EXCLUSIVE: The world goes made for Starbucks’ iconic PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Latte) range everywhere, and our in-house ‘I like my coffee to taste like coffee’ expert Adam Cailler (and his wife) tried it out
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It’s PSL season, and the world has already gone crazy for it. For those who don’t know, PSL is modern-day code for the Pumpkin Spice Latte range at Starbucks.
Now, full disclosure, I’ve never been in love with the range like many, many others. To me, I like to be able to taste the coffee – not the overpowering additions.
However, the good folks at Starbucks were willing to attempt to change my mind and allowed me to try some of the drinks from the new range. There is also a food range available, although not much of it was there to choose from when I visited my local branch.
The full drinks range includes:
- Pumpkin Spice Late
- Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
- Pumpkin Spice Caramel Macchiato (new)
- Iced Pumpkin Spice Caramel Macchiato (new)
So off my wife and I went to the Starbucks at Manchester’s Trafford Centre, and we got ourselves the Frappuccino and the new Iced Macciato.
My better half has always been a fully paid-up member of the PSL fan club, so for her the return of the autumn drinks legend was a welcome one.
She enjoyed her drink, which was the frappuccino version of the original, and assured me it tastes just as it should and how it always has – which didn’t fill me with confidence.
Now it was my turn, although at this point I’d noticed that everyone around me was also enjoying something from the PSL range . . . it clearly undoubtedly popular.
As soon as I took a sniff of my drink, the PSL flavouring hit me. It’s still there, and it’s still very autumnal.
This followed through in the first sip, although with the new iced caramel version, there is a new sensation of sweetness that the PSL doesn’t normally have.
Sadly, that quickly went away before the overpowering floweryness of the PSL flavouring smacked me in the face as it has done every year – and it was like I’d had my face forcibly shoved in a box that says “everything Halloweeny is in here, approach with caution”.
The coffee flavour basically didn’t exist, as it had been overtaken by everything else.
Look, I get it, the PSL range is a phenomena that sends the world into chaos. But it’s just not something that I can get to grips with.
My wife, however, loves it – so I guess the market for it is still there.
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