This is the Salted Maple Ice Shaken Espresso ($6.50 for a tall, with light ice), featuring Starbucks’s Blonde espresso and maple-flavoured syrup.

The drink had an opaque tan colour, topped with smoked maple flakes and a distinct maple aroma. Served chilled, it opened with a mellow sweetness, mostly from the milk. A gentle salted note followed, balancing the sweetness and smoothing out any mid-sip bitterness from the espresso. The aromatic maple flavour became more prominent in the finish, giving the drink a flavour similar to salted caramel, but with a more refined, aromatic sweetness. While it suits the autumnal weather in the northern hemisphere, it felt somewhat out of place for Sydney’s spring. Overall, it was pleasant, but not particularly memorable or worth a repeat purchase.

This Salted Maple Ice Shaken Espresso was purchased from Starbucks in Sydney, Australia in October 2024.