As a former barista, I understand the craze when it comes to pumpkin spice lattes. When fall hits, lines are out the door with people rushing to try the new seasonal flavors.
Before eggnog and peppermint lattes take over the shops, here’s a review of pumpkin spice lattes around campus.
I ordered a medium at every shop I went to, which was always 16 ounces. Shots either numbered at two or three depending on the shop. Because of the season I got every drink hot, not iced.
Dynamo Coffee Roasting
5/5 stars
Price: $6.76
Espresso: “Stargazing Espresso” — Sumatra, Mexico, Ethiopia
Not only was I presented with a beautiful swan swimming atop a lake of pumpkin spice, but I was also greeted with the most perfect amount of cream on top. Everything in this drink was balanced.
The sugar syrup at the bottom was mixed into the milk, leaving no plain taste. I wasn’t overloaded with pumpkin spice, leaving room to appreciate the smoky, dark chocolate undertones of the espresso.
Dynamo Coffee Roasting is worth the 15-minute drive from campus.
They are open every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. except Tuesday; the shop is closed all day.
Wayfinder Coffee
4.5/5 stars
Price: $7.84
Espresso: “Trailblazer’s Espresso Blend” — Brazil, Columbia, Ethiopia
This shop pulls doubles for their lattes, making the espresso flavoring a little more mild. I’d argue this is for the better because the ratio was perfect.
You can taste the undertones of dark chocolate in this drink, which pairs well with the pumpkin spice flavoring. The spice on top wasn’t overpowering, but well balanced and comfortable to sip on without hacking on powder.
Wayfinder Coffee is a 15-minute drive from campus.
They are open Monday through Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Thursday and Friday they are open until 9 p.m. On the weekends the hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Third Space Coffee
4/5 stars
Price: $8.12
Espresso: “Primavera” — Ethiopia & Brazil
Third Space Coffee’s pumpkin spice latte creates an even blend between coffee and sugar. The latte itself is well balanced. However, with the whipped cream, pumpkin spice drizzle and pumpkin spice toppings, the drink becomes a little sugar heavy.
This is a convenient option for students travel-wise, as it is only about an eight-minute drive from campus.
Third Space Coffee is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Building Three Coffee
4/5 stars
Price: $6.95
Espresso: “Long Cap” — Guatemala & Ethiopia
Instead of the traditional pumpkin spice latte, Building Three Coffee has their own sweet potato latte in its place. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the sweet potato latte tasted almost identical to pumpkin spice. The drink doesn’t come with toppings, just a refreshingly simple layer of thin steamed milk.
Building Three Coffee is less than 10 minutes away from campus.
Building Three Coffee is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but closed on Sundays.
Kairos Coffee House
2.5/5 stars
Price: $7.03
Espresso: “Sweater Weather” — In-house blend
The latte wasn’t bad; however, it didn’t taste like much. It had a soft, creamy texture, but there wasn’t anything too crazy about the espresso. I wasn’t getting any hints of a nutty or spiced flavor, just bitterness.
Kairos Coffee is the closest to UCCS, only being a seven-minute drive.
Kairos is open from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday they open later at 9 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. They are closed on Sundays.
Editor’s note: Noah March used to work for Third Space Coffee