The Fabled Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino: 'It's Like Watered-Down Cotton Candy'

On a drizzly Detroit afternoon, Benzinga customer service representative, Marsai Matchett, strolled out of headquarters onto the busy streets of Campus Martius.

That’s when she saw it — stark against the bleak, gray cityscape stood a radiant unicorn. Frappuccino, that is.

Then came another, and another, and another cotton-candy colored cup cradled in the hands of six Instagramers snapping evidence as they scattered out of Starbucks Corporation SBUX.

Matchett, unaware of the company’s limited unicorn frappuccino, was taken aback by the on-the-street sighting, and when she learned that today was the first of a five-day promotion, she squeezed her way into the cramped coffee shop and filed into line.

“I went into Starbucks, and it was what I'd call a unicorn bonanza in there,” Matchett said. “There were maybe 25 to 30 customers in the store, and probably 10 or 12 of those customers already had or were buying the drink.”

A vivid concoction, laced with pink powder, mango syrup and a sour blue drizzle, that changes from pink to purple and sweet to tangy when stirred — what could go wrong?

The Reviews Are In

Matchett muttered a lethargic, "meh." She’d expected magic, a “flavor explosion,” but was instead disappointed by "a bland, cold drink."

"It doesn’t taste like anything," she said. "It's almost like watered-down cotton candy. Hints of sweetness in it, but not enough. The blueberry... it’s sour. So you go from nothing to this burst of sour taste."

The one redemptive feature: whipped cream, which knew its role and played it as well as it always does.

Business Insider had an equally underwhelming review while The Washington Post likened the flavor to “sour birthday cake and shame,” echoing the general consensus of the Twittersphere.