Cappuccino Popcorn Review & Portlebay Round-Up

Cappuccino Popcorn

I've made my way through the entire box now (thank you again Portlebay for the opportunity to sample your range!). The packet I saved until last was Cappuccino, a flavour I've been dying to try since I discovered the brand in September. It sounded so original, and I love coffee and coffee flavoured products -especially cake and chocolate!

I opened the bag, and was met with quite a mild coffee flavour. The corn was dusted with a dark brown powder, and as usual there were no un-popped kernels. Flavour-wise the popcorn wasn't as expected, the Crispy Bacon & Maple syrup actually has more of a sweet edge. The coffee didn't come through as strong as I'd have liked either- more latte than cappuccino.

Sorry Portlebay, I'm not as fussed on this variety- although that's probably a good thing because it's less widely available than most of the other flavours! 

6/10

Portlebay Round-Up

From left to right, I've ranked my favourite to least favourite Portlebay flavours. Overall I think their quality is astounding, and if you're after a healthy snack at a reasonable price you cant go far wrong with their products. 

Big love to Portlebay! 

Here are the links to my revews of their other flavours:
Cinnamon Swirl
Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
Lemon Sherbet
Very Berry
Sweet & Salty 
Chilli & Lime

Portlebay Cinnamon Swirl Popcorn

I'm a bit of a cinnamon fiend, so much so that I'll sprinkle it on cereal, peanut butter, and even bananas. It's my favourite spice and I'd be a bit lost without it, hence my utter disappointment at the revolting Boots Cinnamon Popcorn I reviewed last month. Portlebay popcorn also make a cinnamon variety, and I've hoarded it until almost last from that box they sent me. I prayed it wouldn't disappoint in the same way, but their other flavours are (mostly) wonderful so I wasn't overly concerned.

The popcorn was a lovely golden colour, and it was perfectly light and crunchy. The cinnamon was perfect, it was warming and festive, with the much needed sweetness to back it up. There was a strong apple flavour that came through deliciously, which meant that the popcorn tasted more like Apple Crumble- what a treat! 

This popcorn couldn't be more different to the Boots atrocity. If you've got a penchant for apple crumble, but want something a bit healthier, then this might be the perfect snack for you!

9/10

Their other flavours I've reviewed:

Lemon Sherbet

Wasabi & Sweet Ginger

Chilli & Lime

Sweet & Salty

Very Berry

Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup

Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup Portlebay Popcorn

I'm down to my last three bags (and favourite sounding flavours) now from the sample box that Portlebay Popcorn sent: Cinnamon Swirl, Cappuccino and the cause of today's review- Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup. I love bacon frazzles, and I imagined this popcorn to taste similiarly. As with the Wasabi popcorn, the sweet element coming from the maple syrup (which I also love in it's own right) fazed me slightly... I just can't imagine pouring syrup onto bacon like the Yanks do.

When I opened the bag, I was greeted with a dusty orange coloured popcorn. I could smell hints of bacon, but the aroma most prominent was that of the syrup. This was also reflected in the taste, and although I could detect the smoked bacon element, the sweet maple was definitely more overpowering. I didn't believe that a ratio favouring Maple Syrup over bacon would work well, but once again Portlebay have turned my preconceptions on their head- the salty bacon tang balanced the sweetness out perfectly.

I absolutely loved this Popcorn, which I'm over the moon about because it's one of two flavours that our local Boots stock, meaning I can enjoy it again and again. I'd recommend trying this product if  you're either a maple syrup fan or a sweet and salty popcorn kind of person.

9/10

Very Berry Portlebay Popcorn

Very Berry is the first of sweet popcorn flavours up for review from the box that Portlebay sent me. I've never tried a berry flavoured popcorn before, but I always like red and purple sweets best, so I was looking forward to trying this out. 

The popcorn looked very girlie because it is dusted a pretty pink colour. It is Portlebay's signature style- light and fluffy yet satisfyingly crunchy. The berry flavouring is sweet and almost fizzy, reminding me of their Lemon Sherbet Popcorn which was the product that made me fall ever-so-slightly in love with the brand in the first place. Unfortunately my palette is not developed enough to determine the individual notes of blackcurrants, cranberries and raspberries; but it is definitely a berry flavour nonetheless. 

I think that this is a lovely product, and it's a pretty healthy snack option if you're craving sweeties but don't want all of the sugar. I think I marginally prefer their Lemon Sherbet flavour, but there's not a huge gap between the two. 

7/10

Sweet & Salty Portlebay Popcorn

Just a quick entry today, because I think this post is pretty straightforward. Today I tried Portlebay's sweet and salty popcorn, a flavour that has seen a rise in popularity over the past year or so. I'm a strange one- I love the combination of sweet & salty in peanut butter but hate sweet & savoury dishes like ham & pineapple pizza and sweet & sour chicken. I haven't actually tried sweet & salty popcorn before so I'm afraid I have nothing to compare it to.

The corn have the same nice fluffy texture that I'm now used to with Portlebay. I think I expected a mixture of sweet and salty kernels, but instead they were an evenly balanced amalgamation of the two. I actually found them a little bland, but that's to be expected in a naturally plainer option than their other more exciting innovations.

5/10

P.S If you're interested you can read my reviews of the other Portlebay Popcorn flavours i've tried thus far:
Lemon Sherbet
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
 Chilli & Lime

Chilli & Lime Portlebay Popcorn

The popcorn that sounded the second least appetising to me in the box that Portlebay sent was the Chilli & Lime Kracklecorn. Again it's just because it's a savoury product that it doesn't appeal to me, but given how much I enjoyed the Wasabi & Sweet Ginger, I wasn't entirely dreading it.

When I opened the bag I was met with quite a strong spicy aroma. The popcorn was a dusty orange colour, and I worried about whether they'd blow my head off. I like my spice, but I'm more of a Rogan Josh than a Vindaloo kind of girl. I don't understand the enjoyment of eating food that makes you sweat. I'd appreciate any insight from anybody who's a Scotch Bonnet fan! 

The popcorn didn't taste as spicy as I feared, and actually reminded me of tikka. The heat intensified as I continued through the bag, but not to the point where I couldn't eat it. I could taste a refreshing hint of citrus coming from the lime, but it was only just distinguishable against the spice. I offered a bite to my discerning taxi driver who was surprised to discover that he enjoyed it. He compared it in similarity to Tyrell's chilli rice crackers but I can't pass comment having never tried them. 

I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to  try this flavour, and I don't think it's unpleasant, but I also don't think I'd buy it again. If you like curry rice crackers and/or crisps, this might be your cup of tea- it's just unfortunately not mine. 

2/10

Wasabi & Sweet Ginger Portlebay Popcorn

This morning was a miserable morning in my house, it was cold and drizzly outside and I faced a great wedge of economics research. All wasn't lost though because I recieved a lovely suprise which turned my day around- the guys from Portlebay kindly sent me a big box full of their different flavour popcorn. 

I fell in love with their Lemon Sherbet Popcorn when I reviewed it last month, and I've been hooked ever since. Last Monday I learnt my lesson by buying the Boots limited Edition Cinnamon & Vanilla which was awful in comparison , a faux pas I shan't make again. Portlebay have since contacted me and asked if they could send me a taster box- how could I refuse?

The box contained four sweet and four savoury bags:
Sweet & Salty
Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
Sweet Chilli & Lime
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
Lemon Sherbet
Very Berry
Cinnamon Swirl
Cappuccino(which I've been dying to try!) 



I've got to admit I've never been a savoury popcorn fan, ive always preferred sweet, and so I wasn't all that excited to try the savoury flavours. I met some friends this afternoon, told them about my present, and one of them got very excited as she told me how great the Wasabi one is. I trust her implicitly but I still wasn't sure my tastebuds would agree with hers. Anyway, I tend to eat food in a bit of a weird way, eating my least favourite first and saving the best until last. With my preconceptions being questioned by my friend I decided to dive in and give the Wasabi flavour a shot. 

The popcorn was dusted with a green powder which actually fits in well with the time of year (probably more so than Butterkist's 'Halloween' popcorn which is in fact their sweet popcorn dyed green). I presumed the green powder was the Wasabi flavouring but it made me all the more hesitant. I offered a piece to my other half, but he refused to touch it. 

 I couldn't have been more wrong though. My ideas of a sushi, fishy tasting popcorn were wrong, and instead  I was met with the warmth from the ginger and a little heat from the Wasabi. The popcorn was sweet too, and the odd sounding combination actually was really well balanced. The mixture of sweet, savoury and slight spice was not overwhelming, but utterly delicious. Once again, Portlebay didn't disappoint with the lack of unpopped kernels- there wasn't even one in the entire bag.

I actually kind of wished I'd waited to try this flavour until later on because I'm sure the others can't all be this good, but who knows...

9/10

Portlebay Lemon Sherbet Popcorn

I love that Popcorn seems to be the snack of choice at the moment, with new brands being stocked in an increasing variety of stockists. I have a particularly sweet tooth and so what excites me most about this new craze is the sheer innovation in flavours- both sweet and savoury. Of course I'm naturally  more drawn towards sweet popcorn in flavours such as the 'Sweet coconut & vanilla' by Propercorn (which are absolutely delightful), and the Tesco own brand 'chocolate orange', 'strawberry toffee' and 'salted caramel' popcorn (which come in a pack of 6 single serving bags).

Whilst in Boots picking up a meal deal I spotted these 'Lemon Sherbert' bags by Portlebay. Each bag is 25g, contains 115cals and costs 80p.  I remember seeing something on the net a few months ago about Portlebay bringing out a coffee flavour popcorn which I'd have chosen above Lemon Sherbet, but never-less I was suitably intrigued by Portlebay and decided to give them a go. 

They're packaging tells me a little more about Portlebay- apparently they are a small crew from Devon who want to make great tasting, interesting food. They 'pop it by hand in small batches with a splash of rapeseed oil and a touch of raw cane sugar to give it a delicious crunch.' They 'then sprinkle it with our natural Lemon Sherbet seasoning.'

I munched on my first mouthful and was disappointed that I wasn't hit with a strong lemony flavour, just a mere citrusy tang. I thought I'd made the wrong choice in not purchasing the Propercorn 'coconut & vanilla' that I know I love, but as I continued through the bag I was rewarded in my persistence. The popcorn increased in intensity, and was reminiscent of the classic Lemon Sherbet sweeties I had as a child.

When I reached the bottom of the bag I realised that Portlebay had completely redeemed themselves and I felt satisfied both by taste and in satiety. I was also impressed that I found a lone hard kernel in my bag, notably less than you would find in a bag of Butterkist for example. I guess that's a benefit of popping it by hand, and I welcomed not having to watch out for that painful crunch when you bite down on an unpopped corn.  

I'm definitely on the hunt for their coffee popcorn now. However,  I'm far more eager to try Propercorn's newest release- a peanut and almond flavour which I absolutely cannot wait for!

8/10