Ok y’all. It’s that time of year again. Evenings have begun falling. The trees are noticeably losing their leaves; cold damp sidewalks becoming decorated with warm hues of orange and red, temporarily combatting overcast skies. There’s a crispness in the air, forcing one to stubbornly retire jorts and tanks for cargos and heavy-knit sweaters. Folks are walking around with their thrifted, and fabulous, multi-colored scarves, with a warm beverage in hand. That’s right, it’s autumn, and the change of season signifies the predictable return of the pumpkin spice latte (PSL), meaning that I return to you with my third annual PSL review.
If you’ve been following along on this journey, then you already know we’ve covered a lot of ground in Capitol Hill and that finding the perfect pumpkin spice latte is no easy task. Seriously, they’re either all spice and no pumpkin or all pumpkin and no spice (except for the “great pumpkin latte” at Caffe Vita. Never change a thing. You’re perfect). However, my frustrations precede me… hopefully. With that, once again, I will be your guide and connoisseur this October, venturing into coffee shops to taste, of what I am slowly beginning to believe is an abomination of a latte, PSLs.
Wunderground is the first spot I will be reviewing. Just gonna say it, not a fan. The cafe feels like a sterile playground for tech bros with money to spend masquerading as a hip and artsy common space with overpriced supplements. As much as I want to like the fungal vibe, the balance between cold minimalism and gaudy embellishments is as unrefined as their coffee.
Official Wunderground PSL rating: two out of five pumpkins
I’m not gonna lie, I think I might just have beef with Wunderground and their weird mushroom coffee. Their “Brainchild” blend is what they serve in-house and differentiates itself from other coffee beans as it contains concentrations of Lion’s mane and Cordyceps. The blend is a medium roast with milk chocolate, graham cracker and apricot notes. With the mushrooms, I found it tasted abnormally earthy, and not in a good way for a blend you’d expect to be sweet. Personally, I am only a fan of espresso with a sweeter flavor profile when it’s done right, or has notes of caramel, vanilla, brown sugar or cherry paired with a dark, rich and nutty flavor.
When Brainchild is paired with their pumpkin spice, which I found to be underwhelming as they use Monin’s syrup, I was utterly disappointed. Maybe it’s the mushrooms or maybe it’s the artificial pumpkin, or both, but I do not recommend their PSL. Luckily, Wunderground is offering more than one seasonal drink that includes a banana bread latte, a maple spice iced latte and a pumpkin cold brew. Though I can’t guarantee I will be going back due to my great distaste for Brainchild.
Up next is Half and Half Doughnut Co. (HnH), a small doughnut shop off East Pike Street that was opened on the hill by Top Pot cofounder in 2019. The shop is small with a grab-and-go vibe, making it unassuming. Initially, HnH wasn’t even on my list of places to go. But something about it caught my eye as I walked by, so I figured, why not drop in? While I did not leave with a donut in hand, their pastry case offers a wide variety of sweet and savory rings and fritters, with the barista highlighting their seasonal pumpkin spice glazed old fashioneds.
Alas, we are not here to talk about donuts. To return to our objective, while I’ve found in the past two years that many coffee shops in Capitol Hill like to alter PSLs, HnH kept it simple. Like Wunderground, they also offer a classic PSL.
Official Half and Half Doughnut Co. PSL Rating: four out of five pumpkins
I appreciated the HnH PSL for its simplicity. Their pumpkin spice sauce is house-made with real pumpkin, sweetened with vanilla extract and includes the signature combination of what makes up pumpkin spice; cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Honestly, anytime somewhere goes out of the way to make any type of flavoring in-house, I’m usually halfway sold on it. As a barista who works at a cafe where all of our flavors are housemade (shoutout Volunteer Park Cafe and Pantry), I recognize the level of time and effort it takes to try and perfect a recipe, so kudos to HnH.
As far as the PSL itself, I found that it paired nicely with the espresso and was a satisfactory balance of pumpkin and spice. HnH serves Fulcrum coffee, specifically the “Queen City” blend which is a medium roast with hazelnut, macadamia and blackberry flavor notes. Overall, a solid PSL, but I think that the next time I return will be for one of their artisanal donuts.
Last but not least, Victrola Coffee Roasters will be our final destination. Down the street from HnH and also off of East Pike Street, Victrola has been on the hill since 2007 but in Seattle since 2000. Located in an old 1920s auto row building, this location possesses a nostalgia-like charm with exposed dull brick and wooden furniture. There is a considerable amount of seating and big windows that allow for a significant amount of natural light, making it a good spot to do homework.
Victrola offers a “pumpkin pie latte” (PPL), which is made with organic pumpkin spice, brown sugar and a blend of mulling spices; star anise, cinnamon, cassia chips, green cardamon, chopped ginger, Jamaican allspice, orange peel and cloves.
Official Victrola PPL Rating: four out of five pumpkins
In my humble opinion, I think that the typical take on pumpkin spice is to make it more spice-y than pumpkin-y, usually resulting in a flavor that makes one ask:where’s the pumpkin? So anytime I encounter a pumpkin-forward latte this time of year, I’ve found that I tend to gravitate toward it more being someone who prefers sweet over spicy. With that, the PPL was pumpkin-y to my liking and paired nicely with Victrola’s “Streamline Espresso,” a medium-dark roast with hazelnut, cocoa and blueberry flavor notes. I’ve actually already gone back for it a second time!
You may be asking, “Leila, why is Victrola’s PPL not five out of five pumpkins?” and to that I say, Caffe Vita’s “great pumpkin latte” will continue to reign supreme from last year. It’s the only five out of five pumpkins PSL I’ve tasted yet. It’s great for a reason, it’s like fall in a cup and they’ve simply perfected it. However, I hope that my review has inspired you to explore some spots on the hill you may have not ventured to yet and indulge in not only iconic but beloved fall flavors.
