How Much Caffeine In Blonde Espresso Shot?

When it comes to coffee beverages, espresso is the most healthy drink. It has the least amount of calories and is the best for those looking for less calorie count.

You’re well-versed with espresso, but what is its new version, blonde espresso? What is the caffeine content in it? Is it healthy? Is it expensive than a regular shot of espresso? You’ll get all your queries answered in this article. Let’s begin.

What Is Blonde Espresso?

As you know the leading coffee chain, Starbucks, you might also know what makes it top the list. It is their invention. Starbucks know their customer’s preferences, and they always try to surprise their fans with new and better versions of coffee. Blonde espresso is also a result of their invention, which has gained a lot of popularity.

After over 40 years, Starbucks launched a new espresso in the year 2017, known as the blonde roast espresso. People were going crazy to try out this new espresso. It was initially named as “Cinnamon Roast.” But this name confused the people. Because the word cinnamon was meant to refer to the colour and not the taste. Thus it was renamed as blonde espresso.

Other popular names for blonde espresso are “Half City,” “Light City,” “Nordic Style Roast” and “New England Roast.” You might find these names in different locations, but remember no matter what’s the name, it is the blonde espresso being served.

How Much Caffeine Is In Blonde Espresso?

Let’s get to the most important part of an espresso, the caffeine content. Blonde espresso is a less stronger version of regular espresso. The beans used in it are slightly roasted to get a blonde hue. Thus, it was named blonde espresso.

It uses light roasted beans, which are more acidic and contain more caffeine. Whereas, regular espresso uses dark roasted beans, which are less acidic and have less caffeine, because the caffeine burns off when roasting at high temperatures. Hence, automatically, blonde espresso will have more caffeine.

A normal espresso contains 64 mg of caffeine (75 mg of caffeine in Starbucks), whereas, a blonde espresso has 85 mg of caffeine. That’s too much in a shot.

You may ask, when the caffeine content is so high, why was it introduced? There exist different individuals with different taste buds. People sensitive to caffeine, don’t order a blonde espresso. But there are also those who are looking for more caffeine per shot, and blonde espresso is best for them. They get a nice caffeine boost after only a single shot.

What’s the Caffeine Content in 3 shots of blonde espresso?

The caffeine content in espresso is affected by many factors, due to which the caffeine may fluctuate. But generally, a blonde espresso has 85 mg of caffeine per shot. So for 3 shots, it reaches to 255 mg of caffeine. When you drink 3 shots of blonde espresso, you’ve surpassed half of the recommended amount of caffeine per day, i.e. 400 mg.

What does blonde espresso taste like?

If you’ve never drunk a blonde espresso, let me tell you of its taste. These beans are mostly from Latin America and East Africa. And as the beans used for making blonde espresso are lightly roasted, they are more acidic. They are roasted at low temperatures for a short amount of time. And hence, don’t extract any oils, and still have the fruity and floral flavour.

When you take a sip, it gives you hints of citrus and is a little bit sour. It is characterized by subtle sweetness. No doubt, it’s refreshing. Since the oils aren’t extracted, it has a matte finish and isn’t shiny. Blonde espresso also has a layer of crema on top. It looks the same as espresso, but is lighter and doesn’t have a chocolaty and nutty flavor, but is more fruity. Also, it doesn’t give you strong notes of coffee, as a regular espresso does. It’s a milder version.

Is Blonde Espresso Harsh On Your Stomach?

Yes, blonde espresso is harsher on your stomach than a regular espresso. Though blonde espresso is mild, it is more acidic and contains more caffeine and may lead to digestive problems. Whereas, a regular one has a bold flavor, but is less acidic, thereby being soft on your digestive system. Moreover, when you drink espresso after meals, it helps in the proper digestion of food and prevents bloating.

Blonde Roast vs Blonde Espresso

These two terms may be used interchangeably, but there’s a slight difference between them. Blonde roast is the bean roast, that is used to make blonde espresso. To get a blonde or cinnamon hue, they are roasted only for a short period of time at a low temperature. No oils are extracted due to the short roasting process. These beans are then used to make blonde espresso. Thus, blonde roast is the ingredient and blonde espresso is the resulting drink.

For which coffee drinks is blonde espresso suitable as a base?

Espresso is not just enjoyed on its own, but is also used as a base for coffee drinks such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato and many other.

In the same way, blonde espresso can also be used as a base. Since it is smoother, it is best suited for milky coffee drinks. Vanilla-flavoured coffee, cold brews have a base of blonde espresso.

Blonde Espresso vs Regular Espresso

Blonde and regular are different versions of espresso. But what makes them different? Let’s find out

Base	Blonde Espresso	Regular Espresso
Appearance	Matte finish	Glossy finish
Strength	Milder	Stronger
Acidity	More acidic	Less acidic
Caffeine Content	85 mg	64 mg
Flavor	Flowery and fruity	Chocolaty and nutty
Calories	2	3

Moreover, the similarity between them is that they are priced the same.

Closing thoughts

By reaching the end of this article, you are now aware that the caffeine content in a shot of blonde espresso is more than a regular shot of espresso. The ones who are sensitive to caffeine should think twice before consuming blonde espresso. However, those who want extra kick of caffeine with less shots, it’s best for them.

Nevertheless, no matter what the caffeine or calorie count is, coffee lovers should try blonde espresso at least once in a lifetime.