Starbucks' new olive oil-infused coffees are sparking curiosity and disgust among TikTok taste-testers: 'It's like an oil spill on your iced coffee'

• Starbucks is rolling out olive oil-infused coffee drinks across the US, and TikTok is weighing in.
• Creators shared scathing reviews; some even wondered whether it was an April Fools' joke.

Amid the gradual rollout of Starbucks' olive oil-doused coffee line, TikTokers have started taste-testing the beverages on camera, and they're sharing their scathing, bewildered reactions.

The new line of drinks, called "Oleato," includes cafe lattes, iced espressos, and cold brews — all infused with olive oil. Former CEO Howard Schultz said he was inspired by his travels to Sicily, where it's custom to drink a spoonful of olive oil every day.

Starbucks has touted the "unexpected alchemy" of the velvety mixture that lingers in the mouth, and Insider's own Phoebe Hunt tried the concoction last month and pleasantly surprised.

But most TikTokers are responding with utter indignation. "Really what it is – it's like an oil spill on your iced coffee," said creator @bananashrooms last month, while swirling around a cup of the coagulated yellow oil that appears to have separated from a milky iced coffee.

The creator @cameoturner said the drink was "feral," and that upon being offered a sample, said they reacted with a "gagging/smiling situation to not seem rude."

Another video posted by @francoplayspiano showed three distinct levels of liquid separation in a cup: coffee, milk, and a green-yellow oil. "If I can prevent even one of my followers from buying this I will be fulfilled," wrote the creator @oliver.schwartz.

"Y'all intestines gonna be slip and slide," a commenter wrote.

Others were more straightforward, angrily deadpanning that the drink tasted like "shit." Many viewers wondered whether the launch was an April Fools' joke, and bemoaned the fact that other flavors, like raspberry syrup, had reportedly been discontinued in the place of olive oil.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Last week, the creator @taynative appeared to show an Oleato-making progress from a barista's perspective, with a shaker labeled "olive oil drinks only." As they appeared to make one of the drinks, an audio of vomiting played in the background.

To be fair, though, some TikTokers were pleasantly surprised by their Oleato orders.

The creator Cambri Guest applauded what she claimed were the health benefits of olive oil, including its anti-inflammatory and blood sugar-balancing properties.

@Boksoongahs gave her drink an 8.5 out of 10, likening the oil to "a kick at the back of your throat," curiously sharing that her drink was spicy. "But not the kind of spicy that burns your tongue," she added.

"I'm really enjoying this," said the TikToker @l3hcar. "The texture of the oil kind of leaves something in your mouth – not in a bad way, not like an aftertaste – that's kind of fun to drink."

The Oleato line launched in Italy in February, and is gradually rolling out to US stores this spring, with Japan, the Middle East, and the UK to follow later this year.