La Colombe Draft Latte Flavors, Ranked

In April 2024, the Philadelphia-based coffee brand La Colombe launched a collection of ready-to-drink draft lattes. The cans contain nitrous oxide, which helps make them super creamy and easy to sip on. Aside from the convenience of having a can on hand at home, at work, or in your car, it's interesting to note that each latte contains 5 grams of dietary fiber and vitamin D3. Each drink also contains 6 grams of protein. The draft lattes are also good sources of potassium, an essential mineral that aids in fluid balance and nerve function. 

While these lattes are certainly not health drinks, the addition of minerals, vitamins, protein, and fiber are definitely a great way to start the day. There are several flavors to choose, which I sampled and ranked from worst to best. Since all of the drinks have very similar ingredients, I primarily judged the overall flavor and finish for each one. 

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

The triple draft latte is noticeably stronger than the double draft latte upon first sip — but not overwhelmingly so. The milk is present enough to mask the taste from the extra shot of espresso at first. But, unlike the double draft, it has a bit of a bitter aftertaste. This drink has 10 calories less than the double draft, coming in at just 100 calories per can. It contains 150 milligrams of caffeine, as well as 8 grams of sugar.

The best part of this product is its convenience factor; it delivers quick and effective caffeine. With the additives, like protein, potassium, vitamin D, and fiber, the caffeine should last a little longer than plain joe, and the crash should be softened, as well.

The triple draft latte only ranks low on this list because of its aftertaste. But if I'm being honest, I would drink this if I had a very long day ahead and needed an extra boost of caffeine in the morning beyond just one cup of coffee.

I'm usually a big fan of caramel desserts, especially when they're paired with some in-season fruit. While the caramel draft latte drink isn't bad by any means, I found the flavoring to be too overpowering for a coffee and way too decadent for a morning drink.

The foaminess of the nitro cold brew was very pronounced in this drink, like it was somehow brought out by the flavor of the caramel. There was zero bitterness from the first to the last sip, and sweet coffee fans will probably rank this among their favorites. While the drink itself was the creamiest of the bunch, the caramel tasted more like a flavor additive. It didn't add the rich viscosity I thought it would.

The caramel latte has 120 calories, 100 milligrams of caffeine, and has a notable sugar boost at 13 grams. Perhaps it's best enjoyed on a sluggish afternoon when you want the immediate payoff of a sugary, caffeinated drink.

Since its debut in 2003, the pumpkin spice latte has been a juggernaut for Starbucks. Naturally, after seeing the lasting success of the drink and its many variations, other popular coffee brands wanted to create their own to appease their loyal fan bases.

There is a hint of sweet spice to this pumpkin spice draft latte. This can clocks in at 120 calories and 11 grams of sugar. It's slightly less sugary than the mocha and caramel draft lattes and contains the same amount of caffeine (100 milligrams).

It has the signature smoothness of the other La Colombe drinks, but it was a little too creamy. I believe this is due to the addition of pumpkin puree. Like the mocha and caramel varieties, I forgot I was drinking coffee for a moment. I want a balance between the additives, flavoring, and coffee — and this one was lacking.

While this drink is not bad, it's not the one for me. If you're looking for an autumnal drink that favors spice over sweetness, opt for the smashing pumpkin cold brew from Gregorys Coffee or make your own pumpkin spice latte at home instead.

I generally tend to avoid ordering most mochas. There's just something about the chocolate and caffeine combo that doesn't quite agree with me or my palate, so I had to take that into account when I tried this beverage. The cocoa added a richness to the taste as well as the mouthfeel, but it came off as slightly muddy. 

I chose to rank this beverage higher on the list than the pumpkin spice draft latte because I felt the cocoa enhanced the attack (a borrowed wine tasting term which describes the first sensation on the palate) better than the pumpkin or the caramel beverage. Where it went wrong was the muddy finish. But the more sips I took, the less I noticed it.

This was the first drink I tasted for the review. It was smooth and sweet, but it was not overly sugary. It was foamy like I had anticipated. I would be happy drinking this variety every morning (and maybe in the afternoon as well).

I thought the double draft latte might take the top spot, but that was before I tried the top-ranked beverage. However, I have no complaints about this plain, double draft drink. It has just the right amount of caffeine and calories to get you going without sacrificing taste. The quality of the coffee and milk are evident here, and it tastes like it came directly from a La Colombe café.

This drink contains 110 calories, 9 grams of sugar, and 100 milligrams of caffeine. So, adding this drink to your breakfast routine will give you a jolt, but it won't result in a terrible sugar and/or caffeine crash later on in the day.

When I've purchased La Colombe cans in the past, vanilla was usually my go-to flavor. The flavor may get a bad rap for being bland, but the taste of real vanilla bean is euphoric. Fortunately, this drink is made with the good stuff.

The added sweetness from the vanilla isn't too strong; it doesn't mask the coffee flavor completely, but it does add an extra layer of softness that the double and triple draft lattes lack. It had a delightful amount of foam (though slightly less than the caramel flavor), and I wasn't surprised at all when this drink came out on top.

The vanilla draft latte contains the same amount of calories as the double draft latte, with 9 grams of sugar, and 100 milligrams of caffeine. This drink is so delicious and decadent without being over the top. I wonder how it would taste in a homemade espresso martini (my guess is pretty great).

For this review, I only sampled the La Colombe draft lattes that contain milk, which means I left out its other draft lattes with oat milk. I tried to sample the flavors in order of strength, as one typically does with wine. I began with the double draft latte and then followed it with the triple draft. I started with vanilla latte for the flavored category, then caramel, mocha, and finally ended with the most port-like of the group, pumpkin spice.

I tried them all in succession, taking three sips of each before moving on to the next one. After I took a brief tasting break, I returned and tried my top picks yet again. Then, I ranked them according to the overall taste, balance, mouthfeel, and aftertaste.