Season 2, Episode 13: Pop-Pop, it's corntime!

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Season 2, Episode 13: Pop-Pop, it's corntime!

I have the self awareness to know that I have probably have spoken enough about how important snacks are in my life. And even more than that, I have probably mentioned how much I love popcorn probably 20 times in the history of this blog.
I know.
BUT I’M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN ANYWAY. I love popcorn. It’s great. It is objectively delicious and comes in almost every flavor imaginable.


I love it so much that when I found out that two of my coworkers didn’t like popcorn last year, I reacted poorly and didn’t relent until they agreed to give it another chance.


ANYWAY, so when a friend of mine (Hi AA!) sent me a picture of some PSL popcorn, I knew I had to try it.


Two of my favorite foods.
One product.
What could go wrong?
DAY 13: Pumpkin Spice Latte Popcorn
Item: 365 Pumpkin Spice Popcorn
Purchase Location: Whole Foods
Cost: $3
Since AA first texted me, a number of people sent me pictures of this product and suggesting I try it. So on Friday, I made a trip down to my local Whole Foods and grabbed a bag. You have to give the people what they want, right?
To preface this review, I have had pumpkin spice popcorn before. It’s great. The spices really work well on popcorn (even in the absence of pumpkin itself). Especially with a little sweetness, it’s possible to get away from yourself and eat through a whole bag without noticing.


Checking out the ingredient list, I have to give Whole Foods a ton of credit here.
Some highlights:
Real pumpkin!
Real pumpkin spices!
Real coffee powder!
YES, Whole Foods not only pumpkin spiced this product, they pumpkin spice LATTE-d it! It wasn’t just a naming convention, they really made it in the image of the PSL. I am so impressed, and I can say that I honestly haven’t ever seen pumpkin spice implemented in a product this way.


Cutting open the bag, there first thing I noticed was the coffee smell. It is a naturally strong smell/flavor, so I wasn’t surprised that it went to the top of the fragrance totem. What I WAS shocked by was how artificial the whole thing smelled. Really, it just smelled so chemically. It was pretty off putting.
But I wanted to hold out hope, so I poured some kernels in my hand to inspect the coating. The spices are distributed pretty evenly, and the specks of coffee powder freckle each piece of popcorn. Interestingly, there was no visible coating from the added sugar!
But then it came time for a taste test. And it wasn’t great.
The taste of this popcorn is truly awful. The minute it touched my tongue, I recoiled. The chemical taste translated in a way that made me think I was eating something coated in nail polish remover.


The coffee is way too strong, and for some reason the spices are more sour than fragrant. So imagine the combination of bitter (coffee) and sour (spices). It tastes like a sweaty foot.


In other words, not great.
I honestly don’t know if it is the coffee that makes the spices gross, or if the spices were bad on their own. Either way, this popcorn is inedible.
If anyone is looking to try this, @ me. You can have the remaining 99% of my bag.


Final rating: 0/5 pumpkins.


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