Starbucks' Honey Latte: A Review of Starbucks' Newest Beverage

As much as I joke about Starbucks' empire-like domination of the world of caffeine, I must admit -- this global coffee chain dominates for a reason. Starbucks provides customers with a consistent, high-quality product that it can be trusted to deliver at every location both nationally and internationally. In my opinion, the strongest options on the Starbucks' menu are its specialty espresso and blended drinks. Solid selections from their line of Frappuccinos or flavored lattes are sure to please even the fussiest customer. What I enjoy most about Starbucks, however, is the company's commitment to keeping their menu fresh with unique seasonal drinks. This summer's newest addition is the Honey Latte. How does this new espresso creation measure up? I walk on the sweeter side of the caffeinated life to find out.

What it is

What is a Honey Latte, anyway? I had the same question when I saw the addition to the local Starbucks' menu when I stopped by for my morning latte. Starbucks describes this new selection as "a blend of honey and a touch of warm spice flavors combined with espresso and freshly steamed milk." That piqued my interest, and I inquired further of the barista. I felt curious about what is in a Honey Latte that makes it taste like honey. Are the shots and steamed milk mixed with actual honey, or with a honey flavoring?

The barista informed me that the liquid portion of the latte (the espresso shots and milk) is sweetened with a shot of honey flavoring, while the foam and optional whipped creamed are topped by a drizzle of pure honey. Sold by the description, I ordered a Grande Non-Fat Honey Latte with extra foam, no whipped cream. For those who are looking for something to beat the heat, this beverage is also available as an iced latte and as a Frappuccino, blended with either coffee or cream.

How it tastes

The barista delivered an incredibly foamy latte to me crowned with a spiral of golden honey glistening from its bed of pristine foam. I began to taste the honey-topped foam, feeling a little unsure as I had never imbibed a honey-sweetened coffee before. I need not have worried -- the drizzle of honey with the foam of the steamed milk tasted divine.

I quickly downed the cloud of honeyed foam with great relish, then began to sip at the actual coffee portion of the latte. The warmed shots and steamed milk swirled with honey flavoring did not excite me as much as the pure honey had. That is not to say that the liquid portion of the beverage tasted bad -- it did not by any means. However, it didn't taste great either. After the natural sweetness of the pure honey, the honey flavoring seemed anticlimactic and average. I asked the barista if it would be possible to make a Honey Latte with real honey instead of flavoring stirred into the shots and milk. It is possible, I learned, but due to pure honey's sticky texture, it does not dissolve as uniformly throughout the liquid as the honey flavoring and so a Starbucks barista would make a honey-only latte by special request alone.

Pocket and nutritional value

I paid $3.55 USD for my average-tasting Honey Latte. Coffee is expensive, and Starbucks' drinks often moreso than most. Nutritionally, my Grande (16 oz.) Non-Fat Honey Latte cost me 200 calories, 0 g of fat, and 37 g of sugar. If I switched to 2% milk, which is the standard option for all Starbucks drinks, and added whipped cream, the same size latte contains 330 calories (with 120 calories from fat), 13 g of fat (with 8 g of saturated fat and 0 g of trans fat), and 38 g of sugar.

The verdict

The new Starbucks Honey Latte wasn't bad, but it also did not knock my socks off. Although it makes for a relatively low-cost sweet treat in terms of nutrition, its lackluster taste did not make me feel that I had spent my $3.55 well. In the future I will stick with my trusty favorite, the Starbucks Caramel Latte. Although Starbucks usually turns out delicious flavored lattes, the Honey Latte turned out to be unremarkably average.