Although I missed the Strawberry Cupcake frappe at Starbucks in Singapore, my wait for a new special frappe flavor wasn’t long, as Starbucks introduced the Sakura Rose Mocha Frappe as its new special to welcome Spring. Here’s a fun fact: Singapore doesn’t have four seasons – it’s a tropical island. You’ll basically experience either summer with humidity (but without dry heat!), or the monsoon season when the heavens open, which isn’t exactly the most ideal weather to be outdoors.

When I noticed ‘sakura’ on the menu, my initial thought was that this frappe’s going to taste like strawberries with a very slight hint of rose infused in the mocha. Having watched and read content about sakura-flavored drinks in Japan, I’ve learnt that sakura equates to strawberry. Why? I guess it’s because they’re both pink. Little did I know that my preconception was far from the medley of flavors that I was about to experience.

Its flavor is nowhere near to strawberries! It’s not very sweet either, which I appreciate. Without mixing everything, I could taste the strong mocha below the cloud of whipped cream. After mixing it, however, the frappe has a pleasant balance of sweet and sour/bitter notes to it. It almost smells and tastes like a combination of rose candy and mocha.

The whipped cream, which is drizzled with a mocha sauce and tastes like it’s been infused or dusted with the rose element, ties everything together. Pretty pink sakura white chocolate bits were sprinkled all over the whipped cream. They didn’t seem to dissolve in the frappe, nevertheless, I liked that additional touch too.

Another special coffee that’s currently available is the Cascara Macchiato. The flavor’s a combination of caramel and macchiato coffee.

If spring is your favorite time of the year (mine’s autumn/fall), Starbucks has introduced its ranges of products for the season. Merchandise including light blush pink sakura tumblers are currently available in stores in Singapore.