• I recently tried Starbucks' new spring drink, the iced toasted-vanilla oat-milk shaken espresso. 
• The drink features Starbucks' blonde espresso and notes of caramelized vanilla.
• I loved the subtle sweetness of the vanilla — and it's my favorite new Starbucks drink in a while.

Whenever there's a new drink at Starbucks, I'm always first in line to try it.

Ever since Starbucks launched the Irish-cream cold brew in winter 2019, I've made sure to try the chain's newest seasonal drinks.

I loved fall's apple-crisp macchiato, and the sugar-cookie latte definitely got me in the holiday spirit in December. 

Now, winter's finally wrapping up, which means it's time for warmer days ahead — and a new iced drink on the Starbucks menu. 

Starbucks' new spring drink is the iced toasted-vanilla oat-milk shaken espresso.

The iced toasted-vanilla oat-milk shaken espresso — available starting Tuesday — is the latest in Starbucks' line of nondairy iced-shaken-espresso beverages, which debuted on menus in March last year. 

Starbucks describes its newest spring drink as a "toasted twist on the classic vanilla flavor." It features Starbucks' blonde espresso and notes of caramelized vanilla. Everything is shaken together and topped with oat milk.

A Starbucks spokesperson told me the chain wanted to create a new drink that felt like the "light at the end of the tunnel after winter."

The spokesperson said the toasted vanilla flavor was inspired by the idea of "people gathering around fire pits."

"Vanilla has been a long beloved flavor at Starbucks, and this spring we wanted to shake things up for our customers," they added. "Starbucks Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso is the perfect pairing for our customers looking to find the light of spring with an exciting twist on a classic flavor."

Starbucks' iced blonde vanilla latte has become one of my usual weekly drinks from the chain over the past year, so I was excited to see how this new spring twist would compare.

I headed to my local Starbucks to preview the drink and immediately loved the color of it.

Starbucks' new iced espresso has a far-lighter color than the promotional image shows. My drink had a pretty, deep caramel color that looked.

I also ordered an iced brown-sugar oat-milk shaken espresso to see how the drinks would compare and realized they looked almost identical to each other.

As with the other shaken-espresso drinks on Starbucks' menu, the iced toasted-vanilla oat-milk shaken espresso has a foamy top.

When Starbucks released its new line of espresso drinks last year, Alicia Binion — the chain's senior product developer — said shaking "adds another dimension" to the coffee.

"It creates a rich texture on your palate by just adding air," she said. "When you take that first sip, you get a wonderful froth that is infused with flavor." 

The only visual difference between the toast-vanilla version and the brown-sugar one was the foamy tops.

When I removed the cap on my iced brown-sugar oat-milk shaken espresso, I saw a generous sprinkle of brown sugar dotting the foam.

I tried my first sip of Starbucks' new spring drink, and I thought it had the perfect amount of subtle sweetness.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of combining oat milk and coffee. There's this dense and heavy nuttiness to oat milk that I've never enjoyed when I've tried it in my regular mochas. 

So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Starbucks' new spring drink. There's a richness you'd expect with the word "toasted" in the name, but the vanilla adds a lightness to the drink that really lifts the oat-milk flavor. It's a refreshing beverage that isn't overly sweet — making it a great fit for spring. I could've even used a touch more vanilla. 

And after sipping on the brown-sugar version of the drink, I knew I preferred the toasted vanilla more. While the brown sugar is quite prominent and a bit heavy when combined with oat milk, the toasted vanilla has a great balance to its flavors.

The iced toasted-vanilla oat-milk shaken espresso is my favorite new Starbucks drink and the best seasonal beverage I've seen the chain release in a while.

While I've enjoyed recent menu additions like the apple-crisp macchiato and sugar-cookie latte, the iced toasted-vanilla oat-milk shaken espresso is a drink I'd definitely get every week. It has just the right amount of sweetness I need in coffee while still being under 200 calories if you order a grande. It's a great daily drink that still feels like a bit of a treat.

And after a long winter with a rough pandemic surge, I think we could all use something a little sweet for spring.

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