The INSIDER Summary:
- Starbucks just released a new Horchata Almond Milk Frappuccino, so I decided to try it.
- It tasted horrible and nothing like horchata.
- I ended up throwing it out.
Starbucks has been rolling out a lot of new and creative frappuccinos lately, from the Unicorn Frappuccino that had people lining up to try it, to a variety of other colorful blends.
In order to tide people over until it's PSL season, the coffee chain just debuted a new end-of-summer frap flavor: the Horchata Almond Milk Frappuccino.
Being a huge fan of horchata, a drink that is typically made with rice water and flavored with cinnamon (depending on what country you're in) I had to try this frappucino.
However, I was super skeptical to learn that Starbucks' horchata frappuccino had zero ingredients in common with the original drink. The Horchata Almond Milk Frappuccino is made by blending almond milk (not rice water), cinnamon dolce syrup, coffee, and ice, and is topped with whipped cream, a caramel swirl, and cinnamon sugar sprinkles.
Although that's not the way I know and love horchata, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.
When I received my drink I was excited: it looked delicious.
The first sip wasn't awful, but maybe my taste buds were just in shock. This definitely wasn't horchata (obviously), but I couldn't tell what it actually did taste like, especially since the first sip was dominated by whipped cream and an overwhelming sweetness.
After a few more sips, I knew I hated this drink. It tasted like I was gulping down those burnt pieces of sugar that top crème brûlée. Plus, it was kind of thin and watery, instead of rich and creamy.
I'm not sure if something went awry with the cinnamon dolce syrup, but this drink was way too sweet, and left the absolute worst aftertaste that I couldn't get rid of.
Overall, this drink confirmed my worst fears and was absolutely terrible. I couldn't even finish it.
Worst of all, the frappuccino does nothing to recreate the flavor of horchata, and I was left confused as to why Starbucks even decided to name it after the drink.
Unfortunately, I ended up throwing the rest of it in the trash. Starbucks should probably just leave horchata to the pros.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: A diehard Mac user switches to PC