This decadent affair inspired by a French cake is difficult to resist.

With January now over, it’s time for coffeehouse giant Starbucks to release its second Valentine’s Day Frappuccino of the year, and the beverage they’re seducing us with is one called the Opera Frappuccino.

This decadent, chocolatey drink is based on the French opera cake, with layers of sponge, chocolate, and cream replicating the famous dessert, complete with a glossy finish and a dusting of gold powder on top.

The glittering gold powder upon the smooth chocolate glacage sauce made this drink look like a sparkling gem, creating a topping that our resident Starbucks expert K. Masami says she’s never seen on a Frappuccino before.

Another interesting point that stood out was the fact that this particular beverage contains almond milk as the norm rather than the customisation.

The combination of almond milk and coffee creates a divine flavour profile that’s not only sweet but bittersweet as well. This helps to balance out the richness of the dessert beverage, which is thick with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

▼ The chocolate glacage sauce does a good job of adding sweetness and an oozy mouthfeel to every mouthful.

It was like drinking a rich and indulgent opera cake, and though Masami felt a little guilty about it all at first, it was a love affair that only came around once a year, so she sat back and enjoyed every sip.

Like the Fondant Chocolat Frappuccino that kicked off the Valentine’s Day festivities at Starbucks this year, the Opera Frappuccino is absolutely delicious and well worth the calories.

Priced at 776 yen (US$5.95) for takeout and 790 yen for eat-in customers, the new Frappuccino will be on the menu until 14 February.

Source, images: Starbucks Japan
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