Starbucks goes strawberry crazy this spring, but is it a good thing?

Just because you combine two delicious things doesn’t guarantee you’ll get something delicious. That’s something our reporter K. Masami has long believed in, but at Starbucks, with its knack for knowing what customers want, she finds she’s hardly ever disappointed, as they have the wherewithal to bring even the most obscure ingredients together to create something truly wonderful.

So on 25 March, when Starbucks added three strawberry-based drinks to the menu, our reporter K. Masami was first in line to order. With one of the drinks being the ever-popular Strawberry Frappuccino, which Masami has tried before as it appears for a limited time every spring, she decided to opt for the two other drinks that were new to the menu, the Strawberry Cream Puff Frappuccino and the Strawberry & Passion Sorbet Tea.

Starting with the Strawberry Cream Puff Frappuccino, Masami initially had her doubts about it, as it looked to be little more than a strawberry version of the Cream Puff Frappuccino she tried earlier this month.

▼ The original Cream Puff Frappuccino

Having enjoyed the original version, Masami was curious to see how the strawberry version would affect the flavour, so she took a sip and discovered…

▼ …it was absolutely perfect!

In fact, it almost felt like the Cream Puff Frappuccino had reached its ideal form. The taste had evolved to a remarkable extent, with the added sweetness and tartness of strawberries making it even easier to drink. Though there was more strawberry sauce than expected, and the fruit flavour was quite strong, that turned out to be a good thing as the combination of strawberry and custard-flavoured whipped cream mimicked the flavour of a cream puff perfectly.

▼ In addition to being smoother, it also had a sublime sweetness and a refreshing taste, elevating it way above the original Cream Puff Frappuccino.

▼ Now it was time to try the Strawberry & Passion Sorbet Tea (640 yen).

Masami is a big fan of Starbucks’ sorbet drinks, and this new strawberry version did not disappoint. Not as intensely icy as a Frappuccino, the sorbet mixture lets the flavour of the chain’s classic passion tea shine through, adding a slight tanginess to the sweet strawberry in perfect measures.

▼ The tartness permeates right through your body, giving you a zing of energy.

The little bits of fruit inside make it feel like you’re drinking an icy strawberry, and Masami says the drink was so good she gulped it down in no time at all. In fact, after trying this drink, she wonders why the sorbet beverages are yet to get as much love as the chain’s Frappuccinos. They’re lighter and easier to drink, with more of the focus on fruit rather than milk, making them a great alternative for those seeking more refreshment in their beverages.

Whether you like your beverages fruity or milky, these new drinks prove yet again that Starbucks knows what it’s doing when it comes to unique pairings and limited-edition blends. They’re definitely worth trying, but like all good releases, they’ll only be on the menu for a limited time.

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