I know all of y’all are just about ready to cough up your money for coffee at Starbucks, but before you do, there are some things I think you should know about the holiday specials. Peppermint Mocha has probably the most decadent taste of all the holiday drinks. It’s like dark chocolate going down the throat, but with a rich mint taste to it—so I guess how Peppermint Mocha, as it sounds, is supposed to taste. Though in my personal opinion, the Peppermint Mocha has just a bit too much of a dark chocolate taste to it, but then again, I like my chocolate sweet with less than 50% coco in it. As for the Eggnog Latte, don’t go worrying about being late for the latte. It doesn’t taste at all like the cold eggnog I know and love. But if you like your eggnog warmed up, maybe you will find comfort in this caffeinated drink when studying for Finals. The Caramel Brûlée Latte comes in as a solid second to the Holiday Spice Flat White on my wishlist of Starbucks holiday coffees. You can definitely taste the caramelization in the Caramel Brûlée Latte, so it tastes pretty sweet. Proceed with caution, though, and not just because it’s going to be served warm to you, but also because this latte may also give you a stomach ache with the slight richness that comes with the caramelization in it. If you’re a fan of sweetness, then you’ll like the Chestnut Praline Latte, but it may be too sweet for you—it all depends on your tolerance of sweetness. Maybe if you’re in a foul mood due to the exhaustion and stress that comes with studying for Finals, you won’t be in the mood for sweetness, having very little tolerance for it, and perhaps want a drink that suits your mood better. The Gingerbread Latte does not taste great. I can’t explain why, but it just didn’t have the taste I was expecting it to have. Perhaps it didn’t taste how I expected it to, though, because I had a slightly different idea of what gingerbread tasted like in my mind after having not had it for many years. When I tried a slice of gingerbread loaf at Starbucks, I didn’t care for it very much—mostly because of the things that were inside the loaf. Considering that the gingerbread loaf tasted just like the Gingerbread Latte, I believe this may be how gingerbread is supposed to taste, so if you like gingerbread, then you may like this warm drink. Don’t fall for the grandiose look of the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. You’ll taste more of the “toasted” that’s in the name than the “white chocolate.” The very well decorated beverage looks better than it tastes. The candied-cranberry topping makes for a great, cheery holiday look, but just remember before being lured into buying this drink that you won’t even taste any cranberry whatsoever when drinking it. Much to my first-world disappointment, for this does seem like a first-world problem to have, I had quite the trouble in finding much of a white chocolate taste when sipping this beverage. I must admit that out of all my Starbucks outings, I have yet to try the Teavana Joy Brewed Tea, surprisingly enough. But once I find an item on a menu that I like, I tend to stick with that item, so I’m assured happiness or satisfaction with it. That item on the list of Starbucks holiday drinks happens to be the Holiday Spice Flat White for me. That’s the coffee you want to cough up your money for. Don’t let “spice” in the name scare you off. I’m not a big fan of super spicy foods or drinks, but that’s not what the “spice” is really for in the name. The Holiday Spice Flat White has a certain trace of cinnamon spice to it in every sip. I’m not paid to advertise this or anything like that, so this is my absolute unbiased opinion on the Holiday Spice Flat White as a prospective companion for your upcoming studying. When you’re sitting and begin to lull yourself to sleep with the constant repeating of class materials to yourself, the caffeine may offer you a slap on the back awake, and the nice cinnamon taste that goes down with the warmth of the drink may offer you some comforting circles rubbed on the back to get you through studying sanely, as a side.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oxford Emory chapter.