Tasty or Terrible? Starbucks Launches Guinness-Flavored Coffee

Coffee snobs might want to look look away now – Starbucks has introduced a coffee that tastes like Guinness.

The coffee giant is well known for offering twists on coffee, including spiced pumpkin and gingerbread lattes during winter, but a beer-flavoured beverage is rather more unusual.

The drink, called the Dark Barrel Latte, appears to be available in only a handful of test markets in the US, including stores in Ohio and Florida, but could presumably be rolled out to more locations if it proves popular. 

For those concerned about their alcohol intake, Starbucks promises that the coffee actually contains no trace of the iconic Irish beer: the drink is made with a flavoured syrup that is designed to taste like stout, and is topped with whipped cream and a dark caramel sauce. 

An information leaflet published by Starbucks reads: “Inspired by the rise of craft beers, Dark Barrel brings together savoury toasty malt and chocolaty tastes topped with sweet dark caramel drizzle. This sophisticated combination offers a delicious complexity that builds with every sip.”

There has been a mixed reaction to the drink from coffee drinkers so far. One Twitter user praised the drink, describing it as ”cozy but not sweet – like a bonfire on a chilly autumn night.” Others, however were less impressed, with one drinker comparing it to “malt vinegar”.

We wonder what our Irish neighbours would make of it?