Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Christmas Frappuccino's- A review.

I'll start by saying I always have Coffee Based Frappuccino's I'm not a coffee drinker at all but I find the cream based frap's to be too sweet and it turns out I like Coffee in this form.

Toffee Nut

Okay I wouldn't have expected to go for this but it is really quite nice- it's a complicated drink cause there are about 4 different flavours.

First things first I ALWAYS have cream- why be 50% decadent? The cream on this baby is sprinkled with coffee sugar... the yummiest coffee sugar I have ever tasted!

I think the first flavour you get is coffee- but not in any harsh sort of bitter way which is good because I'm not really a coffee fan. the second flavour is a creamy taffy/toffee flavour, there's a buttery creamy thing happening and the end notes are a caramelised toasted nut flavour- the only way I can think of to describe this is that it tastes like that Toffee Nut brittle stuff looks. It's not sacherine sweet just sweet enough and no more... If a Caramel Frap is the pinacle... a 10/10 then a Toffee Nut is a good 8.5/10.


Gingerbread

The cream on this is topped with Nutmeg and I recommend you ask to skip it unless you are a huge nutmeg fan or swap it for the stuff they use of the toffee nut or cinnamon- nutmeg is strong on the nose and it affects the taste of the drink.

This drink really does taste like they took Gingerbread and blended it up to make a nice drink! Unlike the other two Fraps you get the gingerbread taste on this one from the very start. The first note is quite sweet- too sweet for my likeing but the end note is very definitely a nice light gingerbread flavour.
If a Caramel Frap is the pinacle... a 10/10 then a Gingerbread is a 6/10 for me... though some people love it to bits... just not this people!


Dark Cherry Mocha

I should preface this review by saying that every year at Christmas the top of my list is a decent size box of Cherry Liquer Chocolates- the ones with the Dark chocolate case and the whole cherry inside. I've been having these since I was a kid just after they stopped selling Tom's Cherry Brandy Bars at Edinburgh Confectionery in Dunedin.

If you are having the cream (and why wouldn't you) then you will either get Choc sauce or choc powder sprinkled on top I can't tell you which because my Barista's know me so well I get both! If you get to choose go the choc sauce!

This frappuccino has choc chips in it they are blended with the ice so they end up as choc coarse grain sand.... Mmmmmm yum!!
The first flavour that hits you is the coffee only a little sweeter this time. Then the Chocolate which is almost like a bittersweet Chocolate and then finally the Dark Cherry. It is not that tacky almond flavoured fake cherry that you get it is a more Morello Cherry flavour.
Once gain Starbucks have nailed the sweetness- it's just right for the flovours going on- not too sweet and not too bitter- perfect thank-you Starbucks!

If a Caramel Frap is the pinacle... a 10/10 then a Dark Cherry Mocha is a 9.8 for me and my new go to Frappucino till the holiday season is over. (Shocking I know- who would have thought me forsaking the Caramel... but it's like having Chery Choc's for half of November and all of December- rather than the pain of trying to make a box last till New Years Day!

All of these drinks have a hot coffee version as well.

And the last of the good news if you drink enough Starbucks ( like me) and collect stamps in your little card thingee then you get this super cool diary- which has a whole page each week for drawing pictures on!!




Frappuccino testing is done under controlled conditions and no blog writers were harmed in the writing of this post... except maybe their waistlines... but they haven't seen that since 1997 anyway!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a cool diary - I have only just been given a card - it'll take forever to get a diary, sad!!!

Joz