Happy Holidays, everyone! (According to Starbucks, it’s been “the holidays” since November 6.) Since we all love our homegirl, Starbucks, I thought I would get political and share my rankings of their featured holiday drinks (served hot!): Peppermint Mocha, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and Eggnog Latte. Let the drinks begin!
Note: while I have had all these drinks before, I based the rankings on the drinks I tasted this past week. Sometimes, you get a drink that’s worse or better than normal, but this is my basis for the article. Bon appetit!
- Toasted White Chocolate Mocha (TWCM):
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“Festive flavors of caramelized white chocolate mocha sauce meet espresso and steamed milk to create Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, which is then finished with whipped cream and a celebratory topping of Holiday sugar sparkles and crispy white pearls.”
-Soft, warm, creamy texture. Everything you’d want and more.
-It doesn’t taste like there’s too much in there! It’s light and well-blended.
-I love white chocolate (I know it’s not real chocolate), but I think that everyone can enjoy it.
-10/10. This drink was flawlessly executed. Not too sweet, but overly delicious! A simple, warm delight.
- Peppermint Mocha (PM)
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“The Peppermint Mocha, back for its 18th year, is a holiday classic made with Starbucks signature espresso, steamed milk, sweet mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup. It’s all topped off with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.”
-You seriously can’t go wrong with mint chocolate flavoring–– it’s a magnificent combo
-Less sugary aftertaste than the CPL and CBL
-I wish the mint had been stronger! The chocolate was good, but just a little too sweet. (Is it weird that I’m not crazy about Starbucks chocolate? I vividly remember ordering hot chocolate as a kid and thinking it tasted weird. This reminded me of that, but it was much sweeter and more satisfying.)
-9/10. I genuinely really like this drink! It’s the perfect warm, chocolatey, “I feel like hot chocolate plus some caffeine” drink. I would love some more mint flavor, but I’m satisfied with my fireside beverage.
- Eggnog Latte (EL):
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“The Eggnog Latte is a perennial holiday favorite made with rich, steamed eggnog and our signature espresso. It is topped off with a dusting of ground nutmeg for the perfect finish.”
-Texture is creamy (as it should be with Eggnog!) and the nutmeg really comes through.
-This drink is blended very well. I’m impressed.
-I’m actually missing a lot of the sweetness of the eggnog. Sad, but probably better for the calorie count. The rest of the flavor is spot on.
-8.5/10. This drink is a lot better than I expected! I absolutely love eggnog, and this is a drink that pays tribute quite well. I wonder if it’s better iced or in frappuccino form? I think I just really enjoy my eggnog cold.
- Caramel Brulee Latte (CBL):
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“The Caramel Brulee Latte combines espresso, steamed milk and rich caramel brulee sauce, and is topped with whipped cream and caramel brulee topping.”
-I love the smooth, velvety texture of this drink! This might be weird, but I would even call it soft.
-There is a slight sugary aftertaste, but not as much as the CPL.
-Bonus points for delivering a grande when I ordered a tall!
-8/10. This drink was enjoyable in all the good ways! I do think there was too much caramel brulee sauce (or perhaps it wasn’t blended well enough), however, the combination of ingredients is definitely tasty!
- Chestnut Praline Latte (CPL):
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“The Chestnut Praline Latte combines espresso, steamed milk and flavors of caramelized chestnuts and spices before being topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs.”
-This drink is best described as WARM.
-The flavor is sort of earthy/spicy, but not incredibly strong.
-I did not care for the sugary aftertaste.
-7/10. I finished the drink, but I wouldn’t ask for seconds. I’ve had this drink before, and this time was not as good as previous drinks. Disappointing, but I won’t give up on CPLs just yet!
So what did I learn from this? Well, it’s always a good time at Starbucks, especially during the holidays when I can drink froo-froo drinks out of colorful cups. For me, as someone who actually likes to taste coffee, I think I’m going to continue asking for less syrup. But, whether your taste is savory or sweet, there’s something for everybody at the ’bucks.