When fall begins, so do the sales of pumpkin spice lattes. The ultimate sign of “Fall is here!” Given that, I decided to put my taste buds to the test to find out the best pumpkin spice drink!

Comparing different coffee shops on their pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin related drinks. Which included: Starbucks, Jamba Juice, The Human Bean, Nano’s and Target pumpkin spice latte.

Target

Overall: 9/10

The winner! It’s easily accessible, cheap, and can make multiple cups--5 servings according to the carton.

Just simply walk into your local Target and the Tazo Pumpkin Spice Latte can be found in the coffee section. The carton came out to $3.29 and an additional $3.99 because of the oat milk. Coming to a total of $7.28. Although this price is a lot more expensive than buying a small pumpkin spice latte from a coffee shop, in the long run it’s cheaper and saves more money. Target is a worldwide chain company and can be found just about anywhere.

It’s very simple to make too. When I opened up the Tazo Pumpkin Spice Latte I got an instant whiff of the pumpkin spice smell. I poured about half syrup and half oat milk. It took me about one minute to prepare.

My expectations were pretty low after being disappointed with the other pumpkin spice lattes that I had tried. Then came time to taste it. As I took my first sip I was very surprised, it was really good! It was creamy, smooth, and there was a great balance between the oat milk and the syrup. The pumpkin spice taste was very present but it wasn’t too dominant so there was a perfect balance with subtle hints of cinnamon in every sip.

Not only was the taste great, but I also enjoyed that it can be made in the comfort of one's own home and the serving size is all up to you!

Very simple to make just add milk and the pumpkin spice latte, in addition it can be made hot or iced.

Overall, I’d give it a 10/10 on the taste, the only thing is that you don’t get the experience of going through a drive thru or going into a cute coffee shop. Regardless, this is my favorite that I reviewed because it had the richest taste in pumpkin spice which was what the other drinks lacked.

Starbucks

_{Overall: 7.6/10}

As Starbucks releases their pumpkin spice latte most start to feel like fall has finally begun! Starbucks is one of the most popular coffee places to get a pumpkin spice latte from: more specifically a world wide chain. Very easily accessible and one can go through the drive thru or simply walk into the store.
As I walked into Starbucks on a Wednesday afternoon I noticed that there weren’t many people inside. I was helped the first two minutes that I walked into the store. The store looked like your average Starbucks: clean, big menu, food items displayed, and the smell was filled with rich strong coffee with hints of sweetness. On top of that, the employees were super kind.
I ordered a tall iced pumpkin spice latte with oat milk and still decided to get the whipped cream. My total came out to $5.55. My expectations weren’t all that high since I had never tried a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.

After about three minutes of waiting my name was called and my drink was done. At first glance it was pretty appealing. It looked like a mixture between a frappuccino and a latte because of the whipped cream at the top.

As I smelled the latte it didn’t have a strong pumpkin smell. However, as I took a sip from it, I could instantly taste the pumpkin spice. It was very delicious. The taste was rich in pumpkin spice but lacked the taste of coffee. The whipped cream and the hints of nutmeg also kind of overpowered the coffee and made it slightly sweeter. I would rate the drink a 6/10, only because I would have preferred if there was a balance between the pumpkin spice and coffee taste.

In regards to the price I think it’s an alright price for coffee, especially given that it’s Starbucks. However, it wasn’t the cheapest that I reviewed and there are other places that have cheaper coffee. Given that it’s a worldwide chain the price is a little iffy to me but still affordable!

Overall, I think that Starbucks is one of the most accessible places to get coffee because it’s quick, easy, and there's plenty around town. They have a variety of non-dairy milks and make sure your drink is done in a reasonable time.

Nano's Coffee

^{Overall: 7.4/10}

Nano’s Coffee is a small business coffee drive thru. The menu is located on the left side to view before one pulls up to the window. However, because it’s so small when you drive up to the window you need to have an idea of what they want to order.

As I drove up to the window I was helped right away. There were only two employees working but they were super kind and patient.

I ordered a small iced pumpkin spice latte with oat milk. There’s an extra $0.50 charge when ordering non-dairy milk, so my coffee came out to a total of $4.75.

I received my drink in about five minutes after ordering it. The first thing I did was notice that the pumpkin spice was at the bottom of the coffee cup. The latte smelled more like a vanilla latte and didn’t really have a pumpkin smell.

When I took the first sip some of the pumpkin spice mix came up through the straw so that’s how I tasted a slight pumpkin like taste. However, it still lacked the pumpkin taste. That doesn’t go to say the coffee wasn’t good though. It was delicious actually, it definitely satisfied the rich coffee flavor!

The drink could have definitely had more of a pumpkin taste to it but it was still good. In comparison to Starbucks and Jamba Juice the price was very reasonable and affordable especially given that it’s a small business. The coffee shop is located at a convenient spot: the Golden Hill Carwash.

I think if the pumpkin spice latte had a stronger pumpkin taste it would have been my number one choice for this review. Especially since I’d be supporting a small business and the coffee is rich in flavor. However, this falls in a close third.

The Human Bean

_{Overall: 6/10}

The Human Bean is a drive thru coffee shop that had just opened up about a five minute drive from town. So I decided why not give it a try!

As I was driving into the drive thru there were no cars in front of me. The drive thru is quite small but it wasn’t an issue. I noticed that there’s also a window for people to order at, if they don’t want to go through the drive thru.

I was helped right away by the employees and when I asked if they could give me a minute they were happy too. They were also very patient when I had questions about their items.

The menu had many items to choose from but I had come for one thing only: a pumpkin spice latte! I ended up ordering a small pumpkin spice latte with oat milk. As I pulled up to the window my total came out to $4.25 and waited about four minutes until I received my drink.

At first glance the drink looked appealing because of the chocolate covered espresso bean at the top of the lid. When I smelled the latte it smelled like a regular iced latte.

Before taking my first sip I was expecting a rich pumpkin flavor but got left disappointed. The coffee just tasted like an average iced latte and seemed like it was watered down. It didn’t really have a rich coffee taste either.

Some positive things about The Human Bean is that the look of the coffee cup was cute but it still didn’t satisfy the taste. The location of the coffee shop is also easily accessible and really easy to find. It’s also the cheapest compared to the other coffee shops I visited.

Overall, I would rate it a 4/10 on the taste. The coffee was reasonably priced but I still didn’t satisfy the taste of the coffee: it lacked the pumpkin and coffee flavor.

Jamba Juice

_{Overall: 5.8/10}

As soon as I walked into Jamba Juice I saw the sign advertising the Pumpkin Smash. I was greeted by the workers and I ordered in the first minute that I arrived because there was no line.

The environment was great. The place was kept clean and the menu was clear enough to see. The workers were kind and helpful.

I ordered a small plant-based pumpkin smash. I was a little shocked when my total came out to $6.69. However, I did appreciate that they had an option between the classic and plant-based drink. My expectations were pretty low because I was unsure what to expect, given that it was a pumpkin smoothie.

The wait time was about six minutes. At first glance it looked like pumpkin puree in a cup. The smell was slightly strong. As I took a sip from the drink there was a perfect balance between the pumpkin taste and the oat milk. The drink was creamy, not too thick, and smooth. I think the oat milk definitely helped balance the pumpkin taste, I enjoyed how it wasn’t too overpowering as well.

The downside to Jamba Juice is that it lacks convenience because there’s only one in town and they don’t typically have a drive thru option. The wait time is usually pretty long and it can be pretty pricey for a small drink.

I did enjoy the mystery behind the drink at first. Since it was my first pumpkin smoothie to try there was a sort of a thrill.

Overall I’d rate the drink a 5/10, I did enjoy it but it wasn’t my favorite.