Review: Starbucks - Pumpkin Spice Latte

A perennial fall drink at Starbucks, the Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte is billed as "espresso, pumpkin, fall spices and milk over ice with sweetened whipped cream." The price for a 12-ounce "tall" is $3.75 (about a $1.10 premium over a regular latte!). It is also available hot for cold fall nights and as a Frappuccino... for hot fall days?

Update 10/4/10: I tried the regular hot Pumpkin Spice Latte this morning since it actually bore some resemblance to fall with a light drizzle and cloudy skies. Interestingly, it was colder inside the Starbucks than it was outside (it was around mid 60s outside). I have to say, I much prefer the hot version, it fits the season better and I could taste the pumpkin flavor better. It feels more like autumn... it's also very orange, which helps.

Just as a point of clarity, fall spices are nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Shouldn't Starbucks just call it pumpkin pie spice? Anyway, pumpkin is the flavor du jour every fall, especially at the coffee joints it seems and Starbucks is no exception.

As for taste, my Iced Pumpkin actually had a pleasant and fairly strong coffee flavor which is often missing with flavored coffee drinks. It's not as sticky sweet as the Toffee Mocha. It had hints of pumpkin but you might have to guess at it. It also had an orange pumpkin tint (food coloring?). Other than that, it was pretty creamy, especially when I stirred in all the whipped cream (Haha, calories and fat I know!).

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Nutritional Info - Tall Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte with 2% Milk and Whipped Cream (12oz)
Calories - 270 (from Fat - 100)
Fat - 11g (Saturated Fat - 7g)
Sodium - 135mg
Carbs - 35g (Sugar - 34g)
Protein - 8g