Starbucks just brought back its holiday cold brew, and it tastes like a frothy caffeinated hot cocoa

I'm not a huge coffee drinker by any means, and when I do get coffee I need something pretty sweet.

But I had loved Starbucks' Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, which was released in August 2019, so my hopes were high that the Irish Cream Cold Brew would deliver results as well.

The Irish Cream Cold Brew is made with Starbucks' cold brew coffee and its Irish cream syrup, a Starbucks representative explained when I tested out the drink during a preview last year.

The drink is topped with vanilla sweet cream cold foam, as well as a dusting of cocoa powder.

A Starbucks representative told us that the vanilla sweet cream cold foam is the same that was used in the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, minus the pumpkin spice dusting.

The cocoa powder made the drink smell like hot chocolate, which immediately put me in the holiday spirit.

The drink tasted sweet but wasn't overpowering the way a Frappuccino can be. The foam also paired well with the Irish cream syrup, which a Starbucks representative told me had "hints of cocoa and vanilla."

"Starbucks' cold brew has a subtle hint of cocoa in the cold brew, and the Irish cream has hints of cocoa and vanilla," the representative said. "So they complement each other well, and they bring those flavors out more."

I could definitely taste the cocoa notes in the coffee, and even though the drink was iced, it felt cozy due to the traditional holiday flavors. The taste brought me back to Christmas morning when my family always drinks hot cocoa while opening presents.

Starbucks decided to launch a new cold holiday drink after noticing the popularity of its iced beverages.

"Cold is booming," a representative told me during the drink preview. "It's more than 50% of our beverage sales, and we know that everybody loves them year-round."

And, after the popularity of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Starbucks knew cold brew was something its customers would still crave during the holidays.

I have to confess, I am that girl who still orders Caramel Frappuccinos from time to time, but even I agree that they're too sweet to enjoy very often.

However, the Irish Cream Cold Brew is the perfect in-between. You can still taste the coffee, but the flavor is subtle enough for those of us who don't love the taste of caffeine — but still want its kick.

Plus, the notes of cocoa and vanilla add a festive touch that feels right at home in the season of twinkling street lights and never-ending Christmas carols.

Unlike many of Starbucks' special iced drinks, the Irish Cream Cold Brew still looks presentable even as the foam disintegrates.

Fellow Insider reporters discovered that Starbucks' Tie-Dye Frappuccino and Phantom Frappuccino went from Instagram-ready creations to unappealing mush after they began to melt.

But my Irish Cream Cold Brew held up nicely even as the minutes passed. The sweet cream dropped down in pretty streaks across the coffee, eventually turning it from the color of espresso beans to a milky caramel.

And if cold brew isn't your style, a representative told Insider that customers can add the Irish cream syrup to any Starbucks beverage — like an Irish Cream Latte — for an additional charge.

They also noted that the cold foam can be made with almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.

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