Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice: An Honest PSL Review
Photo Credit Pinterest Image
By: Georgia Matlack
The shift of leaves from green to red, orange, and brown signifies the arrival of the exciting season, fall. The men are in their happiest state because the change in temperature means it's officially football season. For women, fall is all about slipping on their uggs boots and comfy sweaters. One fall staple that both men and women cherish and enjoy, is the holy grail of holiday drinks, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. To help you find your favorite PSL, I will be providing you with honest reviews from our more popular coffee places such as; Starbucks, Braums, Dunkin Donuts, Dutch Bros, and Mojos. I will take into consideration the strength of coffee, sweetness, consistency (smoothness, grit, thickness), and spicy flavor. I will rate these aspects 1-5. The overall score (Cozy Sweaters) is scaled from 1-10. Disclaimer: I got each latte iced because of personal preference.
Starbucks: 9/10 Cozy Sweaters
One sip of a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks will simply teleport you into your basic white girl era. I appreciated the consistency of the Starbucks drink. It's very smooth. The coffees strength and sweetness are balanced, it's not too sweet or bitter. You can taste a burst of pumpkin flavor in this latte. I can always tell if my coffee is going to be quality by the color of the coffee. When I was handed this latte, I knew it was going to be delicious, because of the light brown coloring. Starbucks has never failed me, and you can never go wrong when ordering their famous PSL.
Strength of coffee: 3.5
Sweetness: 4
Consistency: 5 (smooth)
Spiciness: 4
Braums: 2/10 Cozy Sweaters
When I discovered that Braums sells a pumpkin spice latte, I was struck with curiosity and could not wait to give it an honest review. Although, when taking the first sip, disappointment fell over me. One sip of this drink made my taste buds want to jump off and run away. I would argue that their Pumpkin Spice is the worst beverage I have ever consumed. The iced coffee was warm and did not taste edible. I didn't taste any pumpkin spice. The consistency was watery, and it has no distinct pumpkin flavor. This latte reminded me of a cleaning product found under the sink in my kitchen. Out of respect for the Braums’ franchise, I added two points to their overall score, which is a solid 2/10. I would recommend sticking with Braums’ ice cream, rather than the coffee.
Strength of coffee: 0 (Was this even a real coffee?)
Sweetness: 2
Consistency: 1 (dishwater)
Spiciness: 0
Dunkin Donuts: 5/10 Cozy Sweaters
This drink was simply, mid. I have never been able to enjoy Dunkins’ coffee because their coffee tastes burnt in my opinion. This PSL wasn't horrible, but not tasty by any means. There was too much milk and too much sweetener. There is a strong essence of pumpkin in this drink, but it is not pleasant. I would not recommend this to a friend.
Strength of coffee: 3
Sweetness: 5
Consistency: 1 (thin)
Spiciness: 4
Dutch Bros: 4/10 Cozy Sweaters
In all honesty, I was not looking forward to going to dutch bros, because I always feel bombarded by the overly enthusiastic people who take my order. Although the woman who made my coffee was very chill and I had an overall pleasantly calm experience while ordering the PSL. The drink itself… not so pleasant. It had a horrible watery consistency and no recognizable flavor. The coffee itself was not strong, it was way too sweet. If you drive past their Jenks location, I recommend driving across the street instead, to Starbucks.
Strength of coffee: 2
Sweetness: 4
Consistency: 0 (literally so bad; watery)
Spiciness: 3.7
Mojos: 10/10 Cozy Sweaters
Drinking Mojo’s coffee gave me the feeling of a long warm hug. I was overjoyed to finally taste-test a coffee that meets my standards. The strength of the coffee in this drink was much stronger, so I would recommend this to a sophisticated coffee drinker. This drink had the perfect coffee-to-sweetness ratio and just the perfect hint of pumpkin spice. The PSL from Mojo’s is quality, and I'd highly recommend it.
Strength of coffee: 5
Sweetness: 4
Consistency: 4 (slightly gritty, but it didn’t bother me at all)
Spiciness: 3
My initial goal before completing my reviews was to find a cheaper, less typical alternative to Starbucks. While Mojo’s is less expensive than Starbucks, it still costs five dollars and twenty-five cents, which is still pricey. After testing out some less expensive options, I have come to the realization you get what you pay for when it comes to pumpkin spice lattes. When considering buying your next PSL, allow this to guide you to make an educated choice.