Starbucks came out with blonde espresso in 2018, after years of research and testing for a drink that was more subtle and sweet than their classic espresso.
At one point, their small product development team sampled 650 cups of coffee daily to fine-tune the flavor!
Blonde is smooth, citrusy, and subtly sweet. It also has distinct nutty caramel quality.
There isn’t a huge difference in caffeine between Starbucks’ blonde and standard espresso. If you order a doppio (double shot), both should yield about 150 mg of caffeine.