As I’ve been slowly weening myself off of drinking so many sugary drinks I just haven’t found too many reasons to head over to Starbucks. And then, I tried the Ultra Caramel Frappuccino. I thought it would just be like the old Caramel Frappuccino with a little twist, but I found my new go to drink.

Starbucks is shifting away from promotional drinks and adding to its permanent Frappuccino menu. So hopefully we don’t see too many more Unicorn Frappuccinos or Zombie Frappuccinos any time soon.

So what is an Ultra Caramel Frappuccino and why is it different than the standard caramel Frappuccino we know and love?

Starbucks describes the new drink as,

“Dark caramel coffee Frappuccino® is enveloped between layers of whipped cream that’s infused with cold brew, white chocolate and dark caramel. And on each layer of whipped cream sits a dollop of dark caramel sauce. These layers ensure each sip is as good as the last; all the way to the end.”

All three of Starbuck’s newest additions to the Frappuccino menu – Ultra Caramel, Triple Mocha, and Serious Strawberry – are layered Frappuccino drinks. Instead of just blending up the drink and topping it with whipped cream at the end, these drinks involve the extra steps of layering the Frappuccino blend with whipped cream and flavored syrups. This makes the drink much more photogenic with pretty swirly layers you can see on the outside of the cup. But also, the layering of whipped cream improves the texture of the Frappuccino so that it’s lighter and creamier and less likely to be an icy mess when you finally get to the bottom of your drink.  Though I have to say layering whipped cream into a Frappuccino isn’t anything new. I’ve been asking my baristas to blend in whipped cream into my drinks since 2010.

But the thing I love most about the Ultra Caramel is the dark caramel sauce. It has a smokiness that neither the caramel syrup or the standard caramel sauce have. And I think it works really well with the cold brew whipped cream. Unfortunately, there’s currently no way to order this dark caramel sauce with other drinks on mobile order and likewise there isn’t a way to completely remove the Frappuccino roast. But if you order in person I would highly recommend removing the roast and enjoying the taste of the cold brew whipped cream on its own, because really who needs that much caffeine in one drink?

Go out and try one for yourself! But be careful, it’s kind of addictive…