Being that it’s nearly Christmas, it’s safe to say I’m a little late in reviewing an autumnal flavor. But according to the calendar, we still have about eleven more days of Fall, so better late than never! Starbucks released their annual Pumpkin Spice collection right around my birthday in late August, and the Pumpkin Spice parade is still going strong in mid-December. I still see Pumpkin Spice everywhere I turn – coffee, cakes, ice cream. Whatever it is, there’s probably a pumpkin spice version of it somewhere (and if there isn’t, they’re working on it).
My go-to order at Starbucks is always the Vanilla Sweet Cream Coldbrew (with a lil’ extra sweet cream, please). But when that special orange gourd shows up in the Fall, I make it a Pumpkin Cream Coldbrew – the PSL is a little too sweet for me, but the PCCB always hits the spot. The only issue: my wallet can’t handle spending $6 nearly every single day on a coffee – there’s gotta be a way to get a delicious pumpkin spice coffee at home, right?
Enter: the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice K-Cups. Finally, I can get my fix at home while still in my slippers and robe. Or so I thought.
Pumpkin Spice K-Cups – First Impressions
Normally, I don’t purchase the Starbucks K-Cups due to their price ($9.99 for 10 pods). If I find a more appealing flavor in a different brand at a lower price point, my loyalty is easily swayed. But Kroger worked their magic and had a buy-one, get-one free promotion for nearly all flavors of Starbies K-Cups. I figured why not – gimme the Pumpkin Spice and the Crème Brulee (yum).
Now, I don’t have any of the fancy equipment at home to make the classic drinks on the Starbucks menu – my creativity usually comes from the wide assortment of flavored creamers that I’ve collected over the weeks, and maybe a splash of milk or half-and-half if I have it in the fridge (which is rare).
So while I didn’t have the fancy equipment, I did have some French Vanilla creamer. I popped the pod into my coffee machine, set my mug underneath with a bit of creamer already at the bottom, and waited for my treat.
The smell was the first indication. It smelled as if a big basket of potpourri sprouted right in the middle of my kitchen. SUPER fragrant, and I remember hoping against hope that this somehow wouldn’t translate over to flavor. It did.
Y’all… I admit, I don’t like a super strong coffee. No, I never drink it black, but I don’t lug it down with too much sugar or sweetness. I do still genuinely enjoy the taste of coffee. But this… this does not taste like coffee. This tastes like diluted perfume.
I thought maybe one of the pods was bad or compromised, so I made another. Same result. It doesn’t matter how much creamer I add to this thing, it doesn’t matter the creamer flavor – this overwhelming aromatic monstrosity will still seep through.
Flavor Analysis
I’m shocked to see so many different reviews online, from Kroger to Amazon and everywhere else in between. While I am shocked to see the overwhelming number of positive reviews, I’m even more shocked at the variance in flavor. Some folks report a plain and pleasant pumpkin flavor (umm, where?) and some clearly experienced the same horrorshow I did – too artificial, too fragrant, too potpourri in a pod to even be edible. There are FAR more positive reviews than negative ones… so what gives? How is there such a variance in flavor?
According to Starbucks, this is their lightest roast with notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and they encourage a splash of cream and some sugar to make it reminiscent of the in-store PSL. In theory, my sweetened vanilla creamer ought to tick off both of those requirements, and yet the final product still came up short. Very short. If I had to dig deep in my analysis of these flavors, the first and overwhelming profile is pure bitterness. Perhaps my palate is more sensitive to bitter flavors, or perhaps this blend is a highly concentrated mess of burnt and acidic trash. I wanted so badly to like these Starbucks Pumpkin Spice K-Cups, but ugh. I can’t.
The Verdict
I am not anti-Starbucks. Ask my partner – we end up there more times during the week than is probably healthy. And I am certainly not anti-pumpkin spice. I think manufacturers have gone absolutely feral with making everything taste like pumpkin or pumpkin spice, but if that’s what makes people happy, then go for it. Eat all the pumpkin things.
I think my disappointment comes from the severe disconnect of in-store versus at-home results – it is not even close to the drink offered in stores; in fact, I can’t even name one thing similar about the two. Folks might be quick to say, “well, water quality is a big factor!”, “brew temperature is important!”, “you need a good quality coffee maker!”, “all you need to achieve in-store flavor is x, y, or z!”, and while those things may be accurate to some extent, they should not be necessary for a product to taste good, or hell, even edible in this case. Many folks opt for Starbucks products at home because they cannot afford the traditional Starbucks experience, or the additional tools to create the same flavor profile.
Flavor: 0/10 – no surprise here. This was truly abhorrent. Burnt, bitter, and too perfumey to be even remotely enjoyable.
Value: 4/10 – My rating here is based on my personal experience. Since this flavor was a BOGO promotion at my local Kroger, I’m not too upset at the price. I ultimately feel like I’m not out any money, but I do wish I had 20 pods of coffee to enjoy instead of 10 (because you best believe I threw these 10 goblins in the trash).
Fragrance: 2/10 – the fragrance itself isn’t terrible… although it would probably best be suited as a candle or air freshener. For the sake of coffee, however, this is about as concerning as it gets. If I walked into someone’s home and smelled this fragrance, I’d assume someone just left the bathroom and used a heavy-duty room spray. Woof.
Overall Score: 3/10 – and yet somehow, this still seems too high.
Do I recommend this product? No. I can’t say I do. Other flavors, sure. But the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice K-Cups are 100% never coming into my house again.
Have Y’all Tried This?
I am very interested to see what y’all think of this product. Maybe I’m being unnecessarily harsh and there’s something wrong with me and my palate (doubtful, of course!).
If you’ve had a good experience, share your process with me! If you’ve found other brands do Pumpkin Spice better than Starbucks, let me know what you recommend! Fall may be coming to an end, but my love for the orange gourd will carry on throughout the calendar months.
Until next time,
Megan
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