Holiday season has arrived, which means America’s popular coffee brand has come out with their festive drinks. The three featured drinks on the Starbucks website for this holiday season are caramel brulée latte, peppermint mocha and toasted white chocolate mocha.

Every year Starbucks creates new designs used for their holiday cups, and for this winter the featured colors are red, green and white. The designs are very plain, and the detailing was not impressive compared to previous years, where the cups had animals drawn on them and far more detail. The cups this year are not very cheerful. 

The eggnog, caramel brulée and chestnut praline lattes all have a strong coffee flavor that overpowers the distinctive tastes that are in the names of the drinks. There are hints of milk present in the lattes and these drinks are great for coffee lovers, but hardcore eggnog, bruleé and chestnut praline fans might find these drinks a letdown. 

Nearby there was a look of disgust on a person who ordered the same drink, and their facial expression said it all: the drinks left a bitter aftertaste. On a scale of 1-10, the drinks deserve a 3. The gingerbread latte, however, tasted a little bit better than all the other lattes because it is not that bitter but also not that sweet, so it deserves a 6. 

The flavor of the peppermint mocha frappuccino was present and delicious. Chocolate mint candy tastes exactly like the drink, and the drink is a great one to order to cool off from the hot Florida weather. 

It’s all topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls which is a nice added touch. Also, it smelled exactly like peppermint would smell, and the drink is a perfect match for chocoholics. On a scale of 1-10, it deserves a 9. 

Similar to the peppermint mocha frappuccino is the peppermint white chocolate mocha latte. This drink is very well-balanced with the coffee and peppermint flavor; there is not too much of either flavor. 

The drink tastes like the white chocolate peppermint bark that grandma would bake in the kitchen. Sweetness is not an overpowering factor in the latte, and it delivered a nice aroma of peppermint. The latte is a creamy drink that can be used to spread holiday cheer, and on a scale of 1-10, it deserves a 9. 

After trying all the drinks, I would not recommend Starbucks for holiday flavors. Starbucks’ only specialty for this winter is peppermint-flavored drinks. Starbucks coffee is overrated when it comes to purchasing holiday drinks, and there are many other great places to go that capture the essence of the season.