Fall Flavor Test: Coffee Edition

By: Hannah Mitchell Commentary Editor

The first day of fall may be September 22, but fall seems to begin as soon as the large coffee chains launch their seasonal flavors. In the past two weeks, I've had some time to try these drinks, and I'm here to give you the best recommendations to treat your taste buds this season. Whether you need a stronger sip or have a super sweet tooth, I have a drink for you to try!

When it comes to fall, drinks are what excite people. Who doesn't like a new variety of drinks to try on their everyday coffee runs? I’m going to give you my take on some of the fall feature favorites from Starbucks and Dunkin’.

First up, let's discuss the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks. This seems to be a fan favorite that coffee lovers look forward to. I would say this drink closely competes with the Pumpkin Spice Latte. The base is your average cold brew but sweetened with vanilla syrup and topped with the key ingredient… pumpkin cream cold foam. This stuff is the most perfect addition to any coffee. It's sweet and has a fluffy texture while being dusted with pumpkin spice topping. It falls into the cold brew to adds the right amount of sweetness without being overbearing.

I asked University of St. Francis junior, Cheridan Matan, how she liked the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. She said, “The first sip of pumpkin spice this season tasted as if I was a kid again, jumping in a big pile of crisp, fall leaves.” If that statement doesn't make you want to try this drink, I don't know what will. If you need a basic but somewhat festive option look no further than the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. This drink receives an 8/10 for me due to its ideal balance of flavors.

Next up is a brand-new option from Dunkin.’ The Nutty Pumpkin iced coffee made its way to stardom when people all over TikTok raved about it. The Nutty Pumpkin combines flavors of creamy pumpkin with nutty hazelnut. If you have a sweet tooth but want something relatively simple and cheaper than Starbucks, the Nutty Pumpkin iced coffee is a really good choice for you. This drink would receive a 6.5/10 from me because of the way the ice changes its flavor once melted into the coffee–just make sure to drink it up before it’s watered down.

Looking for a dairy-free alternative to sip on?! This year, Starbucks relaunched their Apple Crisp Macchiato made with creamy oat milk, blonde espresso, apple, brown sugar and cinnamon flavors. Starbucks Beverage Developer, Harvey Rojas Mora, stated in a release for www.prevention. com, “The oat milk adds a creaminess and brings out the oat flavors in a traditional apple crisp topping.” In my opinion, try it if you are a fan of homemade treats. You will love it. This drink has enough sweetness to satisfy that sugar craving but also offers a satisfactory caffeine fix. My rating for the Apple Crisp Macchiato would have to be a 7/10.

At the end of the day, any of these three drinks are well worth the try if you’re looking to get into the fall spirit with a drink in hand. Just don't be spooked by the extra long drive-thru lines!