Starbucks Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha

Protein Yes, Flavor No

Photo by Sittinat Thurdnampetch on Unsplash

I tried the Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha, expecting a fun, flavorful twist. But when I tasted it, I realized it literally just tasted like matcha; no banana, no tropical hint, nothing. Just matcha with protein.

I asked for extra cold foam and light ice, and I used oatmilk. Honestly, with the oatmilk, the banana flavor was completely muted; you could not taste it at all. The foam itself was fine, smooth, and had no off-putting texture, but it did not add any banana flavor. I was paying a $2 increase for this addition, expecting a distinct taste, and got nothing.

Looking at other reviews, some people said the banana flavor is faint, likely because they had it with regular milk instead of oatmilk. That suggests it is not nonexistent for everyone, but in my case, with oatmilk, it was completely unnoticeable.

I called Starbucks hoping for a small gesture, a few stars maybe, since the drink did not taste like advertised. They refunded me, which I appreciated, but it was still a hassle to resolve. Even after years of being a loyal customer, small issues like this require extra effort on your part.

For a venti costing nearly $9, paying extra for a flavor that is not noticeable is disappointing. Starbucks could improve this by either…