Coffee franchises around the world are offering the well-loved, yet hated, pumpkin spice latte, as a staple for the fall season. Participating in this trend are places such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and of course, Starbucks Coffee. I reviewed these coffees on a ten point scale, ten being the highest and one being the lowest. The coffees were graded on appearance, smell, taste, weight and lastly, the aftertaste, and each category was worth two points. 

My first stop was Krispy Kreme. I ordered the pumpkin spiced latte, both iced and hot,  to compare. The appearance of both were the same; they had a nice color and were decorated with an immense amount of whipped cream and spices. The smell, on the other hand, was solely of vanilla with plenty of added spices. Both coffees also tasted only of vanilla and were super sweet. The sweetness in itself was a little overpowering.  Neither coffee was too heavy nor too light. The aftertaste of both did taste like pumpkin spice, but it was very subtle. I would rate Krispy Kreme’s Pumpkin spice lattes a 7.5 out of 10.

Next on the list: Dunkin’ Donuts. Just like Starbucks, Dunkin’ is notorious for their fall drinks. I ordered the pumpkin spice latte in both iced and hot coffee for a fair rating, just as I did with Krispy Kreme. The overall appearance of both drinks was stunning, though only the iced version had whipped cream. The smell was surprisingly accurate. It smelled strongly of pumpkin and added spices. The taste was perfect, the pumpkin wasn’t overpowering; it was just enough to let you know it was there. The weight was light, but I personally enjoyed that. The aftertaste, on the other hand, tasted like pumpkin with a hint of black coffee; that, in my opinion, is the only downfall of this drink. My conclusive rating for the Dunkin’ Donuts pumpkin spice latte is a 9 out of 10.

I also reviewed the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, Dunkin’s main competitor.  The appearance of the coffee was very appealing, but the taste wasn’t my favorite. Smell wise, Starbucks hit the nail on the head with the pumpkin scent. The taste was pretty bitter and could use more spice, but overall still tasted like pumpkin. The weight was, again, pretty light and not too overpowering. The aftertaste of the drink was good and did not leave a bad taste in my mouth. The only downfall of this drink is its lack of sweetness and spice. Overall, I rate this coffee a 9 out of 10, just as I did with Dunkin’s version due to their similarities.

I concluded that, if you’re looking for a high quality fall drink but for an affordable price, Dunkin’, by far, is the way to go.