Starbucks Japan’s Snoopy Frappuccino is here

At Starbucks Japan, it’s not really a question of whether or not they’re serving up a special Frappuccino, but what kind. While each special flavor only sticks around for a...

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At Starbucks Japan, it’s not really a question of whether or not they’re serving up a special Frappuccino, but what kind. While each special flavor only sticks around for a limited time, there’s a pretty seamless changeover from one to the next, so there’s always something tempting fans of the blended ice dessert drink to stop by. That temptation is especially strong this week, though, with the launch of the Joe Kind Snoopy Caramel Chocolate Oat Milk Frappuccino, which frontloads its most attention-grabbing elements as though Starbucks itself realizes that some people might not make it to the end of its extraordinarily long name.

This new Frappuccino features the famous Peanuts pooch as a chocolate accent, and we sent our resident Frappuccino expert K Masami to try it as soon as she could, which, thanks to her status as a Starbucks Reward Member, was on March 24, one day before the drink went on sale to the general public. Being deep into the Frappuccino scene, Masami usually asks the Starbucks staff if they have any customization recommendations, and this time the clerk suggested that, if one were a coffee fan, they might enjoy adding a shot of espresso. However, with the visuals having a lot of appeal for this drink, Masami ultimately decided to try the Joe Kind Snoopy Caramel Chocolate Oat Milk Frappuccino as is, in order to preserve its invitingly soft brown color.



The 720-yen Joe Kind Snoopy Caramel Chocolate Oat Milk Frappuccino’s name does a pretty thorough job explaining its ingredients, but as for precisely how it’s made, the drink starts with an oat milk base. Then chocolate chips and chocolate caramel sauce get poured in, followed by a topping of whipped cream sprinkled with heart-shaped sugar in a Starbucks shade of green and, for the finishing touch, a chocolate of Snoopy in his “Joe Kind” guise. With all those chocolate chips and sauce, Masami braced herself for a sharply sweet sensation as she took her first sip.

It turns out, though, that quite a bit of the oat milk’s flavor still comes through, helping to keep everything nicely balanced, especially with the touch of bitterness the chocolate chips have at the tail end of their flavor profile. It all comes together for a relaxing and refreshing result, especially if you make sure to stir the contents together thoroughly after you’ve snapped your photos but before you start sipping. In contrast to all that harmonious complexity, the Snoopy chocolate plays things pretty straight, as it’s pretty much a standard piece of white chocolate.

This does, of course, mean that it’s delicious, and it also looks adorable. Combined with the heart-shaped green sugar pieces, the Joe Kind Snoopy Caramel Chocolate Oat Milk Frappuccino is easily one of the cutest-looking Frappuccinos ever, and has Masami hoping that Starbucks Japan might in the future do more character collaborations, something that other chains in Japan have been very enthusiastic about. For now, though, we’re very happy the Joe Kind Snoopy Caramel Chocolate Oat Milk Frappuccino is on the menu.

It’ll be available until April 8, so we may need to go back between now and then for a few more. Photos ©SoraNews24 Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Starbucks x Peanuts collaboration brings Joe Kind Snoopy to Japan with exclusive drinks and goods -- McDonald’s Japan releases Doraemon anime movie Happy Meal toys, and we’ve got the whole set【Pics】 -- Starbucks Japan customisation hack: How to make the new Strawberry Frappuccino taste like a tart.