Cat Kemp
When you are craving something delicious and fast before school, Starbucks has all other coffee shops beat. With the recent release of Starbucks’s holiday flavors, I thought to take it upon myself to give my honest and correct opinion. Because of my dietary restrictions, all of the drinks were tried with soy milk if possible, so some aspects of the drinks might have been slightly altered.
Peppermint Mocha: 10/10
Aclassic drink when it comes to the winter season, there is no going wrong with a peppermint mocha. A warm drink to thaw your hands on a cold day, the peppermint mocha is often the first drink that comes to mind when Starbucks’s holiday flavors release for the year. Although the classic warm mocha provides adequate satisfaction, if hot coffee is not for you, the iced peppermint mocha is also a classic and receives another 10/10 from me.
Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte: 9/10
Even though the name implies this coffee will be overpoweringly sweet, I enjoyed the way this cookie flavored coffee coated my tongue. I enjoyed this drink immensely, it was sweet but not too sweet, and I could still taste the coffee flavor. Although I think this drink is deserving of a solid eight, I gave it one bonus point for being a non-dairy option by default, which i’m sure all my fellow lactose intolerant people are very grateful for.
Irish Cream Cold Brew: 2/10
Plain, bland, boring, just coffee. If you like the taste of plain coffee then this drink is for you, but this does not deserve the title of a holiday drink. Although I did enjoy the simplicity and sweetness of this coffee, there is nothing special about this drink that makes it stand out as a holiday favorite.
Caramel Brulee Latte: 6/10
Although I understand the appeal of this drink, there was nothing special about it. It tasted good, however there was nothing to differentiate this drink from a typical caramel latte. Therefore, I rated this drink a six out of ten because although I will not be looking out for it next year, there was nothing that made it terrible.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha: 1/10
An overload of sweet milk is the best way to describe this “coffee.” I could only stand to take one sip of this before giving it to someone else. Granted thatI am not a huge fan of the flavor of black coffee, I would still like for my coffee beverages to have at least the faintest hint of coffee If you need a boost of caffeine and do not like coffee or tea, I suppose this might be for you, however it was just too sweet for me to bear.
Chestnut Praline Latte: 9/10
I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday beverage. My issue with too many of the drinks on this list is I do not get the feel of the holidays whilst trying to enjoy them. Although many of these drinks are not inherently bad, they are just plain. However, this drink gives me the true spirit of Christmas and the holidays in a warm comforting sip. This got a nine from me, my only issue with it is that I was not a fan of the aftertaste it left in my mouth, but overall this was a wonderful drink.
Sugar Plum Cheese Danish: 2/10
This sweet treat seems perfect for people who like plum and cream cheese, having said that, I am not one of those people. I am normally a fan of pastries, however, I found that I did not enjoy the sickly flavor of the plum jam on top.
Snowman Cookie: 5/10
For the people who love a classic shortbread cookie, the snowman cookie is the perfect cute and festive holiday treat. I am not a big fan of shortbread cookies, which is why this item only received half points, nevertheless, I understand the appeal of the cute face and buttery treat.