It used to be that Frappuccinos were my go-to drinks in Starbucks. Then I discovered that they were probably the most sugar-loaded drinks on their menu, so I compromised with iced drinks instead. I’ve been alternating between the iced White Chocolate Mocha and the iced Caramel Macchiato and, more recently, the iced Asian Dolce Latte. Though my blog entry about it might suggest otherwise, that specific latte did grow on me, and it’s been my regular Starbucks order since, oh, late March.

Sadly, they’re now in the process of finishing their last stock of the ADL. To replace it, they’re reintroducing two previously featured drinks — the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and the Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino. I am not a tea person (it reminds me of grass and I’d rather have my greens in salad form), so the red bean’s definitely off my list. But since several of my friends have been raving about the Mocha Cookie Crumble AND, hey, I’m a cookie fan, I decided to take a brief hiatus from my No-Frap rule and give it a try. Plus, today was the last day of the buy-one-take-one Frap coupon from the Starbucks 2013 planner, so I figured it’s the perfect opportunity to sample a new drink.

Now, I know I said that this isn’t exactly a new drink, but I can’t quite remember if I’ve tried it before. It’s basically a Mocha Frap with some chocolate cookie bits mixed in, crowned with a nice, thick swirl of chocolate-flavored whipped cream and a sprinkling of more cookie crumble. I ordered the GERD-conscious version of it, specifying non-fat milk and light whip — ’cause a Frap is not a Frap without at least a token dollop of whip. Oh, and I had it twice-blended for a smoother consistency.

So, first sip. Maybe it’s just because I haven’t had a blended beverage in the longest time, but I found it sweet. I love sweet — I’m not one for unadulterated espressos–but this was a bit too sweet for my taste. It was more dessert-drink than coffee, which was a shame. I like a nice kick to my drink, even if it’s a mocha. I didn’t even get a good impression of the cookie crumble, not like, say Happy Lemon’s iced Oreo Cookies and Cream Coffee (unfortunately, I discovered that it was discontinued and replaced with a chocolate version).

Could it be because I had it twice-blended? Possibly. But no matter, I found that this drink wasn’t The One that’ll bring me to my GERD downfall. If, one of these days, I find myself jonesing for a blended beverage fix, I might just go for the trusted favorite Dark Mocha Frap (incidentally, that was what I got for the ‘take one’ deal, but for my mom). That one has just the right amount of sweetness and that nice chocolate chip texture.

Still, I enjoyed my first–and probably last–taste of the Mocha Cookie Crumble, especially with the cool weather and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s latest novel, Obsession. This is out of the topic, but I have to say: I LOVE JLA. She’s such a great author, and so prolific too! I finished the book in less than four hours, and it’s made it to my favorites list. So awesome.

Coffee + Kindle = Love ❤

‘Til my next new coffee fix!