Starbucks Vanilla and Caramel K-Cups, reviewed

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you can’t beat K-cups for convenience when it comes to coffee making. Fortunately, there are more choices than ever when it comes to K-cups. Some new options in the coffee aisle are Starbucks Vanilla and Caramel K-Cups, the first flavored coffee K-cup offerings from the coffee chain. You’ll immediately notice that they have a little extra flash to their packaging, as the tops of the K-cups have a metallic shine to them!

The Vanilla had a strong vanilla aroma over a coffee that was on the richer and smoother, with a slightly darker roast than I usually expect to see with flavored coffees. I was glad that it was a darker roast because I like the vanilla coffee with milk and sugar, to highlight the vanilla, and the darker coffee stood up to those additions better than a lighter roast would.

Overall, however, I personally preferred the Caramel to the Vanilla. It had a more subtle flavor that blended with the coffee a little more smoothly than the vanilla did. The caramel flavor tasted nice and natural, not artificially sweet or buttery. It was good both with milk and sugar added, and black. This one would be a great choice for people who want to try something a little different, but aren’t usually big fans of flavored coffee.