NESPRESSO PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE

Welcome to day 3 of Tag Sale Tastes’ Pumpkinpalooza 2020!

Today we’re going to curl up with a cup of Nespresso Pumpkin Spice Cake:

This blend is described as having a “wide range of spice notes, mainly defined by cloves, cinnamon and cardamom” with “sweet pumpkin flavor.”  Cardamom isn’t generally considered one of the pumpkin spices (which are a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice), but I’m game. The capsule is orange and shiny, like a magical pumpkin spice talisman:   

I was looking forward to my Pumpkin Spice Cake coffee.  After all, I like Nespresso’s other “baked goods” coffees — hazeltino muffin, caramel cookie, and vanilla custard pie — and I had great hopes for this one.  But pay attention to the “insider tip” — “With milk, the spice notes are softened for a sweeter and smoother coffee.”  What they really mean is that without milk, it is a nasty, in-your-face-brew. Maybe they should have left out the cardamom:But a generous splash of half and half, and for me a little sweetener, transformed it into a pleasant enough autumnal cup of Joe (although it ain’t no hazeltino muffin):Although Nespresso Pumpkin Spice Cake was interesting to try, and not half bad, I wouldn’t buy it again — not when I could have a cup of Caramel Cookie instead.

Rating:  3 pumpkins (out of 5)

PUMPKIN SPICE CHEERIOS

Welcome to day 2 of Tag Sale Tastes’ Pumpkinpalooza 2020!

Today I bring you Pumpkin Spice Cheerios:

This is a limited edition of the popular cereal.  The fat little pumpkin and cinnamon sticks hint at what’s in store for you:

Don’t worry if you find cereal kinda boring — there’s a Tic-Tac-‘O’ game on the back to keep you entertained.  Get four pumpkins in a row and you win!   Win what, you ask? Why, nothing.

No pumpkin in the ingredient list, but the key spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves — are there:

And here they are.  Notice the orange color of the cereal (from the annatto).  I need and appreciate the visual color cue — well played, Cheerios.

Look how cheery they are bobbing around in their milk bath:

These were surprisingly good.  Although I wouldn’t want to marry them, I would buy them again.  They had a noticeable and pleasant pumpkin spice flavor, a nice change of pace to herald the change of seasons.  Hi Ho Cheerio!

Rating:  5 pumpkins (out of 5)