I had heard about matcha for many years before I tried it. I even saw it on the Starbucks menu for a few months before I made the dive. In fact, I tried Argo Tea’s vanilla matcha latte teapuccino first because I thought the vanilla would mask some of the matcha flavor. I was nervous to try it because I generally don’t like green tea, but I’m really glad I took the leap. Something about the finely ground, concentrated leaves makes matcha way more appealing to me than regular green tea. While Starbucks matcha may not be the most traditional form of this tea, it is a delicious treat that often helps me get through class and schoolwork.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

This latte has a typical grassy matcha flavor. Traditional matcha enthusiasts may think it is too sweet—the powder itself includes sugar so you unfortunately can’t order it unsweetened. Meanwhile, those new to matcha will notice the slightly bitter aftertaste. The iced latte is less grassy and more sweet, but still has the same aftertaste. Other than that aftertaste, the most consistent part of these lattes is the milk. I order my drinks with almondmilk, and the hot latte is foamy and creamy while the iced latte is quite smooth.

Matcha Lemonade

I have noticed that Starbucks likes to feature their matcha lemonade during the summer. The lemonade flavor is the strongest, which does make it a great drink for that time of year. However, it also makes the drink very sweet with just a slight matcha flavor. The one time I ordered this drink, I felt a little bit of the matcha powder that wasn’t blended well, which wasn’t enjoyable. This isn’t likely to be a problem every time, but is definitely a possibility.

Pro tip: Order a matcha lemonade without lemonade if you’re looking for plain iced matcha. My drink wasn’t at all powdery when I ordered this, but it was still pretty sweet.

Matcha Green Tea Creme Frappucino Blended Beverage

If you think the matcha latte is sweet, the matcha Frappucino will taste like pure sugar to you. However, the matcha flavor does still come through, so it tastes like a matcha slushee. As someone who doesn’t generally like iced lattes, I actually think this is my favorite iced matcha (though it doesn’t beat the hot latte). The matcha Frappucino is also the base for many delicious Starbucks Secret Menu drinks.

Iced Pineapple Matcha Coconutmilk Drink

The iced pineapple matcha drink is Starbucks’ newest creation, along with the iced golden ginger drink. It’s made with matcha, pineapple and ginger flavors, coconutmilk, and ice. You don’t really taste the matcha—but to be fair it is marketed as a coconutmilk drink and not an iced tea. It tastes like a pina colada, and, like most Starbucks drinks, is pretty sweet. As someone who does not like ginger, I was pretty worried it would overpower this drink. Thankfully, there is just a subtle hint of ginger that I did not mind at all. Overall, I think this was a great addition to the menu and a fun drink for summer.

Though Starbucks matcha lattes and drinks are not at all traditional matcha lattes, they are delicious drinks and great treats. I highly recommend these to anyone who is new to matcha, or just looking for a fun new Starbucks drink.

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