Chestnut Praline Latte Review (Starbucks)

         Oh, Starbucks’ you have created some truly defining things up until this point. The Pumpkin Spice latte is a thing of pure fall bliss, signaling to the multitudes that fall is starting to take shape. The Peppermint mocha was another step in a strong direction, letting the public know that now was the right time to start thinking about the holidays and the special moments they would be having, connecting and conversing with others over handcrafted beverages. Now, here we are again, this time a Chestnut Praline further into what could well be another inspired moment.

            The Chestnut Praline latte (also available iced or blended into a Frappuccino) is something of a step into a much needed direction, however, maybe not at the right moment. The drink itself is very well made, a cinnamon like flavor that is sewn together with the sweetness of the espresso itself provides the consumer with a flavor that almost echoes that of cinnamon toast crunch cereal. The drink, in standard form is excellent, the toppings are strong and whipped cream is a good choice, however, whip is removable and the drink still stands strong on its own. Blended the drink comes off a bit too sweet, not really finding any noticeable qualities (aside from being a Starbucks beverage) that make it stand out. The most needed to touch-upon topic is the crown on top of the drink; those crumbles.

            When examining anything with the intent to review, it is important to look at the subject in other lights. If a movie is under view, we must place it outside of the theatre and see what it can say, aside from the dialogue found on screen. Atop the Praline latte we find something that extends beyond the newest member of the beverage family; the topping that has somewhat changed the holiday drinking experience for me personally. The topping, while strong on the Praline, finds that it can maintain its excellence on other drinks. To be clear, I drink eggnog as I eat coleslaw; a little bit once in a while to remind myself that I am personally not a fan. However, with the toppings from the Praline, the eggnog latte is easily one of my favorite holiday beverages. The topping can also be added to a Frappuccino to give a sweet cinnamon twist, something that nothing else at Starbucks could do before.

            In short, the drink stands strong, my greatest hope, however, is that the drink is kept on board throughout the year rather than just holidays, allowing for more experimentation with the topping and allowing for more inspired moments.

 

Follow me, @mattaghetti on twitter!

Youtube.com/mattaghetti