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Flavoured coffees usually start from a dark roast, and the flavouring is there to hide the bitterness. This one starts from a blonde roast, so the caramel lands on sweetness the coffee already has rather than covering anything up.
Caramel on a blonde base
Caramel belongs to coffee more naturally than most added flavours. Roasting browns the sugars in the bean, and that browning produces flavours from the same family, so an added caramel note has something to attach to. On a dark roast the flavouring acts as a correction, smoothing over a harsh edge. On a blonde roast there is very little bitterness to smooth, so the caramel simply turns up the sweetness that is already in the cup.
That makes this the less usual build, and one that puts more weight on the flavouring being good, because there is nothing heavy underneath for it to hide behind. The result is light in body, clearly caramel on the nose, with hardly any bitterness on the finish. If you like the blonde style but not the flavouring, the Blonde Espresso Roast in the same Starbucks range is the plain option to try instead.
Flavoured is one question, sugar is another
Flavouring is about aroma: it adds the compounds your nose reads as caramel. Sugar is about taste, and it may or may not be present; the word on the front of the box settles neither question. Because smell and taste reach you together in the same mouthful, a strong caramel aroma can make a cup seem sweet on its own, which is exactly why the smell proves nothing about sugar.
The ingredient panel and allergen statement on the current UK pack are the only reliable sources, so anyone watching sugar or steering clear of dairy should check them there rather than relying on any listing. For most drinkers the practical point is simpler. This capsule already reads sweet without you adding anything, so try a cup as it comes before reaching for the sugar bowl, and you may find you do not need it.
How to brew and serve it
Pull it short into a small cup. A blonde roast has a lighter body than the darker capsules, and stretching it into a lungo thins it out while the caramel aroma drifts away. Add milk if you like it that way: a splash suits the light roast, and in our view the caramel carries through a small latte far better than through a large one. Leave the sugar out until you have tried a cup without it.
The caramel aroma is at its strongest the moment the shot finishes, so drink it fresh rather than letting it stand on the side. It works iced too: pull a shot over ice and add cold milk for a short caramel iced coffee. Each capsule holds roughly 5.3g of coffee, it is a regular caffeinated capsule, and it is made for Nespresso original-line machines rather than Vertuo.
The packs we stock
- Starbucks Smooth Caramel Flavoured Coffee by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, box of 10, 53g (barcode 8445290154712)
What to eat with it
- McVitie's Hobnobs Milk Choc Jumbo Pack Biscuits, 431g: A milk chocolate Hobnob brings a little more weight than this light-bodied coffee, which is the balance you want.
- Maryland Minis Cookies - Choc Chip 6 Mini Bags, 118.8g: A small bag of choc chip cookies is the right size for one caramel coffee break.
- Maryland Cookies S'wich Choc Creme Biscuits, 150g: A chocolate creme sandwich cookie leans into the sweet side of the cup and suits the small latte version best.
Elsewhere in the Starbucks range
- Starbucks Americano House Blend By Nescafe Dolce Gusto, Coffee (12 Servings), 12 Pods
- Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g
- Starbucks Breakfast Blend by Nespresso Medium Roast Coffee, 10 Capsules 56g
- Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto 12 x Madagascar Vanilla Macchiato Coffee (6 Servings)
- Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto 12 x White Mocha Coffee (6 Servings)
- Starbucks by Nespresso Blonde Espresso Roast Coffee, 10 Pods
The full range is on the Starbucks brand page.
FAQ
Is Starbucks Smooth Caramel sweetened? The word caramel does not tell you. Flavouring gives the aroma and sugar gives sweetness, and only the ingredients panel on the current UK pack can say which this contains.
What is a blonde roast? A roast stopped early, keeping more of the bean's own acidity and sweetness and a lighter body. It is a style choice, not a quality grade.
Is a blonde roast weaker in caffeine? No. Roast colour is not a guide to caffeine, and this capsule is fully caffeinated, not a decaf.
Which machines does it fit? Nespresso original-line machines. It is made under the Starbucks and Nespresso at-home partnership and does not fit Vertuo, Dolce Gusto or Tassimo machines.
How much coffee is in each capsule? The box of 10 holds 53g, which works out at roughly 5.3g per capsule.
Curator's note: Try the first one short and black with no sugar at all. If it still needs sweetening after that, the plain Blonde Espresso Roast is probably the better box for you. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.
In short: Starbucks Smooth Caramel by Nespresso: Flavoured, Not Sweetened
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Starbucks |
| Packs we stock | Blonde Roast, box of 10, 53g |
| Category | Coffee Pods & Capsules |
| Caffeine | caffeinated |
| Roast | Blonde |
| Sweetened? | Check the pack; flavoured is not the same thing |
| Serve it | Short, or as a small latte |
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- Starbucks Tea: Café Range and the Teavana Story
- Tea vs Coffee: Taste, Caffeine and Switching
- Caffeine in Tea
- Tea vs Coffee
- Tea for Coffee Drinkers: Where to Start
- Chai vs Coffee
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