A couple of weeks ago I asked my friend Chris to try his first Starbucks drink, none other than the PSL. I recorded his reactions and typed up a summary of his thoughts. I felt it was only appropriate to have him taste test Starbucks’s new holiday drink the Chestnut Praline Latte.
Sip 1
Chris: Number one it’s really hot, kinda singed my mouth a little bit. It’s not as bad as the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Me: Alright, progress!
Chris: It’s still a little bitter for me.
Me: Well yeah that would be the coffee.
Chris: I can taste the Chestnut? Or whatever it is which isn’t horrible. Is there milk in here?
Me: There is always milk in there.
Chris: Okay, well how would I know?
Me: It’s a latte.
Photo by Nadine Herman
Sip 2
Chris: Still not something I enjoy.
Me: Take me through your thought process.
Chris: It’s similar to like dark chocolate, which I hate, but there’s an aftertaste that isn’t so horrible.
Me: Okay, describe the aftertaste.
Chris: The aftertaste is more smooth.
Me: Like jazz?
Chris: Yeah exactly, you know Luis Armstrong? That’s what comes to mind when I drink this, maybe a nice trombone or trumpet perhaps.
Me: A symphony of flavors.
Me: Is it as bitter as dark chocolate?
Chris: It’s bitter like dog shit.
Photo by Nadine Herman
Sip 3
Chris: I wouldn’t say it’s improving.
Me: Okay, because with the PSL you thought it improved by the end but not with this one?
Chris: No, it ages like a frozen pizza, it’s mediocre from the start.
Me: On a scale of 1-10 how much do you dig this, having a knowledge you don’t particularly like coffee to begin with.
Chris: A four, one being the lowest, and I’d consider that pretty high.
Me: Which one would you give as a gift? (PSl or Chestnut Praline)
Chris: It depends how much I hate the person.
Sip 4 (Final Conclusions)
Chris: It’s not as hot any more so I’m not burning my mouth, that’s a plus.
Me: That typically happens over time.
Chris: If this was a cookie, things would probably improve exponentially.
Photo by Nadine Herman