Starbucks came for consumers' brains and taste buds Thursday with its Zombie Frappuccino, released just in time for Halloween.
The Zombie Frappuccino's short supply and curious flavor profile made it a perfect candidate for pre-Halloween buzz, so social media editor Hannah Boufford and I decided to give the drink a try.
With the promise of a caramel apple base, red mocha sauce and brainlike pink whipped cream, there was potential for a surprising mix of fall flavors, but after one taste, we knew the truth.
The Zombie Frappuccino should go back to the grave.
To give Starbucks some credit, the drink did taste like a caramel apple, but a chemical aftertaste left us feeling like we had consumed the undead themselves, probably due in part to all the sugar Frappuccinos always contain.
The mocha sauce stayed stuck at the top of the Frappuccino, and we had to force our straws into strange angles to find it.
The pink whipped cream was just plain whipped cream with no special flavor, but it was probably for the best. There was already too much happening between the mocha and apple.
After we finished our taste tests, we let others in the newsroom try it for themselves, and most of them had the same unsatisfied opinion.
Then we threw the rest out.
The drink may make a great Instagram photo, but unless you’re looking to spend $5 (on a tall) for your spooky aesthetic, just save your money – and sugar intake – for your favorite candy.
Final scores:
Lydia – 2/5 stars
Hannah – 2.5/5 stars
