The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
The pumpkin spice latte — better known as the PSL — is a classic on fall menus at coffee shops and fast food chains in Canada.
So, I tried the seasonal brews at Tim Hortons, Starbucks and McDonald's, then rated and ranked them.
There's one latte that I won't order again, and it's probably not from the place you're expecting!
Earlier this year, Narcity asked Canadians to share which chain has the best fast food coffee in Canada and McDonald's, Tim Hortons and Starbucks were in the top five.
Now that these retailers have fall menus available in Canada, I wanted to try the classic seasonal offering from all three places.
I went to my local Tim Hortons, Starbucks and McDonald's locations and ordered on PSL at the drive-thru of each retailer.
I didn't do any substitutions or exclusions, like decaf espresso or no whipped cream, to ensure that the lattes were as similar as possible.
So, here's what I think of pumpkin spice lattes from Tim Hortons, Starbucks and McDonald's, along with price breakdowns, flavour ratings and a ranking from best to worst.
Tim Hortons
PSL from Tim Hortons.
With the PSL at Tim Hortons, it's made with Arabica espresso, steamed milk and pumpkin spice-flavoured syrup.
Then, the beverage is topped with whipped cream and sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and ginger.
There's a distinct fall spice aroma with the PSL from Tims.
It has a bit of pumpkin flavour, but there isn't really any of the fall spices like nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon.
The espresso isn't too strong, even without the other fall flavours to balance it out.
In my opinion, the PSL from Tim Hortons isn't bad, but it's definitely not as good as it could be.
But the fact that I don't think it tastes bad is actually surprising to me!
Price: $5.07 for a medium-sized PSL
Rating: 3 out of 5
Starbucks
Starbucks PSL.
With the PSL at Starbucks, there is a combination of Starbucks signature espresso, steamed milk, and pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg flavours.
Then, it's topped with whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spices.
This latte is incredibly smooth and creamy from the first sip.
It has a good balance of pumpkin flavour and the fall spices.
I really like the flavouring, but I can see how it might be too much for some people because there are a lot of flavours in just one cup.
With each sip, it gets tastier, in my opinion.
Also, I like that the espresso isn't bitter and isn't too strong that it overpowers the pumpkin pie flavours.
Even though this is the most expensive latte, I think it's worth the price.
Price: $6.38 for a tall-sized PSL
Rating: 4 out of 5
McDonald's
McDonald's McCafe PSL.
With the PSL at McDonald's, signature McCafé espresso is combined with milk that's steamed, frothed and sweetened with a pumpkin spice-flavoured syrup.
It has a cinnamon sugar topping.
This latte only having cinnamon sugar as a topping is a strike against it, in my opinion.
That's because the aroma and taste of the cinnamon are a bit overwhelming when not combined with other fall spices like nutmeg.
It doesn't have much pumpkin flavour, and the espresso is quite bitter.
So, I think it needs more pumpkin flavouring and other fall spices for the latte to have a balanced taste.
It's not undrinkable, which is why it doesn't get a zero rating, but it's not good like it should be. Also, it's not anywhere close to the PSLs from Starbucks and Tim Hortons.
Price: $4.08 for a medium
Rating: 1 out of 5
PSL RANKING
Tim Hortons, Starbucks and McDonald's McCafe PSL cups.
Now, here's my ranking of the PSLs from best to worst:
- Starbucks
- Tim Hortons
- McDonald's
Even though McDonald's has the cheapest PSL, that's not enough to bump up the rating or put it higher in the ranking.
I didn't expect McDonald's to come in last place in my ranking because the fast food chain's brewed coffee is really good.
When I tried fast food coffees earlier this year, it beat out Starbucks and Tim Hortons, so I thought this seasonal McCafe beverage would also be tasty.
I've tried the Starbucks PSL, and I knew I liked it, but I didn't realize just how much better it is than the other chains.
Surprisingly, I gave the PSL from Tim Hortons a rating so close to the one for Starbucks because I don't love Tims coffee.
After sipping on all three of these seasonal brews, I won't order the McDonald's PSL again.
But I'll definitely get a Starbucks PSL when the fall menu is available each year.
I might even add the PSL from Tim Hortons to my order when I go to Tims during the autumn season!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.