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.

Chestnut

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.

Chestnut

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.

Chestnut

Photo by Nadine Herman

Want Seconds?