REVIEW: Starbucks Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

/ / Reviews

Here’s a little TMI about me. My go-to drink at Starbucks is the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Actually, it’s the only drink in my regular Starbucks coffee rotation because, as my therapist has pointed out, I don’t like coming out of my comfort zone. Also, it’s a simple drink — vanilla syrup, vanilla sweet cream, ice, and cold brew. The only times I deviate is when I have to review something new. But no matter how good those new products are, none of them stick with me, so it’s back to c-old relia-brew.

But there’s now a new cold brew drink on the menu that might have a chance to stick with me — the Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Yes, it’s the same drink, but it’s nondairy. Oatmilk and soy milk are used to make the dairy-less vanilla sweet cream, which helps make this coffee drink slightly healthier than the regular version. In a grande, we’re talking about four grams less saturated fat and a slight decrease in calories, total fat, and sugar.

There’s a slightly odd vegetable flavor with the very first sip. I want to say pea-like. But that taste disappears after a few quick swirls to mix the drink. The vanilla and cream flavors are less pronounced in this nondairy version, but the level of coffee also tastes less striking than with the regular Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. I’m all for hiding the taste of coffee behind cream and sugar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like this more than the dairy version. I enjoy both equally. However, since the nondairy vanilla sweet cream is a permanent addition to the menu and, as my primary care physician has pointed out, I need to cut back on my saturated fat, I’ll be ordering this from now on. Actually, I’ve already purchased it three times since it debuted.

So, I now have a new go-to coffee at Starbucks, which is almost exactly like my old go-to at Starbucks. I guess it’s sort of like replacing original Oreo cookies with Oreo Thins as my favorite sandwich cookie.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Size: Grande
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 185 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee

/ / Reviews / 13 Comments

Summer is here, and so is another iced coffee from Starbucks to keep you hydrated. (Note: I am not a doctor, who would probably tell you to hydrate with water, but iced coffee is made of water too, so it counts… right?) The coffee chain recently released the Carmel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee, and honestly, I would have thought something like this was already on the menu. Nonetheless, this flavor profile is right up my alley, so I was excited to try it.

I was delighted to find out this iced coffee features caramel syrup and Vanilla Sweet Cream. I LOVE the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream and could probably drink it straight. My initial thought was that they would have just combined vanilla and caramel syrup, so this got me excited right off the bat.

Readers, this iced coffee did not disappoint. I’ll start with the only negative – when I received the coffee, it did not look pretty and swirled like the promotional photo. But as my grandfather used to say, if that’s the worst thing, then we’re still doing pretty well.

At first sip, the Vanilla Sweet Cream flavor really hits you up front—so much so that I wondered if they forgot the caramel. But don’t worry! The caramel syrup really shined through in the aftertaste. The flavors paired together nicely and were very present while I milked the drink (I’ve said before in my reviews that I can make an iced beverage last several hours, depending on what I’m caught up in).

The other thing I really liked about this iced coffee was that it wasn’t too sweet. With 26 grams of sugar in a grande, it certainly had the potential to be, but I was pleasantly surprised. And the caffeine also packs a nice punch – I could see myself getting this either as my first OR second coffee of the day!

I’ll definitely be adding the Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee to my rotation, and you should too!

Purchased Price: $4.25
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 26 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 165 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Energy Beverages

/ / Reviews

Who would’ve thought Starbucks and Dunkin’ would be competing for our cash with fruity energy drinks this year? I didn’t have that on my 2024 Fast Food BINGO card. Earlier this year, Dunkin’ pushed 144 milligrams of caffeine into our bloodstreams with its SPARKD’ Energy Drinks. Now, Starbucks is helping keep America energized with its line of Iced Energy Beverages.

The sugar-free drink debuted with three flavors: Melon Burst, Tropical Citrus, and Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Energy with Strawberry Puree. While the first two are permanent additions to the menu, the third one is only available for a limited time and exclusive to the Starbucks app. This review will cover the first two.

Starbucks says the Melon Burst Iced Energy features melon and cucumber flavors balanced with Passion Tango Tea. If you’re unfamiliar with the chain’s Passion Tango Tea, it’s made with a blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, and apple, creating a beverage with the color of passion. For a drink called “Melon Burst,” it sure doesn’t have a burst of melon. Nor does it have a noticeable cucumber flavor. Both come out a bit in the aftertaste, but I mostly detected the flavors in the Passion Tango Tea. It’s not a bad tasting beverage since I enjoy hibiscus teas, but I was hoping for more melon.

Starbucks’ Tropical Citrus Iced Energy combines passionfruit and citrus flavors with green tea. There’s a slight tartness from the passionfruit flavor, but I’m not sure I taste anything citrusy, which I guess, depending on the citrus fruit, could also cause the tartness. It starts fruity, and the green tea becomes more noticeable right before I gulp it down. Thoughts of Arizona Green Tea came to mind while drinking this, but as a fan of the cheap canned beverage, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If I were to repurchase an Iced Energy, I’d get this flavor over the Melon Burst.

With that said, I wish these had a stronger fruitiness. Their flavors don’t pop like they do with Dunkin’s energy drink offerings. Heck, Starbucks’ Refreshers are more enticing. I guess I’m disappointed because I’m used to zero-sugar Monster and Red Bull varieties being flavorful despite having zero calories and artificial sweeteners. But on the plus side, while these Starbucks beverages also use artificial sweeteners, I didn’t notice the sucralose and ace-k in them.

While these don’t pulverize your taste buds with flavor, they do pack a heck of a caffeinated punch. Melon Burst has 180 milligrams of caffeine, and Tropical Citrus has 205 milligrams. Those numbers are for the venti size, which is the ONLY size these drinks come in. I wonder if the reasoning for this is because of what happened with Panera’s Charged Lemonade.

If you want a lightly carbonated, lightly fruity, easy-to-drink, and heavily caffeinated pick-me-up that doesn’t make you feel like you need to brush your teeth afterward, Starbucks’ Iced Energy Drinks will satisfy your taste buds, bloodstream, and teeth.

Purchased Price: $6.25 each
Size: Venti (24 fl oz)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Melon Burst), 6 out of 10 (Tropical Citrus)
Nutrition Facts: (Venti) Melon Burst – 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 180 milligrams of caffeine. Tropical Citrus – 5 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 205 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Summer Skies Drink

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

There is a morning every year that I walk out of my house, and I can feel the very beginning of summer. A new warmness in the breeze takes me back to those mornings heading to school and knowing the year was nearing its end. Starbucks, hoping to capture that summer feeling, introduced a new line of Refreshers, anticipating them to be 2024’s drinks of the summer. One of the three new offerings, Summer Skies Drink, takes the Summer-Berry base (raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors), shakes it with coconut milk and ice, and serves it over raspberry flavored pearls.

Don’t let the name “raspberry flavored pearls” make you think they are anything new. They are nothing more than popping boba that has been on the menu at chains like Dunkin’ and Sonic. I was confused by the use of “pearls” instead of popping boba, as the term (at least to me) invokes the more traditional, chewy boba. Regardless, I was surprised to see Starbucks coming to this trend a little late.

Like most Refreshers, the drink has a nice pop of color. Reminiscent of a Bomb Pop, its visuals scream “summer.” Using the included boba straw, I took my first sip. As expected, I got a mouthful of the raspberry-flavored pearls, which overshadowed the base’s flavor. With the slightest bit of pressure, they popped, and the generic somewhat sweet raspberry taste filled my mouth.

Going back in, I made sure to try the base to get a better idea of its flavor. Without the pearls’ influence, it was a mildly sweet, berry delight. The coconut milk added a smooth creaminess and allowed the Summer-Berry base to shine. Trying the whole thing together (drink & pearls), I found the spherical additions almost unnecessary. They added the unique texture of popping boba, but I didn’t find they enhanced the drink’s taste. It was this nice, light, creamy beverage with a fake raspberry flavor at the end. Another thing of note, I was left with a large amount of pearls by the end. The size I got (grande) came with two scoops, which I felt made the drink-to-pearl ratio uneven.

Starbucks’ Summer Skies Drink is a refreshing summer option, but it doesn’t quite hit all the high notes. The real star is the Summer-Berry and coconut milk base; it offers a light, fruity, creamy sip that feels like summer. However, the boba pearls feel a bit like a trendy afterthought. They add texture, but their strong flavor clashes with the base. I might tinker with it (blended? or less pearls?) to see if it elevates the experience. For now, though, the Pink Drink will likely remain my go-to for a fruity, caffeinated summer pick-me-up.

Purchased Price: $6.45
Size: Grande
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 50 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Summer-Berry Refreshers

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

Summer.

A time when the days are long and the nights are short. A time when you hope your deodorant’s claim of lasting 24 hours is accurate. A time when you’re very likely to sweat bucket if you hang outside for any decent length of time during the day. Okay, maybe not buckets, but you might perspire so much that you could fill a Tall-sized Starbucks cup with sweat. To replenish the liquid you’ll lose this summer, Starbucks has a shiny new Summer-Berry Refresher, available in cup sizes from Tall to Trenta, which you can reuse to find out how much you sweat during these upcoming hot months. I hope you don’t fill a Trenta-sized cup.

Starbucks says the drink is “a sweet summer blend of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors, shaken with ice and poured over raspberry flavored pearls that deliver a delicate and deliciously sweet burst of summer fun.” There are also versions that come mixed with either lemonade or coconutmilk. I decided to hydrate myself with the regular one.

The beverage looks more Instagrammable than my photos make it out to be. According to Starbucks, this is its first blue-colored drink. Well, primarily blue because the many raspberry pearls create a purple-red pearl pillow for the Summer-Berry base to sit on. I love how the ice spheres and blue base combine to look like a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. I could stare at it until the clouds have faded, I mean, until the ice has melted.

Its smell and taste reminded me of an ice pop. Although the base has multiple berries, I thought the blueberry stood out more. But the drink got raspberry-heavy when the fruit-flavored liquid trapped in the pearls was released as they exploded between my teeth. That’s when this Refresher really tasted like a blue raspberry popsicle. Crushing the ice between my molars kind of made me feel like I was chewing on an ice pop and doing stuff my dentist would disapprove of.

I’ve had popping boba before, so the sensation of chomping down on these pearls is not new to me. But I’ve always found that making them explode in my mouth is soothing and that my teeth can experience what my feet feel when they step on bubble wrap.

Starbucks’ Summer-Berry Refresher is like summer in a cup with a blue sky color, pearls that pop like fireworks, and a flavor that’s like a summer frozen novelty. It’s a great way to beat the summer heat and make you feel refreshed.

Purchased Price: $6.75
Size: Venti (24 fl oz)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 36 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 75 milligrams of caffeine.

Scroll to Top