If leaving home before sunrise wasn’t enough of an indication that the best days of summer are far behind me, my friends at Green Mountain have decimated any lingering delusions I may have had.  When Green Mountain breaks out their limited edition Pumpkin Spice K-Cups, you pretty much know it’s just about time to put away the mower and get out the rake; Autumn is upon us.

This will be my 3rd Green Mountain season of the K-Cup Challenge.  I just managed to sneak in a review of Winter’s French Toast.  I passed on Spring’s Island Coconut to Let someone who actually likes coconut have a crack it.  And just a couple months ago (if not less) I reviewed both of the alliterative Summer blends; Raspberry Rhapsody and Summer Symphony.  The Autumn flavors are, of course, Pumpkin Spice (the subject of this review), and Autumn Harvest (which I don’t have yet, but promise to review before the season is over).

I’m obviously an idiot, because each and every time I review a flavored coffee I preface it by saying “I don’t like flavored coffee”, and then quickly follow up by telling you “but, I really like this flavored coffee”.  I am, such an idiot in fact that this time I’m going to tell you that, not only do I not like flavored coffee; I don’t really like pumpkin pie either.  So now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, please allow me the next several paragraphs to once again contradict myself.

The Description

A delicious coffee enhanced by the creamy pumpkin spice flavors of autumn.

The Aroma

A couple of years ago my buddies from work and I decided that we could all use a break from our families on Thanksgiving.  So each and every one of us completely blew off our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. and had Thanksgiving dinner together.  Yeah, I know we’re all horrible people.  Anyway, the other Tony, he made a sweet smelling pumpkin pie, which I didn’t eat so much of a bite of (because I don’t like pumpkin pie), and besides he also made apple pie, and that’s much more my speed, but I digress.

The point of this is, although I didn’t eat the pie myself, everyone else did, and they all pretty much enjoyed it and said it may have been the best they’ve ever had.  My only recollection of that pie is that is smelled pretty much exactly how this Pumpkin Spice coffee smells.  So although I have no personal experience in the matter, what others have told me leads me to believe this coffee smells like really good pumpkin pie.  Also, cinnamon.

Oh, incidentally, I can’t recommend enough ditching your family on Thanksgiving.  Quite frankly it was the best Thanksgiving I ever had, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Drinking it Black

Drinking it in it actually tastes like coffee, but the spice flavor sets in quickly, followed by what I consider to be classic pumpkin pie flavor.  It is that pie flavor that lingers, leaving you feeling more like you just finished your Thanksgiving dessert than you just had a sip of coffee.

Green Mountain’s Pumpkin Spice is sweet, but not so sweet as to be unpleasant, or un-coffee-like, although we’re a long ways a way from a traditional coffee experience.  I probably wouldn’t have put cream and sugar in it, but since my rules call for them, in they went.

With Cream and Sugar

I thought adding cream and sugar would be massive overkill.  Like I said, not 3 sentences ago, there’s enough sweetness in the blend where I didn’t think it was necessary, but…  When the two are added, Green Mountain’s Pumpkin Spice tastes frighteningly like Thanksgiving dessert in a cup.

If you like pumpkin pie, you really need to try this one.  The rendition of flavors is uncanny (up there with their French Toast flavored variety).  I would have bet against it (as is the case with most flavored coffees), but I’m very impressed with this one.  It is what it’s supposed to be, without going over the top, or tasting artificial.

Final Thoughts

So once again, despite not liking flavored coffee, and not even liking the primary flavor of said coffee, I find myself actually liking a flavored coffee (got that?).  While pumpkin pie is never my first choice for dessert (get your gourd out of my damn pie), this actually tastes really good.  What I really like, however, is how it triggered my memory of the best Thanksgiving ever (granted it was only two years ago, but it still counts).

Like I said, if you like pumpkin pie, you really need to give this K-Cup a try.  Green Mountain has done a masterful job of creating an interesting pie-in-a-cup experience.  They’ve done it so well, in fact, I’m wondering what they’ve got in a lemon meringue or maybe a cherry?

Act quickly!  Like all Green Mountain seasonal coffees, Pumpkin Spice won’t be around long.

Pumpkin Spice

Keurig B70 Home Brewer

In addition to a getting yourself a great cup of coffee (24 of them actually), You can Save $2 on Every Box of Green Mountain Coffee when you join their Café EXPRESS program.

While you’re here, check out the growing list of reviews in the K-Cup Challenge.