by Lauren Voinovich

Alright, I’m back. In round two of the series, we’re talking pumpkin spice. Every year, right around this time, people start to go crazy for anything pumpkin. Whether it’s a latte, a pop tart, a Kit-Kat, or a blizzard, once fall rolls around, it’s everywhere. So, this week I set out to determine if pumpkin spice is worth the price. I know you’re very excited to hear my opinion, so here you go…

the latte:

The classic choice of all those pumpkin lovers out there, the Starbucks latte blends what many consider to be the perfect amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, steamed milk, espresso, and arguably the two most important ingredients for any coffee drinker; caffeine & sugar. Interestingly (though maybe only to me and the other nutrition nuts out there), the drink also contains a small amount of pumpkin puree. This year marked the earliest release date for this signature seasonal drink in Starbucks’ history; August 27th. Despite it’s fun orange color and an avid fan base who lovingly refer to it as “the PSL”, many people find it to be symbolic of upper-class privilege and the definition of “basic”, resulting in widespread contempt of the drink and it’s followers. I say if you like it, get it and just be a nice person.

Anyway, enough background. Without further adieu…my opinion:

Presentation: As always, Starbucks came through. Style points were definitely granted for this whipped cream topped and nutmeg dusted latte. Although it didn’t look as good as the above photo, I was impressed by the barista’s whipped cream game.

Texture: Despite the variety of ingredients involved in this drink, it’s texture is nearly the same as any other latte, but either way, it’s still very foamy and rich, and I appreciated that.

Taste: This is probably the most obvious of the factors of Worth-itness, but I’m talking about it anyway, so there. Okay, so the big question; what does it taste like? Answer – pumpkin coffee. It’s literally like a pumpkin pie was mashed with a latte. Surprisingly, it was pretty good. But, that’s considering the fact that I am a fan of both pumpkin and coffee. Like those are two of my favorite things. So, if you don’t like them separately, odds are you won’t like them mixed together.

Price: a tall PSL is $4.95

TLDR: it’s a pumpkin spice latte. It’s from Starbucks so it ain’t cheap. I liked it, but as with anything, you may feel differently. Okay cool.

Sooooooo… is it Worth-it?

I say nay, but I’m also a member of the “Starbucks is waaayyyyy too expensive, and if it costs this much why are there not gold flakes in it” club, so take from that what you will. It’s good, but not an explosion of awesome. So yay pumpkin spice! It tastes trés bon, but it’s a tad overrated.