I tried Japan's first vending machine drink, 'Starbucks MY RETREAT Caramel Macchiato' at Starbucks

Starbucks and Suntory will be releasing a new series of bottled coffee, ' Starbucks MY RETREAT Caramel Macchiato ,' on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. This marks the first time that Starbucks has released a drink exclusively for vending machines in Japan. I had the chance to try it early, so I decided to check out the flavor.

Starbucks launches Japan's first 'vending machine exclusive' product: 'Starbucks® MY RETREAT™ Caramel Macchiato,' a bottled coffee series, launching Tuesday, October 7th. With the melting sweetness of caramel and the mellow flavor of milk, this coffee beverage offers a moment of relaxation in between your busy days. | Starbucks Coffee Japan

The Starbucks MY RETREAT Caramel Macchiato is a vending machine-exclusive drink that will be available in October, and can be served hot or cold. The lid reads, 'This product can be sold with a heater.'

The back of the label reads, 'A caramel latte wrapped in melting sweetness.' The ingredients include sugar, skim milk powder, adjusted cream, coffee, and flavoring. The bottle contains 280ml and has 39 calories per 100ml, for a total of about 109 calories.

First, I poured it into a glass and drank it while it was still cold.

Since it's a caramel macchiato, the color is beige.

When you drink it, you can smell the fragrant aroma of burnt caramel, followed by a strong sweetness. The bitterness and aroma of the coffee are subtle, with the caramel flavor being the main focus. The taste is rich, but the sweetness is refreshing, making it the perfect drink to take a break from work.

This time, I tried warming it in a hot water bath to drink it while it was still warm.

When I drank it warm, the gentle sweetness was more pronounced than when it was cold. There was also a fragrant caramel aroma, but while the caramel flavor was more pronounced when it was cold, when it was warm the sweetness and creaminess were more pronounced. It's perfect for drinking outside in the coming cold season.

Starbucks MY RETREAT Caramel Macchiato will be available at vending machines nationwide from Tuesday, October 7, 2025. The suggested retail price is 240 yen.