When fall comes to mind, so does the coziness of a cable knit sweater and the crunch of leaves beneath each step, and for coffee enthusiasts, there’s another reason to be excited about the change of season: the return of warm, comforting brews and autumn-inspired flavours.
Starbucks’ fall menu is back with some favourites such as the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Pecan Crunch Oat Latte and Pumpkin Spice Latte.
New this year is the Pecan Oat Cortado, a beverage made with a ratio of 1:1 espresso and steamed milk. It consists of two pumps of pecan-flavoured syrup, three ristretto shots of Starbucks’ signature blonde espresso, steamed oat beverage and pecan crunch topping.
When it comes to mastering the flavours of fall, Starbucks usually knows what they’re doing, but the Pecan Oat Cortado is missing a robust espresso flavour.
Despite its alluring appearance and appetizing aroma, the Pecan Oat Cortado’s flavour is unbalanced, making it an underwhelming drink that is too sweet.
A cortado is known to have micro-foam on top that doesn’t separate from the espresso.
This drink replicates a classic cortado in this aspect. The espresso and steamed milk melds together, creating a swirl of toasted brown and milky white.
Golden crystals are dusted on top which is a nice finishing touch but this drink needs more than just a pretty appearance to be worth the price of a shocking $5.59 for a Starbucks “short” sized cup.
The drink is small but the aroma packs a punch. Sweet, candied pecans dipped in maple instantly waft from the cup, with a scent reminiscent of the Pumpkin Pecan Waffles candle from Bath and Body Works.
While the aroma mimics a delectable fall-scented candle, the flavour is snuffed out by the sugar and oat milk.
Cortado means “to cut” in Spanish so the milk should cut the flavour of the espresso and maintain the richness. Unfortunately, the oat milk overpowers this entire beverage.
As the Pecan Oat Cortado settles on the tongue, maple syrup notes sneak past the oat milk. Occasionally, some sips have a buttery taste due to the pecan crunch topping sprinkled on top.
Near the middle of the drink, the pecan flavour becomes more apparent. It intertwines well with the light roasted notes of the espresso which creates a subtle malty flavour.
While the pecan flavour does invoke fall, the Pecan Oat Cortado isn’t distinct enough in comparison to the Pecan Crunch Oat Latte.
With its size in mind, it would be more worth the money to grab a latte for a similar taste.