Starbucks is getting into Godiva territory with the price of its newest chocolate dessert drink, but is the quality there?
Cheap prices have never really been the appeal of Starbucks. They are, after all, the chain that did more than any other to broadly popularize the idea among the mainstream masses that it’s worth paying extra for coffee of a quality that encourages sipping and savoring it in a relaxing, stylish interior space.
And yet, there’s definitely some sticker shock involved with Starbucks’ newest Japanese Frappuccino, which went on sale this week, since they’re charging 900 yen (US$5.80) for the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino. With the current exchange rate, that might not sound like an exorbitant price when converted into U.S. dollars, but in Japan, where limited-time seasonal Frappuccinos usually cost around 700 yen, and even the more expensive ones top out around 800, 900 yen is a lot to ask for a dessert drink. With 900 yen, for example, you could buy two whole beef bowls at one of the major chains like Yoshinoya, Matsuya, or Sukiya.
Nevertheless, duty called for our resident Frappuccino expert and Japanese-language reporter K. Masami, so as soon as she could, she dashed over to her local Starbucks to try out this new premium-priced Frappuccino.
With its release coming just ahead of Valentine’s Day, which in Japan is as much about chocolate as it is romance, the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino is being billed by Starbucks as “a superb affogato Frappuccino experience.” In the pursuit of that decadent goal, the drink’s base is one of cacao cream and milk (no milk substitutes available for this one), topped with whipped cream with cacao shavings sprinkled across it.
Things start to get really luxurious right before the drink is handed to you, though, as the barista finishes it off by pouring a shot of espresso over the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino, mimicking the serving style of the Italian dessert that makes up part of its name.
What’s more, the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino comes with a Starbucks waffle cookie on the side, which they recommend dipping into the Frappuccino so that you can eat, as well as drink, the beverage.
Though only available with the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino, the waffle cookie comes in its own little package, making it feel extra-special, and the cookie itself looks suitably fancy too.
Masami started her taste test by taking a sip of the Frappuccino, and learned that this is a case in which what you see is very much what your taste buds get. This is a rich, creamy, and very chocolatey flavor profile, an unabashed indulgence for fans of cocoa, one that, in Masami’s opinion, is more delicious than even luxury chocolatier Godiva’s dessert drinks. The shot of espresso adds some sophisticated complexity, with a stimulating kick of bitter coffee notes that pairs extremely well with the dark chocolate. Giving the drink a stir with her straw to blend the whipped cream more evenly throughout the glass gave just enough of a boost to the creaminess to smooth out any roughness in the transition between the various ingredients.
As for the cookie, it’s so good that Masami almost forgot about dipping it into the drink. Taking her first bite of it as is, she found it sweet but with a clean finish. It’s got so much classy quality that she wishes Starbucks would make them available for purchase on their own too, and could easily imagine customers happy to snap them up for around 200 yen each.
Luckily, Masami did remember to start dipping before she ate the whole thing, and it turned out that the three delicious flavors of the chocolate, the espresso, and the cookie also taste great all hitting your taste receptors simultaneously.
So yes, while 900 yen is a lot to pay for a Frappuccino, the price starts to make more sense if you view the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino as actually being a combo of a Frappuccino, an espresso, and a really good cookie. If you want to sweeten the deal even more, the Starbucks staff that Masami talked to recommend asking for extra chocolate sauce, which is a no-cost customization option for the drink, but either way, Masami thinks the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino experience is money well spent.
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