It’s finally over—the summer finally came to an end and it’s now cozy weather time. I have been patiently waiting for sweater weather for what feels like eons. Summer in DC is just stupidly humid that unless I’m by a pool, I’d rather not endure it, please and thank you. While I appreciate summer for more daylight hours and fun activities, commuting in the sweltering sun is unpleasant. And even though the office is frigid thanks to the blaring AC, I don’t mind it at all. Much better than the alternative.
But that weather is now ended. The leaves now flush into a medley of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows as they begin to drift from their branches signaling that winter is coming. This means cooler temperatures and time to break out my Ugg boots and leggings and be what the youths call “a basic bitch.” But the “basic bitch” archetype is not complete without the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (PSL) and would you believe I’ve never had one until recently?
Nope! I’ve never tried a pumpkin spice latte until maybe three weeks ago (yet I write this blog post later because I am unfortunately the way that I am). Just not too much of a coffee drinker and honestly Starbucks is overpriced for meh coffee.
This post was actually an idea suggested by my boss and my motto when it comes to food is “try something once” so why the heck not? Here’s my completely honest (and not sponsored) opinion of my first PSL.
So, as I mentioned before, I’m not a big coffee drinker—I stick to tea but for what it’s worth the PSL doesn’t really taste much like coffee. I opted to have my PSL made with almond milk. I’ve stopped drinking milk for the most part and when I have regular milk now it’s so very rich and sweet. It’s quite terrible actually that my tolerance for sweetness is diminished to this extent. I’m disappointed in myself but nothing that can be done. Any who—yes, almond milk. It’s apparently healthier or something and I enjoy the taste.
Once done, I gently removed the white cap of my drink, so I could (obviously) take pictures of the foam latte art. Delicately dusted with cinnamon, it looked like a latte, nothing super special but in all honesty it’s Starbucks—the time it would take to make dainty hearts or flowers with milk is not cost effective due to the volume of customers the see on a daily basis. Nonetheless, there was milk foam, which was enough for me.
I put the cap back on and delicately took my first sip. As the warm pumpkin brew hit my lips, an overwhelming rush of sweetness came over me. Even with the almond milk this thing was super sweet. But, with the sweetness came a comforting sensation of the season—this drink tasted like fall. If you could put feelings like cozy, snuggly, and autumn into drink form, this is it. The cinnamon and pumpkin combination hyped me up for my favorite holiday (Thanksgiving WOO). Upon finishing the caffeinated beverage, I was ready for a nap. In the half hour it took me to drink the famed PSL, I felt as if I were doing so in front of a lit fireplace under a heavy blanket watching leaves rustle from a large window on a crisp day. But alas, I had to return to my office.
Final thoughts on the PSL—it was okay. As much as I enjoyed the fall flavors and comfy feeling in my tummy, the sweetness is overbearing for me. Would I get it again? Probably not. Am I glad I tried it? You bet. Now maybe I’ll try one of Starbucks’ holiday lattes and see if I get that same cozy feeling but more Christmas. Stay tuned :)
Comments