Although fall started just this past Thursday, coffee chains around the country have jumped the gun in releasing their annual seasonal drink lineups. But which of these corporate chains have engineered the most scrumptious, cozy autumn beverage worthy of an hour of your wages? Luckily, I have compiled a list of some of the most popular seasonal menus and whether or not they are worth your buck.
Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte
I feel hesitant reviewing this amid the others, as I don’t feel that this coffee even qualifies as a pumpkin spice latte. Don’t be fooled: this drink tastes like nothing more than a plain vanilla latte. Are vanilla lattes good? Yes. Are vanilla lattes pumpkin spice lattes? No.
You could probably add extra pumpkin spice syrup, but given the already saccharine quality of this beverage (as well as most Dunkin’ beverages,) I would personally just skip this one altogether.
Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spice Chai
I do give Dunkin’ some points for innovation on this one: on paper, this sounds like the perfect fall drink. However, the results are not as perfect. I felt this one also struggled with having a pronounced pumpkin spice taste, leaving you with only the taste of the already sweet Dunkin’ chai, even sweeter still from the syrup. Get this one if you are in the mood for some liquid candy.
Starbucks Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato
I’m a little surprised to see this menu addition from last year come back this season. Perhaps the drink had a secret cult following that I was not aware of, but I did not try one last year at all specifically because of the lackluster opinions others had on it.
Surely, my review of this drink is a bit biased, as I already don’t care for Starbucks’ macchiatos. I will say that I enjoyed it a bit better than I expected; the artificial apple flavoring was not as incongruous with the coffee as I was expecting. However, at the end of the day, the apple syrup tastes like a Bath & Body Works candle. I’m torn, however, because I finished the drink anyway and was not upset with the effect. Get it just once, if not merely for the experience.
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
This drink is, of course, the mother of all pumpkin beverage fare. There isn’t much more I can say about this that hasn’t been said already. It’s a solid drink: a little on the sweet side for me, but overall not a beverage that disappoints. Starbucks has undoubtedly good pumpkin syrup as well: a distinctive candy-pumpkin flavor, with perhaps a bit of a nutty taste, but altogether a feat of sugary goodness. Go ahead and get this one, although you didn’t need me to recommend it anyhow.
Satellite Coffee Pumpkin Pie Latte
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Make no mistake: although they have chosen to call it a “pumpkin pie” latte for reasons unknown, Satellite has brought to the stage some damn good pumpkin spice. I think this one best gets the sweetness ratio right — undoubtedly enjoyable to drink, but not so sugary that it becomes grating after two sips. This drink is definitely the one to get for those who feel that they are too good for Starbucks.
As the caffeine buzz and the sugar rush battle each other in my bloodstream, I hope you all appreciate my hard work and use it as the blueprint to find your new favorite drink throughout whatever corporations decide to be the end of fall this year.
Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo
