Review: Starbucks Reserve's New Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa Brings The Holiday Cheer With A Dash Of Umami

The calendar still says fall, y'all, and while Thanksgiving stands in the way, nothing is stopping winter from coming. "Game of Thrones" jokes aside, the holidays are approaching faster than you may realize, and Starbucks and its Reserve Roasteries are at the ready with a holiday drink menu, food, and even Hello Kitty merchandise to set the mood just right. 

For those who live near Starbucks Reserve in New York or Chicago, there is perhaps plenty more to cheer about, with the return of the certified delicious Pistachio Raspberry Tart and knockout Caramel Brulée Eggnog Latte. This year, a new drink is joining the festivities, and Starbucks Reserve is hoping its new Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa is a drink that totally sleighs. The drink is made with 70% cacao chocolate, steamed milk, and a dark caramel miso sauce, and is topped with dark caramel miso cold foam, brown sanding sugar, and edible gold flakes. It is sold à la carte, or as a Hot Cocoa Duo, which also includes the Peppermint Hot Cocoa.

Before you reserve your spot in line at busy Starbucks Reserve this November and December to try the new Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa, aren't you curious to know if this is a can't miss-o, or a totally mis-no beverage? I tried it, and can reveal the answer in this sip and say. 

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

While the Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa normally comes in a cozy black mug, the one I was given is what folks would get if they ordered a Hot Cocoa Duo. The small clear glass tumbler held just a few ounces of liquid, and gave off the impression that I'd be done with it after just a few quick sips.

I peered at the drink's head, where the cold miso foam had settled and slightly dissolved where it met the warmth of the hot cocoa body. While the edible gold flakes, which sat like decorative water lilies atop the foam, reeked of being a visual gimmick, it was one that easily worked its magic on me. I leaned in for a whiff, and instead of a strong sense of chocolatey sweetness, this drink let my nostrils know that this was no ordinary hot cocoa. There was a savory, soy scent leading the way.

My initial sip confused both my palate and mind, mainly because I had never tasted a flavor combination quite like it before. I was initially taken aback by the miso in both the foam and the cocoa, but the more I went at the drink, the more I embraced its unusualness. It had a salty richness, as one would expect it to have, and as I surrendered to its charms, the caramel-chocolate flavor made its presence known, blending in quite nicely with the contrasting umami flavor.

It's easy to make assumptions about what Starbucks Reserve's Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa would taste like, thanks to its posh appearance and name. Even the size of the duo glass seemed puny, but whatever notions I had preconceived about it all were rapidly washed away when I sipped it. This succulent, complex drink is one to savor; I sipped it slowly so that my glass would not empty. Even after taking a 10-minute break from it to try other drinks and foods, it was still a winner when I returned for a victory lap sip. Sure, the warmth had succumbed to lukewarmness, but that perfect salty-sweet balanced flavoring could not, and would not, be diminished.

To my knowledge, no Starbucks drink or menu item has ever had the pleasure of being flavored with miso. The closest it got was a Genmaicha Miso Tea Soup sold in 2014 at its former line of Teavana Tea Bars. Now that I know that miso works as an enchanting flavor in a sweet drink, I'm ready for Starbucks to experiment more with the seasoning that's made of fermented soybeans, salt, and koji. Pumpkin spice miso latte, anyone?

Starbucks Reserve's Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa is an east-meets-west kind of drink that is totally the best. Those few ounces I tried went a long way, and I actually can't even imagine indulging in a full cup of it. Order it up as a duo with Peppermint Hot Cocoa, and you're well on your way to having the best holiday season ever!