I reviewed the lemon sherbet flavour of Portlebay popcorn last week, and loved it, but I also picked up this crispy bacon and maple syrup variety at the same time. I've had a dalliance with bacon popcorn before, from import to right proper Butterkist, and I've never been impressed. But Portlebay have made some pretty great flavours, so they can tackle this one, right?
Well, yes and no. The maple syrup is a nice little elements, it's a lovely sweet undertone that certainly taste like the real thing, and sadly it's needed because the bacon part just isn't quite right. At first it tastes like bacon, sure, a nice smoky, meaty flavor with a bit of salt thrown in to bring out the taste. But the aftertaste leaves a lot to be desired, the smokiness kind of lingered on the back of my tongue and I could feel it on my breath for quite a while afterwards. The quality of the popcorn itself is as good as ever, but the flavouring is just a bit off. Perhaps bacon is simply a lost cause in the realm of popcorn, I've tried a lot of savoury flavours and loved them, but bacon seems to consistently fail to impress me. Don't worry Portlebay, I haven't lost faith in you, just in bacon popcorn.
My rating: 3/5