Review: Starbucks Pistachio Latte

$5.85 (short)

While I have yet to have the pinnacle Dubai Chocolate experience, the frenzy has left me with a new appreciation for pistachio. I have taken this simple nut for granted all these years. It's an amazing star ingredient for baked goods and sweet stuff - who knew. Well now we know. Hence, Starbucks winter pistachio menu finally caught my eye this year.

Disclaimer: I have modified this drink and it is ok to question the validity of this review. But hear me out, here's my Starbucks struggle. The occasional instance I try one of their limited-time offerings, I often feel like I'm just drinking the same drink. A sugary, milky coffee. And that's not bad. It's just not what my expectations ordered. So in attempt to circumvent that experience, I modified the drink.

Standard Pistachio Latte: pistachio sauce, salted brown-buttery topping, 2% milk, signature espresso

Susan's Pistachio Latte: pistachio sauce, vanilla syrup, salted brown-buttery topping, whole milk, blonde espresso

With my logic being, I wanna taste the pistachio! Change # 1 Vanilla Syrup, this was an ingredient in the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew. Coffee is a really strong flavor and I figured this would add some balance. Change # 2 Whole Milk, it's richer and creamier - yes please. Change # 3 Blonde Espresso, see reasoning for change # 1, the Signature Espresso is a dark roast which has a much stronger flavor.

And how was it? Well as Christopher Walken needed more cowbell, I needed more pistachio! The first couple sips, I was once again in sugary, milky coffee land. I think the salted brown-buttery topping took over and I couldn't taste any pistachio.

As you can see in the topping ingredients, it's mainly just different forms of sugar. But once I made it past the topping, the vanilla syrup and blonde espresso balanced out nicely. I could taste the earthy, nutty flavor of the pistachio...in the background.

I want the pistachio front and center. If I were to order again, I would keep the whole milk and blonde espresso. I would get rid of the vanilla syrup and salted brown-buttery topping and add Pistachio Cream Cold Foam which has vanilla sweet cream and more pistachio sauce in it.

Glad I tried it: Yes

Would I buy it again: Maybe next year with the different modifications