Any day Starbucks releases a new drink is a good day indeed, but the latest beverage to come from the coffee chain might have you scratching your head. What does the Starbucks Cherry Blossom Frappuccino taste like, some may be wondering, and when can you get your hands on it? If you were looking for an early taste of spring, Starbucks has got you covered — literally.
Even as an ardent Starbucks fan, I gotta admit I was a little skeptical when I heard news of Starbucks' new beverage offering at first. I mean, "cherry blossom" isn't exactly a flavor that my brain immediately registers. However, as a person who has to try every new drink the second it lands in stores (I can't ignore the magnetic pull of a never-before-tasted Starbucks beverage, y'all), I was willing to go into this latest tasting experience with an open mind. And, I'm glad I did. Starbucks is promoting the Cherry Blossom Frappuccino as "spring in a cup," and it's not wrong. The drink was surprisingly refreshing.
For what it's worth, I'm not usually a huge Frappuccino fan. I'll order them on special occasions, but for the most part I like to stick to my regular Starbucks order — a tall cup of Blonde Roast drip coffee. Fancy beverages are fine, but generally speaking I like my coffee plain and strong. According to Starbucks, the new Cherry Blossom Frappuccino is anything but. It's described as "a blend of sweet strawberries and cream with white chocolate sauce and matcha drizzle, topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of matcha." Read between those lines, and you might notice something missing — there's no caffeine.
But, even if this drink wasn't exactly the kick in the pants I've come to expect on a Tuesday afternoon, I didn't even mind once I started sipping. Here's a breakdown of what to expect from the Cherry Blossom Frappuccino.
1. It's sweet
Like, really sweet — especially for somebody who is used to drinking black coffee on a regular basis. That being said, it wasn't overwhelming. In fact, it was pleasantly nostalgic. I sorta felt like I was a kid, sipping away on a milkshake.
2. You can definitely taste the strawberry
Don't be fooled — there's no cherry anything to be found in this drink. In fact, the blast of strawberry was the very first thing my taste buds were able to identify, and frankly, it was awesome. It was refreshing, without tasting tropical. Once I started drinking it, it was hard for me to put it down. (It's also worth noting that the flavor immediately reminded me of strawberry lip gloss I used to wear on a daily basis in middle school, which honestly was kinda amazing.)
3. You can't really taste the matcha
I'm not the world's biggest matcha fan — I like it in small doses, but tend to skip it when it comes time to ordering a full beverage. But, I couldn't really detect the matcha in the Cherry Blossom Frapp at all when I first took a sip, even though the drink comes with both matcha drizzle and powder. Once I stirred the Frappuccino up a bit, the flavors became a little more evenly distributed, but the strawberry was by far the dominant note.
4. White chocolate should be in more things
It's so good! This is, I'm guessing, what gives the Frappuccino its milkshake feel. It was subtle, but still lent an extra bit of decadence to the beverage. Needless to say, I was into it.
Conclusion:
Even if you're not super enthusiastic about Frappuccinos, you should still definitely give this one a try. It's available March 15 through March 20 (aka the first day of spring), and the sweet, fruity flavor really does get you in the mood for warmer days ahead. Depending on where you live, a tall Cherry Blossom Frappuccino costs between $4.25 to $4.95, which I think is a fair price to pay for a sneak preview of spring. It may not exactly be the afternoon pick-me-up you're looking for, but the caffeine-free drink's flavor alone is enough to put a little spring in your step. And, with a few more winter days ahead of us, that's exactly what we all need.
Images: Kathryn Kattalia; Giphy
