I’m a sucker for cherry flavored anything. That’s because I’m a bing cherry addict. I’ll get my fix any way I can, from the real deal to back-alley hard candies. I ain’t ashamed.
So when Starbucks unveiled their Valentine’s Day limited edition Cherry Mocha, I was first in line. And this drink had me at first sip. In fact, I believe my exact words were “holy shit that’s good!” But I should have thought about what the barista said to me as he was making it. As he mixed the milk into the espresso and syrups, he said he could smell it already. “Like a chocolate covered cherry!”
It tastes exactly like one. Actually, like a box of them. All at once. It’s a powerful taste that hit me over the head with it’s cherry and chocolate. I may have made a mistake in ordering this drink with nonfat milk; Cherry Mocha really needs a heavier dairy (or dairy substitute) to temper the rush of sugar. So splurge for coconut, soy, or if your body can take it, full breve. As this is a limited edition, why not treat yourself if you’re gonna go for it. Perhaps get a Tall or a Grande instead of my Venti. What can I say, I love a huge cuppa.
There’s talk that this Cherry Mocha may kill your libido. I don’t know about that, but it does have enough syrup in one to give you a killer headache and quash any thoughts of romance. I’m still reeling from mine. Then again, their regular mochas are a touch too heavy for my taste, until I learned to cut back the pumps of mocha syrup. So I guess I’m a lightweight. (I also ordered decaf espresso rather than the recipe standard Blonde espresso.)
If you really want a Starbucks Cherry Mocha, cut the syrups in half when you order, and keep the cheerful sugar sprinkles to a minimum. That should allow you to enjoy the seasonal taste while avoiding the sugar rush headache. Or if you forget and go full octane? Take it home with you, pop it in the fridge, and use it to flavor your next few coffees. That’s what I’m doing. Two Cherry Mocha flavored coffees down, two more to go.
