Looking Back at Starbucks's Best and Worst Moments of 2015

Starbucks rolled out its Evening Menu to 75 locations across the nation, and we tried everything on the menu. From the wines (served in Reidel glasses) to the snacks (including truffle mac), almost everything is killer and worth a PM Starbucks trip.

Iced coffee and iced lattes are a thing of the past! Starbucks introduced a 20-hour-steeped cold brew coffee and did a side-by-side taste comparison for press. Hedy Phillips reported, "I was definitely sold on the cold brew. It has a chocolaty, smooth finish without the bitterness of iced coffee. It is intended to be consumed black, so it has a full flavor that really requires no additions. Since it's a bit weaker than other cold brews I've tried, I didn't feel like I had to load it down with ice, milk, and sugar."

Frappuccinos are delicious, but they can be a sugar overload (not to mention expensive), which is why we were so happy that Starbucks launched a 10-ounce mini Frappuccino size to add to the lineup.

The underdog of the year has to go to the Toasted Graham Latte. According to taste tester Hedy Phillips, "The drink starts with a toasted graham syrup and is layered with espresso and milk and topped with a toasted graham topping. It's not super sweet, so the coffee flavor really shines, and the toasted graham flavor is totally reminiscent of cereal milk — you know, the delicious milk that's left in your bowl after you're done with your cereal."

When Starbucks announced it would introduce a new PSL recipe to the world in Fall 2015, people panicked. However, reporter Allie Merriam was one of the first to try the new latte and had only positive things to say about it. "The latte was good. The real pumpkin added a richness to the texture, which was seriously satisfying. I could taste the spices, the cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. It felt like Fall, even though it's still August. The drink was also extremely sweet, and I realized the taster cup might be my new preferred size for the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It hit the spot."

For the holiday season, Starbucks brought out a new Holiday Flat White, made with a Holiday Spice blend (cinnamon, clove, and citrus) and a ristretto shot of the Christmas blend, followed by free-poured steamed whole milk. This is the type of beverage that would appeal to tea drinkers and those looking to get into the holiday spirit. Taste tester Hedy Phillips likened the spice blend to "Christmas dust."

Starbucks released a new mobile app that makes your in-store experience even faster. The app lets you customize the drink to the nth degree, find the nearest location to you, and pay for the order ahead of time, so you can waltz right in and grab your beverage. Hello, convenience.

For years, customers have been requesting another nondairy milk option, and Starbucks finally delivered. Macy Williams reported that it was better than she expected. "I was pleasantly surprised. The sweet and tangy flavor of the milk gave my drink a rich update. The foam on the top of the latte was thick and smooth, adding a velvety texture. If you don't like your coffee sweet, this isn't the drink for you. However, if you are looking for a touch of flavor, this option doesn't need any extra sugar or sweetener."

Over the Summer, Starbucks introduced some incredibly delicious seasonal Frappuccinos. The Strawberry Shortcake featured a vanilla base with freeze-dried strawberries, hazelnut syrup, and strawberry syrup, and Blackberries & Crème was made with a vanilla base, freeze-dried blackberries, whipped cream, and cinnamon on top. Beg your barista to make you one out of season; they are that good.

Starbucks teamed up with Seattle Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch to create the Beast Mode Frappuccino, a double mocha Frappuccino with protein powder, mint, cream, berry drizzle, and a touch of matcha. But that's not all! Starbucks donated $24,000 to the Fam 1st Family Foundation, an organization that supports child and adolescent mentorship, and 24 cents per Beast Mode purchased in Washington and Oakland, CA.

It's safe to say we want almost everything from the Starbucks Holiday Collection, from the Local City Collection ornaments to the siren porcelain tumbler and jewel-toned S'well bottles.

Starbucks red cups are usually a cheerful start to the holiday season, but this year's simple design angered Christian evangelists. Despite all the hoopla, 80 percent of our readers voted in a poll saying they love the red cup design and think the controversy is silly.

Starbucks released six new Frappuccino flavors in the Summer, based on fan favorites and "secret menu" orders like cotton candy. Most of these flavors missed the mark in a serious way, but Caramel Cocoa Cluster and Cinnamon Roll are worth trying at least once.

In order to appeal to serious coffee drinkers, Starbucks released a flat white, but according to Macy Williams, it's a pass. "Intrigued by its latest espresso drink, I visited the nearest Starbucks to try it . . . but its flat white was a little underwhelming. I expected to taste a foamy beverage, filled with extrasmall bubbles. Instead, I tasted a run-of-the-mill latte, with a distinguishable layer of froth on top of the liquid. I was also left hoping for a stronger espresso flavor — the Starbucks flat white has more milk in it rather than equal parts milk and espresso."

Six dollars for a smoothie seems like a lot, so we tried all of Starbucks's Evolution Juice smoothies to see if they are worth the price. Unfortunately, the strawberry is the only palatable one. It's sweet-tart and creamy and definitely worth trying with banana and protein blended in.

Starbucks released a new wintry tea latte, made with English breakfast tea with gingerbread flavors, steamed milk, and a dusting of cinnamon spice, but according to tasters, it was like drinking "watered-down, warm milk." As for the chocolate snowmen doughnuts, even with their cuteness and yummy icing, the cake portion tastes really dry.

People swarmed Starbucks to get a taste of the new S'mores Frappuccino. Regardless of its popularity, our tasters found it to be mediocre, "heavy on the marshmallow flavor," and "extremely sweet."

For Halloween, Starbucks came out with the Frappula Frappuccino, which featured white chocolate mocha, mocha, and raspberry syrups and whipped cream. The beverage tasted like a frozen hot chocolate with a berry finish. It was a little on the artificial side, though a few enjoyed the nostalgic flavor.

Taste tester Macy Williams reported her experience ordering an Ariana Grande. "I thought I would get a to-go cup with cat ears and thigh-high boots on, but that wasn't the case. The resulting beverage looked pretty on the outside, but the taste was an overwhelming mix of chocolate, caramel, and god knows what else. I'm not sure if any coffee was even in there."

When taste tester Brinton Parker tried the new Birthday Cake Frappuccino, she only had lackluster things to say about it. "Compared to the festive promotional images that Starbucks has been circulating, my drink was pretty pathetic. I'm unsure if my Starbucks location had simply run out of the raspberry-infused whipped cream promised on the menu, but the Frappuccino I received looked more plain than a glass of milk. The blended vanilla bean and hazelnut portion of the drink was everything that the ads promised, but the overall effect was more along the lines of melted vanilla soft serve than birthday cake. Even in the chilly weather, my entire Frappuccino was melted within two minutes — sipping the celebratory beverage felt more like I was drinking liquid disappointment."

In early December of this year, Starbucks's Turkey & Stuffing Panini was recalled from hundreds of locations after it was linked to an E. coli outbreak at Costco. Yuck!

Starbucks shuttered all of the La Boulange cafe and one Evolution Juice location in San Francisco, much to the dismay of Bay Area customers. Thankfully, La Boulange creator Pascal Rigo resigned from Starbucks to rebrand and reopen a few key locations as La Boulangerie de San Francisco. The cafes feature most of the same menu items and design, minus the cookie butter lattes and colorful coffee bowls.