We taste-test Starbuck’s latest Japanese S’mores Frappuccino, plus their first-ever hot apple cider.

Starbucks Japan knew that the day would come when we’d be craving some more S’mores Frappuccinos. That desire is right there in the name, after all, and on November 26 they obliged us with the release of the brand-new S’mores Chocolate Frappuccino.

But while the name of the new drink had us licking our lips in anticipation, it’s a little odd in two ways. First off, the “Chocolate” Part is redundant, seeing as how chocolate is one of the three ingredients, along with marshmallows and graham crackers, that you absolutely have to have to make S’mores. The other unusual thing about the S’mores Chocolate Frappuccino is that, unlike Starbucks Japan’s previous Matcha S’more Frappuccino and Caramel S’mores Frappuccino, the name of the new drink doesn’t include its special extra ingredient: espresso.

Yes, for the first time in a while coffee is playing a role in one of Starbucks Japan’s seasonal Frappuccinos. The S’mores Chocolate Frappuccino base is a mix of chocolate sauce and espresso, topped with marshmallow, crunchy whole-wheat cracker bits, plenty of marshmallows, and a sprinkling of brulee sugar.

With the S’mores Chocolate Frappuccino, our resident Frappuccino expert K. Masami took a moment to take in its deep color that promised a luxuriously rich chocolate flavor. It would have been right at home against a backdrop of Christmas stockings or a tree decked out with twinkling lights, but it didn’t look at all bad against the blue sky of a sunny late-autumn afternoon either.

Taking a sip, there is a strong cholate sweetness to start, but it gives way to a surprisingly bitter, and enjoyable, finish as the espresso finds its way through to your taste receptors. The squishy marshmallows and crunchy cracker bits both bring sweetness back into the mix, and overall this is still clearly a dessert drink, even if it does also provide a caffeine hit from the espresso. Overall, it’s a very satisfying experience, delivering the tastes and textures of S’mores with a little extra sophistication, and the Starbucks staff told Masami that for those wanting to tip the scale a little more towards the coffee side, they recommend adding a second shot of espresso as a customization to their order.

While this is the newest member of Starbucks Japan’s S’mores Frappuccino family tree, the chain is also debuting its first-ever Hot Apple Cider. Once again, the ingredient list is a lot more complex than the name implies, starting with steamed apple juice and adding orange, cinnamon, and clove flavors plus pieces of freeze-dried apple, strawberry, and cranberries. Masami also asked for an extra sprinkling of cinnamon, a zero-cost optional topping.

Even before she’d brought the cup all the way up to her mouth, Masami was enveloped by the inviting, comforting aroma of apples. Despite the large number of ingredients, all of the flavors worked to create a gentle sweetness. As the pieces of freeze-dried fruit soaked in the cider, they began to soften but still retained a fun touch of crisp iciness in their core texture, while the drink itself warmed Masami up from her core with every sip.

Between the coziness of the Hot Apple Cider and the S’mores Chocolate Frappuccino’s overall excellence and recommended customization, these are both beverages worth going back for repeats of during the limited but unspecified amount of time they’ll be on sale.

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