It’s here! The Sakura Frappuccino & Latte arrived in Japan on Saturday, the same day as a huge snowstorm that dumped tons of snow across the country. We’ve been snowed in for a few days, but the roads are a bit clearer today. It meant that I could finally make it out to try this beautiful spring drink on a snowy February day! Of course, the Sakura are still a ways off, according to this forecast map:

The drink is a bit different then in past years–there’s a strawberry flavored topping that’s quite strong, as well as pretty pink whipped cream. The crunchy strawberry bits are so intense that it’s hard to tell if the whip is cherry blossom flavored or strawberry. I’m not sure how I feel about the addition of the strawberry, but it’s nice to see them continue to experiment after the chocolate whip from the Pretzel Mocha or the mascarpone whip from the Strawberry Cheesecake Frappucino.

The Sakura Chiffon cake is back, though no sign of the Sakura Cheesecake I loved so much. Still, it’s light and fluffy and delicious. And no, Starbucks isn’t paying me anything for these endorsements, though a girl can dream, right?

I feel like a large part of this drink is the esthetics, but they back it up with a solidly tasty beverage. I drank my first Sakura Frappuccino because it was pretty and pink, but I come back because they actually taste pretty fabulous. The chocolate flakes look like cherry blossom petals as you drink your beverage, and though it may be weeks away from feeling like spring, it’s still lovely to sit and dream of pink petals floating on the breeze while sipping something delicious.

The merchandise is gorgeous as always. I thought about snagging a tumbler (hard to remember to type that “e”!) but decided to go for the white mug. I’m still tempted by the pink one, and amused that there was a sign limiting customers to only 5 of each item. Five! I also thought about picking one up to do a little give away here on the blog. Would anyone be interested?

Interestingly the Sakura Latte was released in Korea this year as well, but their mugs are quite different. Still, maybe there’s hope for my American friends some day?

Aren’t they pretty? Which one do you want?





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