NEW Starbucks Toasted White Mocha

Starbucks launched a brand new drink today called Toasted White Mocha.  This drink is a very limited release and will probably sell out quickly.  The drink is described as "caramelized white chocolate with candied cranberry sugar topping."  Toasted White Mocha is available hot, iced, or as a Frappuchino.

*I am in no way affiliated with Starbucks.  I wish I was.  If you could make that happen, I'd be forever grateful.  Needless to say, all opinions are my own.*

To do my due diligence, I tried all the variations for you because I love you all so much!  It's a rough life.  They were all good.  I liked the hot and iced versions better than the Frappuchino.  I'm not much of a Frapp drinker these days.  Though I did find that in the Frapp, you could taste more of the smoky caramelized flavor.  Frappuchinos are a little too sweet for my tastes in general.  It's also cold outside so drinking an ice blended beverage is not as appealing to me.  The iced and hot versions were creamy and subtly sweet.  I think the milk in those versions mellowed out the "toasted" flavor more than in the Frapp (though it also has milk.)  If pushed to pick a favorite, I would go for the hot mocha.

Iced Toasted White Mocha (with my trademark wrist tattoo and hair tie)

Hot Toasted White Mocha

Toasted White Mocha Frappuchino

My favorite part has got to be the cranberry topping!  Real pieces of dried cranberries are throughout the topping giving it some tartness.  It pairs really well with the creamy, smooth tasting white mocha!  It would probably be even better if you ordered it with a Cranberry Bliss Bar.  This is my daughter's favorite way to match, cranberry matches with cranberry or in her case horse print pants match with horse graphic t-shirt and horse socks.  The logic can't be beat.

I totally forgot to tell you guys that I almost never drink white mochas.  It's not my jam.  I find them too sweet.  I prefer the bitterness of a dark chocolate.  However, I really like the Toasted White Mocha.  I think the caramelized notes keep the drink from being overly sweet along with the tartness from the topping.  If you are a white mocha nay sayer like me, you might still want to give this drink a try.

Huge shout out to my local Starbucks for making me these GORGEOUS drinks to photo and try!

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Starbucks Reserve Bar Sacramento

I'm super excited that Sacramento now has a Starbucks Reserve Bar!  (They are all over the world with an expected 1000 locations by the end of 2017.)  I was lucky enough to be invited by my amazing friends over at SacFoodandBooze to experience the Starbucks Reserve with them during a special influencer event.  I'm a HUGE Starbucks fan as you guys probably know because I've written about them many a time!  I'd never been to a Starbucks Reserve location before and I was beyond excited to try it out!

Now, I HAVE been to the big Starbucks Roastery in Seattle so I had an idea what it would be like.  I would say that the Roastery has a Reserve Bar in it.  They both also have what you'd find in a regular Starbucks inside too.  It's like Starbucks inception... so you can find all your local Starbucks favorites at the other locations but not vice versa.  What I wasn't expecting is that each Starbucks Reserve is designed to reflect the city it is in.  Ours has basketball bleachers since it's right by The Golden One where The Sacramento Kings play.  The Starbucks Reserves are the stores where the Reserve coffees from the Roastery are served and sold in bags.

If you go to the Starbucks Reserve, you HAVE to sit at the actual Reserve Bar to see the baristas do all the different methods of brewing including clover brewing, pour over, cold brew, chemex, and more.  (You don't HAVE to but I highly suggest you do to get the experience!)  They have manual espresso machines where the baristas have to stamp out and pull the shots themselves as opposed to the automatic machines at most places.  This takes a lot more training and artistry than other machines.  Baristas at the Reserve Bars also get trained on latte/foam art which doesn't happen at your run of the mill Starbucks.  The most awesome thing to me is the Siphon Coffee.  I'm just fascinated by the science that goes into it!  The coffee is fully immersed in water then vacuum filtration is used to coffee from the grounds.

The Reserve also offers nitrogen infused coffee (nitro coffee) which gives it the texture of beer with the bubbles and the foam.  I LOVE the nitro in a float because ice cream, duh!  And obviously since they have ice cream, they serve affogatos and even a malted shake with coffee!  It's all so good and perfect for dessert!  They also have coffee flights if you want to taste the difference between reserve beans or brewing methods.  It really is an experience!

I got to try two Reserve Coffees brewed with the siphon.  We had the Colombia Geisha and the Vietnams Da Lat.  Both of which were delicious!  We sampled Dirty Chai, Nitro Cascara Cloud, House Afforgato, a float, and the malt.  Everything was so good!  Definitely go with a friend if you want to try the siphon or a flight because you get A LOT of coffee.  I think the Cold Brew Malt was my very favorite!  Yum!  (Do NOT share that because it's so good!)

Siphons heating up

Siphon in action

Colombia Geisha and Vietnam Da Lat Reserve Coffees

Reserve Bar Menu Items

If you LOVE coffee like I do, then Starbucks Reserve should be on your list.  Take a friend or significant other on a coffee date.  Maybe go after dinner to try the ice cream drinks.

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