Why the Jasmine 100 Series Tasting Fell Short on Coffee Flavor

Starbucks' Jasmine 100 series, part of the True Flavor Sugar-Free lineup, launched during the spring rains with jasmine extract and low-sugar options. Early customers largely said it falls short of the Valentine's Day Rose 20 release, citing too little coffee flavor and a watery mouthfeel. Some posted the ingredient list to question whether the jasmine extract was diluted.

The added Biluochun tea infusion drew criticism for masking the coffee further, and some drinkers said the Jasmine 100 Latte should be discontinued. The series follows the same low-sugar approach as Rose 20, leaving buyers to decide whether to add syrup, so the question of what sugar is used for coffee stays with the customer rather than the recipe.

Starbucks launched its "Jasmine 100" series during the spring rains, featuring fresh jasmine floral notes and low-sugar options, as part of the "True Flavor Sugar-Free Series." However, the first wave of consumers who tried it generally reported that this new product falls far short of the previous Valentine's Day limited edition "Rose 20." The issues center on the coffee flavor being too weak and the mouthfeel being overly watery, with some netizens even posting the ingredient list to question whether the jasmine flower extract has been diluted. Additionally, the Biluochun tea infusion added to the new product was also criticized for masking the coffee flavor. Amid their disappointment, some consumers bluntly said, "The Jasmine 100 Latte really should be discontinued." This article will sort through the focal points of the controversy surrounding the new product while retaining relevant recommendations from the Front Street brand.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Recently, amid the spring rains, Starbucks launched its "Jasmine 100" series of new products, attempting to bring consumers a spring atmosphere with coffee infused with fresh jasmine floral notes.

This new product, like the Valentine's Day limited edition "Rose 20" from mid-last month, belongs to the "True Flavor Sugar-Free Series." The drink incorporates jasmine flower extract made through a low-temperature extraction process, aiming to present authentic, non-chemically synthesized natural floral notes. At the same time, the new product continues the previous low-sugar philosophy, letting consumers decide for themselves whether to add extra syrup to adjust the taste.

Since the previous "Rose 20" series stood out among the many rose drinks available on Valentine's Day and left a deep impression on Starbucks fans, when the brand launched another floral drink in the same series, long-awaiting customers eagerly placed orders, wanting to experience what a coffee with a different floral note would taste like.

However, the first wave of eager early adopters, after receiving their drinks and taking the first sip, couldn't help but frown, generally reporting that the new "Jasmine 100" is inferior to the already-discontinued "Rose 20."

Judging from the extensive feedback from netizens on social media, although the "Jasmine 100" series does, as its name suggests, greet you with an intense jasmine fragrance the moment you open the lid, many people feel that compared to the previous product, "Jasmine 100" tastes "watery," with the coffee flavor being too faint — so much so that upon the first sip, one might mistake it for a cup of slightly astringent jasmine tea.

"Every sip feels like jasmine is bouncing around in my mouth — I really can't taste the coffee at all," "The jasmine tea flavor completely overwhelms the coffee flavor," "Too bland, just a watery taste!", "I don't get any Americano flavor, it's all floral tea taste," "Like jasmine green tea with milk, insanely bland," "Half the cup is water — no milk flavor and no coffee flavor either."

Some netizens posted photos of the outer packaging of the jasmine flower extract concentrate, a key ingredient in the new product. The first item listed in the ingredient list is "water," not jasmine flower extract. By contrast, the ingredient list for rose extract does not list "water." Generally speaking, the ingredient with the highest proportion is listed first, so some people suspect that the water-diluted jasmine flower extract is one of the reasons for the new product's "watery taste," though it's also possible that a work error led to incorrect labeling on the ingredient list.

Additionally, some users pointed out that although the Jasmine 100 series is made in a way similar to "Rose 20," it also adds Biluochun tea infusion to adjust the drink's flavor and mouthfeel, besides jasmine flower extract and espresso — which is why some users feel after drinking the new product that it's like "Oriental Leaf mixed with a shot," with the tea flavor and floral notes on the palate masking the coffee's own flavor.

Deeply disappointed users said they had thought that with the "Rose 20" series setting a fine precedent, subsequent drinks in the same series would learn from previous shortcomings and better cater to current consumer preferences. Instead, their full expectations vanished after trying the new product, leaving only dissatisfaction with a coffee overwhelmed by jasmine fragrance. Some consumers even gave a sharp verdict: "The Jasmine 100 Latte really should be discontinued."

Image source: Xiaohongshu

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet, and some content on the website such as images — we will respect the original copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large volume, there may be individual images or texts that we have not yet been able to credit. We ask for your understanding. If the original author has any disputes, they may contact the website for handling, and once verified, we will promptly correct it. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for removal. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.