’t enhance the drink’s flavor profile.

I’m definitely adding this new cold brew to my rotation, and I hope it hangs around for a while!

Purchased Price: $4.75
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 20 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein, and 145 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Bottled Paradise Drink and Pink Drink

Holly 5 Comments

Starbucks’ popular Pink Drink and Paradise Drink are the latest beverages to be bottled and sold on shelves. As a fan of both, I was excited to give them a try to find out how they stack up to those made by a barista.

Both ready-to-drink beverages have less than 5 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce bottle, which is a fraction of the 35-45 milligrams in the Tall-sized (12 ounces) versions offered at Starbucks locations. Not sure why, but it’s worth a note.

Paradise Drink is the latest addition to the Refreshers menu (June 2022). I wasn’t shocked to see it get the bottled treatment this quickly because when it hit locations last year, it was selling like crazy as it captured a “summer in a cup” flavor thanks to its use of pineapple and passion fruit. I generally enjoyed the drink when I got it in the cafes but found the pineapple overpowering. I know the freeze dried fruit chunks contributed to that, but even trying the drink without them, I sometimes found the pineapple to be a little too much. Thankfully, the bottled version offers a much more balanced experience.

Getting a taste of the passion fruit made for a more complex flavor as opposed to the cafe version that made my tongue feel like it was being slapped by a pineapple. It’s not overly sweet and has a nice tartness. The coconut milk cuts down on the drink’s acidity and makes for a smoother sipping experience. It’s enjoyable straight from a chilled bottle and certainly is “summer in a bottle.”

It was only a matter of time before Starbucks would release a ready-to-drink version of its famous Pink Drink. Hundreds of TikTok videos swear by their copycat recipes, but none have ever really scratched the itch. Thankfully, this bottled Pink Drink is a dead ringer for the cafe version. The taste of the sweet strawberry is very present, with the coconut milk bringing a slight nutty creaminess. I know there is supposed to be acai, but it is overshadowed by the intense strawberry flavors, just like the cafe version. Unlike the Paradise Drink, I found this much more concentrated with its taste and quite a bit sweeter.

It was fine straight from the bottle but shined when poured over ice, and doing so allowed for the more concentrated flavors to mellow. Much like the Paradise Drink, the lack of freeze dried fruit didn’t take away from the experience or taste. It will be worth keeping some on hand to bridge the gap between Starbucks visits. I enjoyed it, and I think it will be fairly popular.

Purchased Price: $3.18 each
Purchased at: Walmart Neighborhood Market
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Paradise Drink), 9 out of 10 (Pink Drink)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) Paradise Drink – 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Pink Drink – 150 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew

Heather 2 Comments

Starbucks seems to be churning out new cold brews faster than Nick Cannon is having kids. All jokes aside, the newest cold brew to grace the Starbucks lineup is the Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew. (Note that there is also a non-nitro version, as not all Starbucks locations have nitro taps. Pro tip: The Starbucks mobile app will tell you which stores do in the location info!). A refresher for those not familiar, a cold brew on nitro means it’s infused with nitrogen and has a smooth texture.

The Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew has a cold brew coffee base with a new cinnamon caramel syrup, plus vanilla sweet cream cold foam and cinnamon dolce sprinkles (a.k.a. just cinnamon) on top.

Three observations right off the bat when I got my drink:

  1. SO MUCH FOAM… and I am here for it. If you look at my photo at the beginning, nearly half of the tall size beverage had foam, and I loved it. The vanilla sweet cream and cinnamon were delightful.

  2. You can also clearly see the pool of cinnamon caramel syrup at the bottom of my cup in the photo below… more on that later.

  3. I haven’t had a nitro drink in a while, so I forgot and then realized there is no ice in this drink! No ice helps create a smoother flavor. If you don’t love watered down coffee, this one might be for you!

There’s an overwhelming cinnamon flavor right at the first sip, which I liked. I definitely got some cinnamon roll flavor vibes, which is perfect for the Midwest where I live. It’s like a hug in a drink married to a cold beverage, so whether it’s 70 degrees one day or 35 the next (this really happened last week), this one suits the weather.

My only knock on flavor was the caramel was pretty non-existent. This is likely due to the syrup at the bottom, so I’m eager to try the cinnamon caramel sauce in an iced latte to compare.

On another note, I might never go back to regular cold brew because the nitrogen makes it so smooth. It cuts the bitterness the cold brew can sometimes bring and feels like a morning indulgence. Despite no ice, it stayed cool as I sipped.

This cold brew is a winner in my book, and I’m happy it’s available year-round. After my not-so-excited review of the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew back in January, I was delighted with this one.

Purchased Price: $5.25
Size: Tall
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 180 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 185 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Pistachio Cream Cold Brew

Heather 2 Comments

New Year, New Starbucks drink. That’s the saying, right? Back in 2021, Starbucks introduced a Pistachio Latte. Two years later, the pistachio flavor is now being adapted into a cold brew with the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew. This one has the signature Starbucks cold brew coffee with pistachio cold foam and a salted brown butter topping.

A quick reference to my 2021 Pistachio Latte review reminded me that I LOVED it. But this one? It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t bad either. A “meh” kind of beverage, if you will.

The cold brew itself is just that: cold brew. With 145 milligrams of caffeine in a tall, you’re definitely getting a good caffeine hit for the day. (A venti boasts 275 milligrams of caffeine.) The pistachio cold foam is where the drink fell flat for me. At first sip, I liked that it was mellow and subtlety sweet. But the flavor of the pistachio syrup in the cold foam did not shine through. It was missing the nutty taste I hoped for and was masked by the coffee-ness of the cold brew. I was also surprised to see the drink had 25 grams of sugar, as it definitely didn’t taste that sweet. If something has 25 grams of sugar, I want it to tame my sweet tooth!

Also lacking, just like my one negative of the latte, was the salted brown butter topping. This had the potential to be such a scene stealer, but I barely had any on my drink and none of the flavor came through. Of course, this might depend on if the barista making your drink is heavy-handed with the topping or not. A quick recon in the Starbucks app shows that you can ask for extra topping. Let me know in the comments if you try that – it might convince me to give it a go and see if the flavor adjusts!

That all being said, the drink was still decent and totally palatable. It just didn’t knock my socks off. I did start to like it more as I kept drinking and the cold foam began to settle into the cold brew. It’s not something I’d go back to in a heartbeat, but I may have to try the Pistachio Latte iced for a comparison.

Purchased Price: $4.75
Size: Tall
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 210 calories, 12 grams of total fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 25 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein, and 145 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew

Sean 6 Comments

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew Can

What is it?

Starbucks’ new Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew is a new way to get your pumpkin spice fix! This limited edition can of seasonally spiced caffeine combines nitrogen-infused cold brew with milk and natural flavors.

How is it?

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew Pour

The can states to “gently shake once, pop open and pour hard into a cold glass for maximum enjoyment,” and I did just that; PLUS, I used a spooky bat cup to really bring the autumn energy.

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew Holding

Trying to imitate Starbucks’ excellent Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is tough, and my initial reaction is that visually I didn’t get nearly as much creamy head as I would like. There’s a small, lighter colored creamy layer sitting atop the cold brew, and on my first sip, I’m getting big time Yoo-hoo vibes. You know that “chocolate flavored beverage” that popped up right before the Great Depression? That’s the kind of texture we’re working with here, a watery viscosity. It’s kind of milky but not notably creamy, and as someone who usually takes his coffee black, it’s unimpressive but totally fine by me.

The flavor is interesting. The most prominent spice that pops out is nutmeg, followed by what I think is cloves. There isn’t much of a cinnamon presence, which is odd because a lot of times companies will get lazy and use only cinnamon in lieu of a true spice blend. I kind of miss the cinnamon, but also respect the intensity from the lesser-loved spices. The coffee flavor is smooth, present, and pleasant, rounded out with just a touch of sweetness that keeps this beverage coffee-focused, unlike its latte and Frappuccino counterparts.

Anything else you need to know?

Nearly a decade ago, I swore off non-alcohol liquid calories, and 97% of the time I drink my coffee without cream or sugar. One exception to this rule, which used to be the Pumpkin Spice Latte, is now the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. I have a soft spot for the sauce created by Starbucks in 2003 and love how the cold brew version is a modernized take that lets the coffee shine.

Conclusion:

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew Bat Glass

This canned Pumpkin Cream Canned Nitro Cold Brew won’t fool anyone into thinking it came from the hands of an actual barista, but it certainly does a nice job of scratching that autumn itch if you’re unable to make it to a cafe. I was mega excited when this can was announced, and while it’s not going to pull me away frequently from my cup of hot black, it’s a beverage that interests me. There is no mistaking that this is a pumpkin spice-flavored drink, and while I wish it was just a touch creamier, that’s pretty easy to fix with an extra dash of milk at home.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 9.6 ounces
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates,1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein.