The Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte was officially launched in South Africa at the beginning of September. Since then, the response has been underwhelming, according to the baristas at the local Tygervalley branch. However, that did not deter us from wanting to try out the Autumn-inspired drink.
Their selection of pumpkin spiced drinks include the pumpkin spiced frappuccino and the pumpkin spiced latte, available as a hot or cold option. Since the weather was undecidedly Autumn-ish, I opted for the warm pumpkin spiced latte, and I was not disappointed.
Taste
The creamy, cinnamon flavour was reminiscent of a vanilla chai latte. It had a natural sweet taste that meant no added sugar was required. The pumpkin flavour was, however, not present. If it was there initially, the flavours of the nutmeg and cinnamon had completely overpowered it. The nutmeg was mixed into the milk which I thought was quite tasty, and after scraping off the cream, which was overtly covered in cinnamon powder, I got a hint of the pumpkin flavour. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but since it doesn’t have distinct pumpkin flavour, people might not buy it again.
I would still strongly recommend that you try it at least once. The warm spicey flavours is especially welcoming on a cold day. Although, I would recommend asking the barista to go easy on the cinnamon because it overpowers the other flavours significantly.
Presentation
There’s not much to say about the presentation since I had a takeaway, but I expected a little more effort with the presentation of the revered Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte. The cream was only placed in the middle and the cinnamon was not sprinkled over the top but strewn. However, I think this is heavily dependent on the time of the day and expertise of the barista.
Overall I would rate the Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte 7/10. I would definitely get one again.
Cost R36 (Tall)
Have you tried the Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte? Let us know in the comments below
