The reality of being a Starbucks barista is waiting all year long to get unlimited amounts of your favorite fall drink. Did I get sick of it after a week? Yes. But that’s not what we’re focusing on. I used my free drink privilege to review each and every one of the new fall flavors Marx Library’s Starbucks has on their menu this year. Disclaimer: I only tried the cold drinks because it’s still 80 degrees outside.

I’m starting off with my personal favorite, and the one I’ve been desperately waiting for: the iced pumpkin cream chai. The sweetness of the pumpkin cold foam is my saving grace every time I clock in. Although I’m not the biggest fan of Starbucks’ chai and typically opt for a matcha, the pumpkin cold foam can make pretty much anything delicious, bringing me to my next drink, the pumpkin cream cold brew.

I’ll say it upfront: I don’t like cold brew. Although it does have a really nice, smooth texture, I much prefer espresso to cold brew. Cold brew just doesn’t have the richness of espresso and tends to lean watery. I will say, the pumpkin foam definitely made me consider finishing my drink, but I just was not strong enough.

Next up was the classic pumpkin spice latte, notorious for its popularity and basic-ness. Unfortunately, I think this was my least favorite drink that I tried. It doesn’t have the “fall” taste most of the other drinks tend to have, and it tastes almost burnt, in my opinion. I have heard that the hot version is a bit better, and it has also been recommended to mix it with other flavors, such as white mocha. Most of the people I’ve spoken to, from coworkers to customers, surprisingly don’t like this drink. I find that customers order it very rarely compared to others like the pumpkin chai and my next taste, the apple crisp iced shaken espresso.

The apple crisp shaken espresso, in my opinion, should be the go-to for a drink with a “fall” taste. The apple brown sugar syrup was the perfect sweetness when combined with the acidity of the blonde espresso. I’m typically not a huge fan of apple flavors, but I was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, it can’t be served hot, so I understand why it may not be great for when it gets a bit colder.

The apple crisp oat milk macchiato is somewhat of a step-down from the shaken espresso, although I’ve never been a big fan of the macchiatos, so I may be a bit biased. The apple drizzle is delicious, though, and I think it would go really well in the shaken espresso or another drink with the apple crisp. I do definitely also see the appeal in a hot apple crisp macchiato. If you like a sweeter drink (like me), the macchiatos get one less pump of syrup than other drinks, and it may taste better if you line the cup with the apple drizzle or add extra syrup!

Finally is the non-dairy apple crisp chai, which I had very mixed feelings about. I think my biggest issue with the drink is the non-dairy cold foam, which doesn’t foam as well as the typical sweet cream, and tastes somewhat chalky in my opinion. I think the apple brown sugar syrup would be better in the drink rather than just the sweet cream, but it is still a pretty solid fall drink. Ultimately, I enjoyed the majority of the fall drinks at Starbucks. The fall menu will start to fade out in early November, so if you enjoy pumpkin or apple flavored things, be sure to stop by and visit the Marx Library or Shelby Hall locations to get your caffeine fix!