Fall’s kick-off has (unofficially) become August 1st as the product boxes slowly shift towards the warm orange/red/yellows of the season. My inbox becomes a flurry of messages from stores letting me know what date they will start offering their various pumpkin-flavored items. After last year’s strong showing, I was looking forward to this year’s Dunkin’ pumpkin menu. The Nutty Pumpkin Coffee immediately caught my attention.

Starting with Dunkin’s Original Blend coffee, they add in a pumpkin spice swirl and hazelnut flavoring with a cream of your choice; you also can get it hot or iced. I was intrigued by the drink’s simplicity, especially compared to its cousin, the Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte. I generally dislike the pure pumpkin spice drinks as I find them thickly sweet. I like the flavor, but the sweetness is too much after about half.

Using the mobile ordering, I went for the iced version and oatmilk as my “cream.” Immediately, I was pleasantly surprised to not see that ring of flavoring that sometimes sinks to the bottom of Dunkin’ drinks. I still gave it a quick stir to make sure the components were mixed. With my first sip, I was greeted by a very smooth and delicious drink.

The blend of the coffee, pumpkin spice swirl, hazelnut flavor, and oatmilk offered the balanced fall beverage I had hoped for. During my mobile ordering, I noticed that the hazelnut is an unsweetened flavor, and I think that makes all the difference. The hazelnut added that nutty, earthy component I feel is often missing in pumpkin spice drinks. In this iteration, the pumpkin spice swirl still brought sweetness to the drink but didn’t overwhelm. The Original Blend Dunkin’ coffee adds the perfect amount of richness to the drink. The oatmilk also played a part in bringing down the overall sugariness, and it added that creamy deliciousness I look for in an iced coffee.

For me, Dunkin’ tends to be a bit of a wild card when it comes to its offerings, so having this drink being such an enjoyable experience was awesome. The Nutty Pumpkin Coffee was a pleasant surprise and a great kick-off to pumpkin spice season. It hits all the fall notes and gives me that autumn-in-a-cup experience that I enjoy while still wearing flip-flops and tank tops in 95-degree heat.

Purchased Price: $2.89
Size: Medium
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 260 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 38 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.