Starbucks Confirms They Changed the Iced Coffee Recipe for the First Time in 18 Years — Here’s What’s Different

Customers have slowly started to notice the change — and then vocalized it on social media — since it was switched in May

Starbucks changed their iced coffee blend in May — and customers are starting to notice.

Earlier in the summer, the coffee chain gave a “major recipe update” to its iced coffee, which hadn’t seen a change in blend since 2006, according to a press release. Starbucks new iced coffee is made with a blend of sun-dried Latin American coffees, which aims to give a “smoother” cup. It’s also now served unsweetened by default.

In a statement, Leslie Wolford, a coffee developer at the company, described exactly what the new beans taste like.

“Combining sun-dried and washed together allows the blend’s notes of malted milk chocolate and brown sugar accents to shine, creating a harmonious balance that's both crisp and sweet,” Wolford said, adding that it was “designed with versatility in mind” for customers with go-to, custom orders.

The big shift after 18 years has caused a social media discussion among customers.

Related: Starbucks and Stanley Team Up on Another Limited Edition Cup — This Time It's Bright Lime Green

A Reddit user who goes by Hifilistener started a thread asking other Starbucks drinkers their opinions on the change. "First impressions seems like they mellowed it out and tried to make it more, subtle?" the user wrote.

"Yeah, I’ve tried the new one out twice now being a former barista it’s defenitly [sic] a lighter roast it tastes like almost like a blonde roast," one person responded.

Starbucks has been innovating its menu offerings throughout the year. When the new iced coffee blend was announced in May, the brand also introduced their twist on boba with Summer-Berry Starbucks Refreshers with raspberry pearls.

The blue drinks, which are inspired by East Asian beverages, are each made of a “sweet and summery blend of raspberry, blueberry and blackberry,” per a press release.

The Summer-Berry Refresher is combined with water; the Summer-Berry Lemonade is, of course, mixed with lemonade; and the Summer Skies Drink is blended with coconut milk.

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