As fall approaches, the one drink coffee lovers can constantly count on is the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL). The Torch decided to taste test PSLs from around Sarasota. From McDonald’s to Trader Joe’s, four Torch staffers —tenth-graders Elizabeth Hopkins and Ryan Wasserman, eleventh-grader Melissa Santoyo, and twelfth-grader Riley Board —tried four different kinds to determine their favorites with a blind taste test.
First up was the Dunkin Donuts PSL. Each staffer was asked to describe the smell, appearance, taste, and the franchise.
Initial impressions:
Riley: “It’s kind of spicy.”
Elizabeth: “There are notes of clove,” [heavily sniffing] “Oh and cinnamon; the pumpkin scent isn’t really coming through.”
Ryan: “I’m not getting any of the coffee here — it’s just spice.”
Riley: “Some places have dye to make it orange so I appreciate that this is brown, suggesting it does not have dye in it.”
Elizabeth: “I agree it looks fairly natural, kind of like chocolate milk.”
Melissa: “Looks like the regular coffee my mom makes me.”
Ryan: “Looks like the kind of coffee weak people drink; strong people drink black coffee.”
How does it taste?
Riley: “Unpleasant — I mean it kind of just tastes like bad coffee. Not like pumpkin or spice at all.”
Elizabeth: “There is a weird bitter after taste. It’s super sweet at first though.”
Melissa: “I don’t really like it. There are too many spices.”
Ryan: [long rant about watermelons]
Elizabeth was not impressed.
Where do you think it’s from?
Riley: Dunkin Donuts.
Elizabeth: McDonald’s.
Melissa: Dunkin Donuts.
Ryan: Trader Joe’s.
Next up was the Panera PSL.
Initial impressions:
Riley: “It smells a lot sweeter than the last one.”
Elizabeth: “It’s so sweet, there’s like weird particles in mine. It looks very oily.”
Melissa: “It doesn’t have the same distinctive smell the other one did.”
Ryan: “I think my nose is broken; it smells like dust in the wind.”
Riley: “It’s a lot whiter than the other one.”
Elizabeth: “Very, very orange — looks like a butternut burnt orange color.” [Riley: “Those are some beautiful adjectives.”]
Melissa: “I see the oil — not going to lie — but other than that it looks like regular coffee.”
Ryan: “It looks like I don’t want to drink it.”
How does it taste?
The Torch staff examines each cup carefully.
Riley: “It’s very sweet but doesn’t have much of a taste.”
Elizabeth: “I don’t like it, milky coffee pretty much.”
Melissa: “I like it probably because I can’t taste the pumpkin in it.”
Ryan: “What it lacks in smell, it makes up for in sugar; this is the coffee you get when you are pouring in sugar and you stop to make conversation.”
Where do you think it’s from?
Riley: McDonald’s.
Elizabeth: Trader Joe’s.
Melissa: Trader Joe’s.
Ryan: Dunkin Donuts.
Following it up was the McDonald’s PSL.
Initial impressions:
Riley: “Smells way sweeter and way spicier.”
Elizabeth: “Smells like pumpkin pie.”
Ryan: “Smells like pumpkin pie.” [Elizabeth: “Stop copying me.”]
Riley: “Very creamy and thick.”
Elizabeth: “Yeah, a lot heavier looking and almost yellow looking — very dense.”
Melissa: “Looks more burnt and very frothy.”
Ryan: “Dawn makes orange dishwashing detergent; I feel like this is what you would get if you put it in your coffee.”
How does it taste?
Riley: “I already drank all of mine. It’s very different from the others almost like milk and sugar.”
Elizabeth: “This one is the worst — it’s so bad, it’s so gross, it’s like a melted pumpkin pie milk shake and I hate it.”
Melissa: “I love this one, 10/10!”
Melissa gives this coffee a 10/10!
Ryan: “This is terrible.”
Where do you think it’s from?
Riley: Panera.
Elizabeth: Panera.
Melissa: Panera.
Ryan: McDonald’s.
Last but not least came the Trader Joe’s PSL.
Initial impressions:
Riley: “Actually smells like pumpkin.”
Elizabeth: “Its very strong and spicy smelling.”
Melissa: “Definitely the strongest one.”
Ryan: “I mentioned the other one may have had dishwashing detergent in it. I am fairly certain its actually this one.”
Riley: “Looks super thick and orange.”
Elizabeth: “Its very frothy and orange, darker than the other ones.”
Melissa: “This is way more orange. I’m not a fan of the way it looks.”
Ryan: “This is the color you get when a radioactive experiment goes wrong, 10/10 for them being innovative, but they messed it up really badly.”
How does it taste?
Riley: “This is incredibly unpleasant.”
The staff is thoroughly unimpressed.
Elizabeth: [spits it out] “I changed my mind this one is actually the worst one.”
Melissa: “It’s literally almond milk.”
Ryan: “Okay, I must agree with them this one is unlimitedly terrible.”
Where do you think it’s from?
Riley: Trader Joe’s
Elizabeth: Trader Joe’s
Melissa: Trader Joe’s
Ryan: Starbucks (which was not an option)
Despite the hype of PSLs around fall, the Torch staff was unimpressed with almost all of the drink options. The crowd favorite was McDonald’s and the Trader Joe’s PSL was voted the worst by far.