Reviewing Williamsburg’s pumpkin spices
By: Dana Armstrong
For weeks and weeks, we suffered through the sweltering swamp of Williamsburg Summer. We fought our way through humidity, braved the sudden rains without umbrellas, and even fled from a hurricane. It was quite the battle, but now we have officially made it to Fall. Bring on the changing leaves, layers of clothes, and pumpkin pandemonium—or maybe more specifically, the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
For years, I waltzed through my life, fully aware of the millennial flavor of the season. However, I never felt the urge to indulge in it. Pumpkin spice was reserved for my annual Thanksgiving slice of pumpkin pie, and I was perfectly content with its singular existence. But what’s the saying? Curiosity killed the cat?
Well, then, I guess it got the best of me, too. Condensed into a few days, I tried all the pumpkin spice products that my college student budget and the variety of Food Lion, Wawa, and on-campus amenities had to offer. Let’s just say I think I have had enough pumpkin spice to last me a lifetime.
Coffee Crazy
To start off my pumpkin spice adventure, it only seemed fitting to try the drink that started it all: Starbucks’s Pumpkin Spice Latte. I trekked over to the ISC’s Starbucks and ordered a grande. At that moment, waiting for my PSL, I felt weirdly vulnerable. Did anyone hear what I ordered? Were the people around me already reducing me to the “basic white girl” stereotype?
As soon as I received my order, I briskly walked out. Thankfully, the tell-tale PSL was not scrawled on the cup, so I anonymously escaped into Swem to begin my taste test. \
Its scent was earthy, cinnamony, and dangerously inviting. I raised the cup to my lips and let the latte flood my mouth. My initial impression was that it was not as sickly sweet as I expected it to be. All of its components were complimentary: the familiar espresso, the creamy milky base, the slight cinnamon afternote, and the mellow sweetness. As I continued to sip, the taste seemed to evolve. The spice dominated the start, the coffee strengthened in the center, and the sweetness settled at the end.
Honestly, I couldn’t really identify the pumpkin in the latte, but it did not seem to detract from the experience. Overall, it was good! I’m not sure I completely understand all the hype surrounding it, but I appreciated the cozy feeling it provided.
Next, curious to see if it would be any different, I bought myself a bottled PSL at Marketplace. I immediately noticed how much more concentrated the scent and flavors were. Whereas cinnamon dominated the freshly made PSL, the bottled version seemed to have a more well-rounded blend of nutmeg and cloves along with the cinnamon. The coffee flavor also seemed more distinct, and I felt like I could actually taste the pumpkin.
The bottled version was definitely far less creamy than the fresh version, but it ultimately offered a more consistent flavor over the course of drinking it. I feel kind of guilty choosing the manufactured over the fresh, but when also taking into account the cheaper price point, the bottled PSL prevailed.
My final coffee was Wawa’s self-serve pumpkin spice coffee. At only $1.50, it ranked at the top of my list. As the last PSL product I tried in this taste test, I may be swayed by the fact that my taste buds were tired of the same pumpkin spice coffee flavor, but I liked this one because it tasted so different and so straightforward.
It was creamy, milky goodness with just the right punch of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. I did not really taste the coffee, but surprisingly, I did not especially miss the coffee flavor. This was a pumpkin spice drink through and through, and I really appreciated it because of its simplicity. Perhaps the coffee flavor overcomplicates the drink too much? Whatever the reason, good job, Wawa!
A Couple Novelties
After hearing about some of the weird foods getting in on the pumpkin spice trend (pumpkin spice marshmallows and Cheerios, anyone), I decided to stroll through the aisles of Food Lion to see what I could find. My search came up somewhat short with only two products, but honestly, it was probably better for my poor pumpkin spice-stained soul.
The first was a no-name brand pumpkin spice Greek yogurt. I had low expectations for this snack, but it tasted surprisingly great. It had a pleasant level of creaminess, sweetness, and tang at the beginning that transitioned into a soft flavor of pumpkin and spice. The spiciness mellowed out as I continued to eat it, but I quite enjoyed the flavor. I don’t feel the immediate need to go out and purchase it again, but for the flavored Greek yogurt fans of W&M, I would definitely recommend giving it a taste yourself.
The Tastykake pumpkin spice donuts were next, and unfortunately, a bit disappointing. They certainly were not bad, but there was little separating it from tasting like an average powdered donut. Although it smelled strongly of cinnamon, the actual flavor of cinnamon was virtually non-existent. They looked nice, they smelled nice, they tasted okay, but your money would be better spent investing in a standard powdered donut.
Remorse and Results
What surprised me the most as I ate and drank all of these pumpkin-spiced goodies were the numbers on the nutritional information. While I do love sugary foods and drinks from time to time, I also like to try to keep an eye on my health. Therefore, my guilt skyrocketed as I realized the amount of sugar I had just ingested. The grande PSL had 48 grams of sugar, the bottled 42g, the yogurt 17g, and four of the donuts a comparably low 14g.
To put it in perspective, a standard 16-ounce bottle of cola the same size as the Grande PSL has 52g of sugar (only 4g more). With all that sugar, I quickly accepted that the pumpkin spice wasn’t worth it. The only saving grace was the Wawa coffee that, according to its website, contains absolutely no sugar, calories, or fat. (I’m a little sketched out by that, but I guess it’s a win?)
With my pumpkin spice quest now at its close, I am confident that I have found the best product to enjoy whenever I am basking in the Autumnal atmosphere. I do not want to preach to you how to live your life or deprive you of the precious PSL you so desire, but from a taste, price, and health standpoint, Wawa is the way to go.
Admittedly, it may be a while before my taste buds are prepared to endure pumpkin spice again. I even find myself shying away from pumpkin spice-scented soap now. For better or for worse, I suppose I am one step further in being able to relate to my fellow millennials, and I have checked another box off of the Fall to-do list. Now, where is that pile of leaves for me to jump into?
Remor
*Note: Originally published in Dog Street Journal's October/November 2018 issue.
*Note: The article was republished due to website maintenance and grammatical issues. The original publication date is October 16th, 2018.
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