What Makes The Starbucks Reserve Hazelnut Bianco Latte Special?

While perusing through the Starbucks menu, you might have come across a fancy phrase called "Starbucks Reserve." Well, according to the Starbucks Reserve website, any coffee with this particular branding has been created through innovative experimental techniques in every aspect of the development process, including infusing and aging. The chain has special coffee bars and roasteries that showcase these rare blends, but many regular Starbucks locations sell them as well.

As Starbucks Reserve shares, its coffee is made from  high-quality beans that have been ethically sourced from passionate farmers. The care put into crafting the coffee leads to beverages that taste more flavorful than the average Starbucks drink or what's in other coffee shops, Roasty Coffee claims. The artisanal collection includes offerings like espresso con panna, cortado, and Reserve cold brew. But today, we're going to focus on a rather tasty latte.

A latte is made with espresso (which tastes different from black coffee), steamed milk, and milk foam, per Nescafé. Typically, only one or two shots of espresso are used, so the resulting drink has a less strong, creamy taste. Aesthetics-wise, lattes are often topped with some kind of foam art, ranging from hearts to printed designs.

What happens when you transform Starbuck Reserve coffee into a latte? Magic happens, as we see with the Starbucks Reserve Hazelnut Bianco Latte. Here's what this special beverage is all about.

The Starbucks Reserve Hazelnut Bianco Latte — one of the best hot drinks at Starbucks – is composed of espresso from the premium brand as well as special milk made in-house, per the company. The milk is infused with hazelnuts, which lend slightly sweet, buttery, and, of course, nutty notes (via Chef Tastes), and pralines, which add a touch of sweetness, caramel flavor, and extra nuttiness (via Food Network). As you can probably imagine, both ingredients used for the milk come together in a harmonious fashion, complementing the top-notch quality of the Starbucks Reserve espresso.

Two shots of Starbucks Reserve espresso are used in most of the specified latte sizes, except for venti, which gets three. The milk is also steamed, and you can customize with additions, such as cold foams, syrups, and sauces that come in a range of different flavors.

So next time you're at Starbucks, see if the Starbucks Reserve Hazelnut Bianco Latte is available. The combination of flavorful espresso with the sweetness and nuttiness of pralines and hazelnuts will hopefully make this beverage a part of your rotation for the holidays and beyond.