Historically, I haven’t been one to venture out and try what Starbucks coffees have to offer. Even though my friends have always poked fun of me for it, I have been a loyal Dunkin’ customer since day one. My mission this week was to change that, venture out, and give Starbucks a try – And I don’t regret it!
This week, I tried the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and the Iced Caramel Macchiato. Since I didn’t really know where to start, I referred to Emily Weaver’s recommendations on Pop Sugar and Melissa Collins’s list on Perfect Brew, respectively. I highly recommend checking out their posts!
The Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
First Impressions
At first, I was weary to try an espresso drink. I didn’t know exactly what to expect from Starbucks since I’ve never tried their espressos before, but I was pleasantly surprised at this drink. The espresso taste is not overwhelming, with the brown sugar balancing it out perfectly, and it is dairy-free! The brown sugar flavor gives the coffee a hint of sweetness that does not overpower the espresso, but rather enhances the overall aftertaste of this drink. Not only that, but the smoothness of this drink makes its drinkability rating very high. Once you are done with this enjoyable sip, you are left with a pleasant aftertaste that makes you keep sipping.
Review Breakdown
BITTERNESS: 8 – A very good rating. This drink’s great coffee flavor makes it almost perfect.
FLAVOR: 8 – The mixture of these ingredients makes an overall very enjoyable flavor.
SWEETNESS: 6.5 – Subtle but any more and the sweetness may be overpowering.
AFTERTASTE: 7.5 – The flavor of the drink leaves a pleasant taste even after you’re done sipping.
BALANCE: 8 – A great rating for balance! The oat milk and brown sugar flavor perfectly balance out without drowning the espresso flavor completely away.
OVERALL DRINK RATING: 7.7
Final thoughts on the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
This drink is definitely worth your money if you love a smooth coffee with great flavor paired with the energy of the espresso. For the seasoned Starbucks goer, this is a must-have and likely an already-have-tried. For those like me and are nervous to venture out from your normal coffee place, trust me, it’s worth a try! If you don’t really love espresso and like a bit of sweetness, keep reading for a drink that may be more suited for you!
The “Classic” Iced Caramel Macchiato
If you like coffee but aren’t a huge fan of the bitterness associated with espresso, have no fear! When scouring the internet for good coffee to try for my Starbucks-illiterate self, I found in a blog post after blog post one drink that made it to almost all reviewers’ top lists: The Iced Caramel Macchiato. No one can seem to get enough of this drink, and I had to find out why! If you love caramel and coffee as I do, this is the perfect match for you.
First Impressions
After giving it a couple of swirls, the first sip of this drink will likely have you instantly addicted. The caramel sauce that Starbucks uses is unique to any other coffee shop I’ve tried. This is the coffee version of Starbucks’ Caramel Ribbon Frappucino, except it is more equally balanced out by the coffee flavor. While the espresso described above was very good, I finished this macchiato first, and much faster. The critics aren’t lying – This drink is very good. If you are more of a strong coffee person, this may be a treat every now and then for you to get. If you tend to like your coffee on the sweeter side, this will definitely be a regular go-to for you.
Review Breakdown
FLAVOR: 8 – Great caramel flavor with very subtle coffee flavor.
BITTERNESS: 9 – No bitterness, hinting at a poor rating for individuals who like their coffee strong and a great rating for those who don’t love the taste of coffee at all. I will leave that up to you based on preference!
SWEETNESS: 8 – Very sweet for a macchiato, but if you don’t want it too sweet just ask for no Vanilla Cream!
AFTERTASTE: 8 – Enjoyable but extremely subtle aftertaste.
BALANCE: 6 – Not extremely balanced between sweetness and strength, but a very great treat because of it and easy to become hooked on!
OVERALL DRINK RATING: 7.8
Final thoughts on the Iced Caramel Macchiato
Only beating the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso by 0.1 points, the Iced Caramel Macchiato is definitely for those who lean on the sweet preference of the coffee-drinking spectrum. I think it is a delicious treat, but not one that I would get every day due to the sweetness level. If you still want to enjoy the Caramel Macchiato but don’t tend to lean toward that sweet side of coffee taste preference, have no fear! Just ask for no Vanilla Cream and you will be good to go.
So, which one should I get?
While these drinks had almost identical ratings, they each had strong suits in different areas of the rating spectrum. While the espresso drink had great balance, the macchiato did not; Where the macchiato scored high on the sweetness rating, the espresso drink lacked more in this area. So, the answer? It depends on if you prefer strong coffee or sweeter coffee. Each has its own unique areas that make it good in its own way, it just depends on what you are looking for that day.
Come back next week for a new brew, new review!
