As I mentioned on Saturday, we had some really lovely weather here last week. And what better way to celebrate than with a beautiful Sakura Blended Creme Frappuccino from Starbucks?

I’m not usually a Frappuccino kind of girl–I tend to prefer my froufy beverages hot, not frozen. I decided to try this for the sake of good reporting, as I’m sure you’re all dying to know about the extent of Starbucks’s Sakura line. One and then done, that was the plan!

Except, um, I’ve had three in the past week.

Turns out, the Sakura Frappuccino is gorgeous, both in taste and appearance. Light and creamy, rich without being heavy, and the perfect amount of Sakura taste. In fact, this is exactly the Sakura taste I was looking for in the Latte. Delicious!

The blended drink is a pretty pastel pink, with a sprinkle of beautiful pink-tinted white chocolate shavings sprinkled on top, like a delicate pile of petals. If you’ve ever seen the Sakura petals falling like graceful pink snow, gathering in gorgeous little drifts, you’ll understand the feelings evoked by looking at this loveliness.

Oh, and there may have been cake, too. This is the Sakura Chiffon cake, which is a light, airy chiffon cake. Chiffon cake is quite popular here, and very similar to Angel Food cake. It has a delicate Sakura flavor, and a light whipped cream icing.

On the top is a lovely little cherry blossom, which seems to be made from white bean paste with a strong Sakura flavor. It’s further topped with a preserved cherry blossom, salty and floral and beautiful (though it’s VERY strongly flavored, and some of my American friends have been surprised by it’s saltiness!) The Chiffon cake is much less dense & heavy than the cheesecake, and perfect for when you are in a mood for a sweet piece of fluffy lightness.

Would you like to try it? A number of my friends in Washington have been clamoring for Starbucks to bring Sakura line to D.C. After all, they have cherry blossoms too! There have been emails to corporate and even talk of a twitter campaign. Good luck, Washingtonians! I hope you get these tasty treats!

I wonder what Americans en masse would make of this distinctly Japanese flavor, floral and a bit salty and not at all tasting like “cherries” as one might expect. Would it translate to the American market? I’m sure the schoolgirls would go gaga for the pretty pinkness of it all, but would they be able to handle the actual Sakura flavor? What do you think?

And if you liked this, check out the previous Sakura Latte post! Also check out the 2014 update (now with strawberry!) over at Cherry Blossom Starbucks!