Venture off the tourist trail and discover the hidden gems at this homegrown chain.

On 6 August, Tully’s released a special Vanilla Affogato Shake to celebrate its 28th anniversary. Being ardent fans of the home-grown coffeehouse chain, we were immediately keen to get a taste of this new celebratory beverage, but then we got to thinking… how would it compare to the affogato at Starbucks?

Tully’s tends to sit in the shadow of Starbucks a lot of the time, so we had high hopes that the Vanilla Affogato Shake might be the beverage to help nudge the chain into the spotlight. So we went out and purchased it, along with Starbucks’ equivalent, the Espresso Affogato Frappuccino, to see how they would compare.

Starting with the Vanilla Affogato Shake, we saw it didn’t look too different to its rival at Starbucks, but upon tasting it, we knew it was a different beast. Based on a vanilla-flavoured shake, the drink had espresso poured over it, allowing the gentle sweetness of the vanilla to come through, with the rich espresso acting as an accent. At the bottom of the cup was a thick coffee jelly for textural contrast, creating a delicious, easy-to-drink beverage with an irresistibly smooth mouthfeel.

▼ Now to try the affogato at Starbucks.

At 685 yen (US$4.65), this drink is slightly cheaper than the Affogato Shake at Tully’s, which is 695 yen. Once a limited-time product, the Espresso Affogato Frappuccino is now a menu mainstay due to popular demand, and when we took a sip, we immediately knew why it had become so sought after.

Designed around a ristretto shot, with dissolved brown sugar and a white mocha syrup accent, this one had a concentrated coffee flavour, but with more sweetness than the drink at Tully’s. This made it more flavourful and complex, with a wider range of sweetness and bitterness in one cup, but on the other hand, the more limited flavour profile in the Tully’s drink made it smoother and easier to drink.

The punchier flavours will definitely appeal to Starbucks fans, but the Tully’s drink will reward those who venture off the beaten path to seek it out. Not only does it contain less calories — 338 compared to 440 — but it has a mellower, smoother taste that gives you a great insight into what really appeals to local tastes. Plus, right now you can have it served in a limited-edition Bearful Hug Me Bottle, which has been released to mark the chain’s anniversary.

▼ Does this make it an annibearsary?

The Bearful Hug Me Bottle can only be purchased with one of the limited-edition anniversary drinks, and costs an additional 1,680 yen. There’s no cuter way to enjoy an affogato in Japan right now, so it’s worth choosing Tully’s over Starbucks this summer.

The chain might lie in the shadow of the green mermaid for much of the year, but right now it’s definitely in the spotlight with the cutest affogato in Japan. You’ll want to get in quick to try it, though, as it’s only being produced in limited numbers from 6 August, while stocks last.

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