Review: Starbucks' Debut Pecan Oatmilk Cortado Is Our New Favorite Way To Welcome Fall

If you can already feel the first hints of autumn in the air, I'm insanely jealous. We're about to experience yet another heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, and it has me feeling like the dog days of summer will never end. Nevertheless, the impending fall season has your favorite chains already releasing a flurry of seasonal menu items, perhaps in an attempt to make everyone's favorite time of year come a little bit sooner. As you can imagine, Starbucks is one of those brands. Its fall menu officially debuts on August 26, and it's bringing some new items to the menu — among them, the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado. 

I got to try the new drink a few days before its launch, and despite the mid-morning air already feeling muggy, sipping on this gave me a brief respite from the heat. It's intensely autumnal in the best way. And paired with Starbucks' Baked Apple Croissant? I could've been fooled into thinking it was mid-October. May I suggest to all PSL lovers that you take even a one-day break from your beloved bevvie to give the new Pecan Oatmilk Cortado a try — whether you revert back to your old favorite afterward might be a difficult decision. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Before I introduce you to Starbucks' take on the drink, I'll give you a brief intro to the cortado. A cortado is a coffee beverage that features roughly equal amounts of espresso and steamed milk, typically with the milk steamed to its sweetest point (around 125 degrees Fahrenheit). Traditional cortados (as I was taught to make them) will consist of about 2 ounces of espresso and 2.5 ounces of steamed milk, making them slightly larger than a macchiato and smaller than a cappuccino. Given all that, Starbucks' take on the drink wasn't exactly what I was expecting: Because it was served in an 8-ounce cup and used three shots of espresso, I'd guesstimate there was about 4.5 ounces of milk, with the rest being syrup.

Coffee purists should know before heading in that this is a larger cortado than you'd expect; however, I think this makes sense for Starbucks' clientele and was a smart move on the part of the company. As its name suggests, Starbucks' oat milk is used in this drink, alongside blonde espresso and a syrup featuring pecan, brown butter, and subtle spice flavors. It's topped with some pecan crunch topping, and I got mine served in the cute 8-ounce mug pictured above. The cortado is a seasonal item available starting August 26, and mine cost about $4.50, though prices will likely vary across locations. 

Well, you may have already guessed that I'm quite the fan of this new menu addition. I mean, anything that can instantly mentally transport me to chilly Stars Hollow is an automatic win in my book. The sensory experience started before I even had my first sip — pecan wafted tantalizingly from the cup, and I could tell it would be a hit with me. I was right. It is a fairly sweet drink, but I won't fault it for that, as the relatively strong espresso more than makes up for it.

Despite being larger than a traditional cortado, I actually found the ratios here to be pretty well balanced, and I think using blonde roast espresso was a wise choice — it keeps any bitterness from entering the cup. The oat milk adds a slight nutty appeal to the equation without taking away from the creamy mouthfeel you'd expect in a decadent coffee drink. The syrup definitely imparts pecan, but I also loved the depth of the brown butter notes I got. You'll be familiar with the rich tones if you're a fan of Starbucks' Pistachio Latte, which also features brown butter flavors. It gives the drink a savory element that's needed because of the sweet syrup. All in all, this was a very balanced drink that I'm excited to enjoy again once it officially hits menus. 

Even if you're looking forward to the return of your favorite fall menu items at Starbucks, don't let that keep you from giving the new ones a try — especially the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado. Fans of classic pecan pie would be the perfect audience for this beverage, as would those who love autumnal flavors in general.

Again, don't expect a traditional cortado. I admit I was a bit let down initially to see such a large drink handed to me, but I didn't mind after taking a sip, and the larger size makes it feel more worth the price point. Oh, and try the company's fall menu items while you're at it — or do as I did and stick with the standard Baked Apple Croissant. Either way, you're unlikely to be disappointed.