I tried 5 of the most caffeinated drinks at Starbucks, and next time I'm looking for a pick-me-up, I'll order the chocolate shaken espresso
Erin McDowell
- I tried five of Starbucks' most caffeinated coffee drinks to see which tasted the best.
- I'm usually a fan of iced coffee, but surprisingly enjoyed the chain's signature dark roast blend.
- The Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso was tasty but could also power me through a long day.
I'm not one to monitor or look at how much caffeine I'm consuming. I usually drink one cup of coffee per day and maybe a Diet Coke or two. However, when I decided to taste some of Starbucks' most caffeinated drinks, I was surprised to find that some were more caffeinated than I was expecting.
To find out which would be the tastiest morning pick-me-up, I tried five of their most caffeinated drinks: Cold Brew coffee, an Iced Honey Almond Flat White, an Iced Caffè Americano, a Featured Dark Roast, and an Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso, one of Starbucks' newest menu items.
Each tall drink contained at least 150 milligrams of caffeine, which is half the daily limit of 300 to 400 mg recommended for an average adult. By comparison, the average cup of 8-ounce coffee is said to contain between 80 to 100 milligrams. So while some of the drinks had more caffeine than I expected, one or two a day would still keep me within the daily limit, provided I was not consuming too much caffeine from other foods and beverages.
Here's how each drink ranked according to taste, ranked from worst to best.
My least favorite drink I tried was Starbucks' iced Americano.
A tall cost me $3.45 and contained 150 milligrams of caffeine.
I won't be grabbing this if I need a quick caffeine boost during the day - it tasted slightly watered down and bitter.
The flavor of this coffee drink wasn't full or rich enough for me. It tasted like an average cup of cold coffee, in my opinion. I probably wouldn't order it again.
The Iced Honey Almondmilk Flat White was just a little too bland for my liking.
A tall cost me $6.25, which I thought was expensive for its small size. It contained 150 milligrams of caffeine.
It was subtly sweet and very light but didn't have that richness in flavor I look for in a well-caffeinated drink.
The honey did add a light sweetness that I liked, and I found it even slightly refreshing. However, I probably wouldn't choose this drink over the others I tried.
The Starbucks Featured Dark Roast - the most caffeinated drink out of the ones I tried - pleasantly surprised me.
It cost me just $2.85 and contained a whopping 260 milligrams of caffeine.
This coffee could definitely power me through a long day of work.
Going into this taste test, black dark roast coffee intimidated me. I'm usually a fan of sweet, iced lattes and the like. However, I enjoyed this dark roast.
It was silky smooth, rich, and had a lot of full-bodied flavor.
The cold brew was simple but packed a punch.
It cost me $3.95 at my local Starbucks for a tall and contained 155 milligrams of caffeine.
The cold brew had a classic, well-roasted flavor and gave me the boost I was looking for.
It was rich and deep, though slightly bitter. However, it was nowhere near as bitter as the iced Americano. I really enjoyed this one and, though it was simple, it gave me that buzz I look for in a caffeinated drink.
My favorite drink I tried is brand new at Starbucks: the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso.
It cost me $6.25 for a tall version and, while it was expensive, I enjoyed it much more than the Iced Honey Almondmilk Flat White.
The drink is so new that the website doesn't have its caffeine and nutritional information listed yet, but online sources say that a grande version of this drink contains 255 milligrams of caffeine. For comparison, a grande Iced Honey Almondmilk Flat White contains 225 milligrams of caffeine.
This drink was sweet but strong, decadent but not too rich - it was perfect.
It had a nice mocha chocolate flavor to it, without tasting like a dessert. It had a slight bitterness that balanced out the sweet elements and overall was very impressive.
The next time I'm looking for a morning pick-me-up, I would definitely order this one again.
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