THE STARBUCKS BLONDE VANILLA LATTE IS YET ANOTHER OF THEIR FEATURED BLONDE ESPRESSO BEVERAGES, and this one is worth a second look.
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Let’s start with Starbucks’ description of the Blonde Vanilla Latte:
“Our Starbucks Blonde Espresso, which is seriously smooth and subtly sweet, meets steamed milk and vanilla syrup, creating a delightful twist on a beloved espresso classic.”
My Recommendation
I recommend getting any and all hot Starbucks milk-and-espresso beverages with breve and extra shots of espresso, and the Blonde Vanilla Latte is no exception to this.
As a note, however, I’d recommend that you not wildly add a bunch of extra shots just because the Blonde Espresso is lighter-tasting than the Signature Espresso you’re used to. Blonde Espresso may taste lighter, but it contains just as much caffeine as standard Signature Espresso.
My Experience
This was my third sampling of Starbucks’ featured Blonde Espresso line of beverages, right after the Blonde Flat White. My strategy was to get the full spectrum of the new flavor profile by first trying Blonde Espresso with water (as in the Blonde Caffè Americano), then with milk in the Blonde Flat White, then here, with a flavored syrup.
This drink is very surprising, being so totally different from the standard Starbucks Vanilla Latte that it isn’t even in the same flavor neighborhood. Weird, right? Also surprising to me was how different this was from the Blonde Flat White, which I expected would be pretty similar to this drink. Turns out, the vanilla makes all the difference.
What does vanilla do for this drink? Interestingly it makes the floral notes I mentioned upon tasting the Blonde Caffè Americano explode to the forefront of the flavor palate. Instead of clashing with the espresso, the Vanilla complements and accentuates the Blonde Espresso flavors, resulting in a flowery-sweet citrus-caramel-vanilla flavor. It’s really unusual, and confirms my suspicion that Blonde Espresso shots would severely alter the flavor of pretty much every Starbucks Espresso beverage. I’ll be re-trying every drink with Blonde Espresso.
Verdict
This is the ultimate Starbucks Vanilla Latte. Seriously. I was never a big fan of the standard Starbucks Vanilla Latte. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, but the Vanilla flavored syrup was always overwhelmed by the roasty Signature Espresso. In the Blonde Vanilla Latte, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The flavor of this drink is much more complex than what I’m used to from Starbucks, and it’s delicious. I’d order this one again for sure.
If you didn’t like the original Vanilla Latte, give this one a shot. If you did like the original, get this anyway. In my opinion, it’s way better.
Nutritional Information (Courtesy of Starbucks.com) For the Standard-Recipe Blonde Vanilla Latte:
| Calories 240 | Calories from Fat 60 |
| % Daily Value* | |
|---|---|
| Total Fat 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat 4.5g | 22% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium 160mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 33g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Sugars 31g | |
| Protein 12g | |
| Caffeine 170mg** | |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. | |
| **Each caffeine value is an approximate value. | |
