I’m Not Impressed by Starbucks’ New Oleato Olive Oil Coffee Drinks

On January 30th, Starbucks released its nationwide olive oil-infused beverage line called Oleato. The coffee chain first teased its combination of Partanna extra virgin olive oil and Starbucks coffee in February 2023 but recently decided to go all-in with six olive oil-infused beverages offered in every Starbucks across the country.

Coffee and olive oil sound like an interesting pairing to say the least, so I had to try it as soon as it was released. But are Starbucks’ Oleato coffee drinks worth your cash? Here’s my review.

Taste Test

Oleato Caffè Latte with Oatmilk

The first drink I tried was the Oleato Caffè Latte with Oatmilk. This drink is made with the Starbucks Reserve Espresso and oat milk, which is infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil. The brand claims the addition of olive oil creates a “velvety, luscious” latte.

I never wondered what savory coffee tasted like because, frankly, why would I? Well, I know now exactly what it tastes like. The drink had a weird, smokey taste to it that could have come from the oat milk, the olive oil, or maybe a mixture of the two.

Despite the espresso, I could taste zero coffee in here. There’s also definitely no sugar added, which was jarring when you’re expecting Starbucks’ usual sugar-laden beverages. I’m pretty forgiving when it comes to coffee, but I could only stomach a few sips of this before giving up.

A grande Oleato latte cost me $5.75, not including the tax or the tip.

Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut

I’ll start by saying this: although it’s not my favorite, the Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut is significantly better than the Oleato Caffè Latte with Oatmilk.

This drink is made with three shots of Starbucks Blonde espresso, oat milk, Toffeenut syrup, and Partanna extra virgin olive oil. The part of the drink that has the olive oil is the cold foam, which means you can only strongly taste it if you try the foam by itself.

Once the foam is completely mixed into the drink, the olive oil is pretty subtle and only presents itself for a second before disappearing underneath the espresso and toffee nut flavoring.

A grande Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut costs $7.45 without tax or tip.

Grab or Pass?

It won’t come as a surprise, but I’ll strongly advise you to pass on the Oleato Caffè Latte. I’ve been going to Starbucks since my preteens, and I’ve tried a lot of interesting combos throughout the years, but this is easily the worst Starbucks drink I’ve ever had.

The Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut wasn’t bad, but it certainly isn’t worth the almost $8 price tag. Instead, I’d recommend the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. It’s all the caffeine and sweetness without the lingering olive oil taste, and it’s about $2 less than the Oleato Shaken Espresso, at $5.95 for a grande size.

Starbucks also has an Iced Chai Latte, Iced Matcha Latte, Paradise Refresher, and Dragon Refresher with Oleato Golden Foam available at their locations.