The Empire strikes back!
Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
Ok with energy drink companies like Monster and Rockstar branching out with coffee energy drinks it was only a matter of time. I think they might have awakened a monster here. Starbucks probably energizes more people than all energy drinks combined with their coffee shops. There is one on every corner and everyone goes there to get juiced up. Who would not be excited to hear that they are fighting back with their own Energy Coffee? There are 3 different flavors but we will be reviewing the mocha here first.
Packaging: Starbucks comes out in a 15oz aluminum can. The can is a milk chocolaty brown with a kind of wood grain pattern diagonal on the front. At the top the can is silver with key ingredients listed and the flavor all in this section. Below the silver top is the familiar Starbucks logo. Below the logo is the name in a white font followed by a graphic of 2 stars. Below that is a listing of “Guarana, Ginseng, and B Vitamins” in a white font also. Further down it reads “Premium energy coffee drink”. On the back you have nutrition facts as well as a blurb about the drink and its benefits. I will give them a grade of B+ for packaging. It is a classy looking can that will appeal to Starbucks customers.
Slogans: I found two possibilities on the can. “Your extra shot” and “Are you ready for more?” Nothing groundbreaking but still pretty good. I like both of them. I will give them a B for slogan
Taste ect: I opened this can right away. I was tired and it was hot. It was still early in the day and I had a lot to do. The smell of rich coffee and chocolate hit me right away. It comes out a light brown chocolate color. I take a sip and it is spot on. Not overly creamy like the Monster Java drinks and not overly sweet. You can taste the cream and mocha up front with the premium coffee flavor really coming out at the finish. I could taste absolutely no energy ingredient bitterness.I finished it pretty quickly. It had just the right amount of sweetness. This is a coffee drink. Not a fluffy sweet one like a Frappuccino. I’d say this drink falls in the perfect spot right between the Monster Java and the Rockstar Roasted drinks. Starbucks knows coffee best and they easily beat the interlopers into their realm. Grade of A for taste
Kick/Ingredients: Well it taste good but did Starbucks step up to the plate in the kick department? Hell Yeah! I was boosted up right off the bat and my increased energy lasted for 4 or 5 hours easy. I was not jittery at all and really had little crash to speak of. I don’t know the caffeine amount but it has to be in the 200 mg range. Then you have 2000 mg of maltodextrin, 1800 mg of Taurine, 450 mg of L-Carnatine, 180 mg of Inositol, 325 mg of Panax Ginseng, 90 mg of Guarana, and some B vitamins. You have 200 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbs, 26 grams of sugar and 12 grams of Protein. Main ingredients are coffee, reduced fat milk , and sugar. I will give them a B+ for kick/ingredients. Plenty of energy and no HFC!
Web presence: Of course Starbucks has a huge website at starbucks.com but you will find no info there about these new drinks. Why you ask? These drinks are new and you are getting the scoop here first. I think soon there will be info at their new doubleshot website. For the meantime they get a grade of NA for web presence.
Recap:
Wow I am surprised. I knew that Starbucks had coffee nailed down but was worried that maybe they would flub on the addition of energy drink ingredients. I was wrong. They put in good amounts of ingredients and really nailed down the Energy+Coffee hybrid. I have to say that they have done a better job in this category than the energy drink companies. I can’t wait to try the other 2 flavors.
