I don’t know about you, but I’m always excited whenever Starbucks launches their seasonal drinks. I love the thought of going to a coffee shop that’s so familiar to me and being able to try something different.

Last holidays, they changed their traditional red-cup offerings by jazzing up the whip and sprinkles on their Toffee Nut Latte and Peppermint Mocha and introducing the Christmas Cookie Latte, which I really enjoyed. This year, they’re starting on a sweet note with their Espresso Confections—the Chestnut Praline Latte and Raspberry Truffle Mocha.

This official photo from Starbucks is so gorgeous, I just had to post it. Check out that cheesecake. Mmm, I can almost taste its rich, creamy goodness.

I had the chance to drop by Starbucks after my spa date with my BFF last Sunday. I knew that I had to try the Chestnut Praline Latte. Luckily for me, my friend ordered the Raspberry Truffle Mocha—mostly because she was drawn to the cotton candy-colored whip—so I got to try both drinks in one go.

 

First, let’s talk about the Raspberry Truffle. I’m not a big fan of that particular fruit, so I only took a sip. It reminded me of that raspberry chocolate ice cream my mom used to buy. My friend actually said that it tasted like Tempra syrup (the medicine) to her. While it isn’t unpleasant, it’s definitely an acquired taste and will mostly appeal to, well, people who love berries.

I was much happier with my Chestnut Praline. It’s very similar to the Toffee Nut Latte, which is one of my favorites, but it’s less sweet. It has an earthier flavor too, thanks to the roasted chestnut. Being the fan of toppings that I am, I enjoyed the crunchy praline bits and the chestnut drizzle.

As a side note, did you know that pralines are, according to Wikipedia, “sugar candies made from nuts and sugar syrup? I only knew the Belgian chocolate version!

If you’re interested in trying these candy-inspired Espresso Confections, take advantage of their February promos. There’s the Valentine Cake Treat promo running from February 9 to 13, wherein you get a free cake for every two orders of the featured drinks. Then from February 16 to 17, you’ll get double the stars for each Espresso Confection. Isn’t that sweet?

Until my next coffee sesh!