Every year, I anxiously await the day that Starbucks puts its beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte back on the menu. After all, Starbucks sums it up in their seasonal motto: “Fall is swell with PSL.”

However, it seems as if the other drinks get overshadowed by this spiced, frothy goodness. Starbucks annually releases other fall-themed drinks, such as the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato from 2021 or the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai in 2023, but the PSL always seems to grab the attention of customers.

Starbucks released three new drinks for Fall 2024: the Iced Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte, the Hot Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte and the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai. Hopefully, this year’s seasonal additions will not be forgotten. Starbucks brought out the rich, nutty flavors of autumn and I was pleasantly surprised.

Iced Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte: 8/10
I was skeptical of how this drink would taste at first, but the salty crunchiness of the pecans combined with the sweet blonde roast flavor was really enjoyable.

The coffee itself was a simple blonde roast, a blend of lightly roasted coffee beans. While I generally prefer a dark roast, the blonde roast was super light and was perfect for the drink in that it wasn’t too strong. Starbucks’s blonde roast also typically has a nutty flavor and this went well with the pecan theme.

To enhance the flavor, pecan syrup was added and pieces of pecan were sprinkled on top. I think the crunch and texture of the pecans brought out the flavor, enabling me to easily taste the pecan. An addition I would make is adding one to two pumps of caramel drizzle or syrup. This would complement the pecan flavor really well and overall enhance the latte.

As for the cold foam, I wasn’t a big fan. The cold foam was a simple sweetened nondairy vanilla. The vanilla flavor didn’t really present itself–Starbucks could’ve done more with it considering blonde roast and pecan are generally muted flavors.

Overall, this was the best drink in the new lineup.

Hot Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte: 5/10
To be honest, I was shocked at how much the temperature of this drink affected its taste. I was a little disappointed; after trying the cold version, I was expecting an equally delectable coffee. This latte didn’t quite rise to the expectation I was hoping for.

Once again, I really did like the coffee. The blonde roast was light and creamy. In fact, I thought the taste of the coffee itself was better hot. The coffee was thick and had warm, sweet notes. It didn’t taste overpowering or too acidic and the nutty flavor of the blonde roast really presented itself when warm.

Where the drink faltered was the pecan taste. I understand why Starbucks didn’t add the little pieces of pecan to the hot version, but I think they should’ve added something else instead to bring out the pecan flavor. On the first sip, it just tasted like a regular blonde roast coffee. I think adding three pumps of pecan syrup instead of two like the iced version could’ve easily solved this issue.

Unlike the iced version, I wouldn’t add any additional syrups or sauces. The flavors seemed a little less muted and I think adding caramel syrup would taste too sweet and heavy. I would simply add an extra pump or two of the pecan syrup to really bring that authentic flavor out.

I’m not sure why, but I was more aware of the oatmilk in this latte than in the iced version. Maybe it was because it was warm, but I thought it was really tasty–oatmilk is a lot creamier than dairy milk and has an oat-like flavor; it complemented the roast well. The oatmilk was a good choice for this drink, especially the hot version.

Overall, it was a decent drink, but the Hot Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte just needs to live up to its name.

Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai: 7.5/10
As someone who drinks homemade chai every single morning, I can proudly say that this is what flavored chai should taste like. In general, I’m not a fan of Starbucks’s Chai Tea Latte, so I knew my rating wouldn’t reach an eight or higher, but I was actually surprised at how yummy this drink was.

Chai is a black tea mixed with herbs and spices from India. The most common spices in chai are cloves, cardamom, cinnamon or ginger. All of these spices go extremely well with apples, so this drink had so much harmony between its individual flavors.

The spices were pretty subtle and didn’t quite overpower the apple flavor. I think Starbucks could bring the apple out a little bit more, but overall the taste was wonderful.

One thing I wasn’t a big fan of was the cold foam. The foam was a nondairy apple crisp cream. The flavor was enjoyable, but I feel like it got lost in the chai. The whole point of a cold foam is to add a noticeable touch of flavor to the drink, but this just didn’t do that for me. It was very muted and I would remove it from my order next time I get this drink.

Another thing I would add to this drink is a pump or two of Apple Brown Sugar Syrup. This syrup would complement the chai flavors really well and would solve the issue of not tasting the apple flavor enough.

Overall, this chai was delightful. Starbucks made the right choice adding it to the new seasonal drinks.

After trying the new fall lineup, I can confidently say that Starbucks didn’t give all of the attention to its favorite child, the PSL. The effort put into each drink showed and paid off.

“Fall is swell.”