Starbucks Japan adds new sakura Frappuccino to its menu for a limited time, but is it any good?

Find out if this year’s cherry blossom beverage delivers everything it promises. 

On 15 February, Starbucks released its first sakura Frappuccino of the year — a pink beauty called the White Peach and Cherry Blossom Warabi Mochi Frappuccino.

Our resident Starbucks expert K. Masami was one of the first in line to try the new drink, and as the chain also began offering a free soy milk customisation from the same day, she made the switch from dairy to soy for her order.

▼ The new Frappuccino costs 700 yen (US$4.60)

Starbucks regularly releases peach-flavoured Frappuccinos in summer, when they tend to be more icy than milky,  so Masami was excited to see what the creamy peach flavours would taste like. What she was most excited for, though, were the notes of cherry blossom scattered throughout the drink, which help to capture the essence of early spring in Japan.

It certainly looked like spring, with its sakura-pink hue conjuring up memories of hanami cherry-blossom-viewing picnics. Masami felt the tension in her shoulders dissipate and her body relax just by looking at the pink drink, and then her heartbeat quickened as she spotted pieces of warabi mochi (a jelly-like bracken starch confectionery) in the base of the drink.

▼ Yes, Masami got up early for this experience, placing her order at 7:34 a.m.

Starting from the very top layer, Masami discovered that the plump swirl of whipped cream was sprinkled with a tangy strawberry-flavoured sauce and a sprinkling of aromatic sakura powder.

Delving further into the drink, she found even more hidden gems, with the milky body of the drink imbued with white peach and a white mocha syrup, combining to create refreshingly sweet flavours on the palate. However, the star of the show was the warabi mochi, which contained a good dose of cherry blossom flavour to satiate her appetite for the blossoms.

▼ The texture and taste of these jiggly pieces were truly outstanding.

The soy milk was an excellent choice too, pairing beautifully with the strawberry notes to dial in the tartness, creating a harmonious, well-rounded flavour. It was so enjoyable and comforting that Masami found herself slowing down and taking time to enjoy the drink, rather than guzzling it down as she so often does with new releases.

The creaminess of the beverage did a fantastic job of capturing the transition from winter to spring, and pairing it with a Strawberry & Custard Danish (380 yen) on the side added even more comfort to the hearty, fruit-focused flavours.

Peach, strawberry and sakura played so well together in the new cherry blossom Frappuccino that Masami vowed to return for another taste as the days get steadily warmer. It’s a delicious drink that’s worth all the calories, but it’ll only be around for a limited time, until 11 March.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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