Mishry Ratings
SUPERB!
Summary
We liked the flavor of Classic Caramel better than the Caramel Popcorn With Nuts. The caramel flavor is better and more pronounced in the classic variant. It is fresh-tasting and crunchy. The above rating is for the same. The variant with nuts lacks the signature caramel flavor, freshness and crunch.
Act II has been a go-to brand when it comes to enjoying popcorn at the convenience of one’s home, cinema-style. All you had to do is make a quick 3-4 minute trip to the kitchen and come back with tubs of hot, freshly popped corn. Now, ACT II is making that even more convenient, with its ready-to-eat popcorn snack range in a variety of flavors.
Caramel popcorn is all the rage these days, however, it is not easy to get it right, as the sweetness of caramel, the mild-nutty taste of popcorn and the overall crunch are factors that can be quite hard to balance.
Act II’s Caramel Bliss range includes three variants – Classic Caramel Popcorn, Caramel Popcorn With Nuts and Rock Salt Caramel Popcorn. Earlier we tried the Classic Caramel variant and are now updating the review with the Caramel With Nuts variant.
Let us find out how our Act II Caramel Bliss Popcorn Review went.
Table of Contents
Act II Caramel Bliss Popcorn – Quick Glance
Here is a comparison table showcasing the product details of both the variants :
| Act II Caramel Bliss Popcorn | Classic Caramel | Caramel Popcorn With Nuts |
| Price | Rs. 65 | Rs. 70 |
| Net Quantity | 70 gm | 80 gm |
| Main Ingredients | Liquid glucose, Popped corn, Sugar, Table butter, Caramel I and Iodised salt. | Liquid glucose, Sugar, Popped corn, Roasted cashews, Roasted almonds, Roasted peanuts, Table butter, Honey, Caramel – I and beta carotene. |
| Shelf life | – | 11 months |
| Calories
(Kcal per 100 gm) |
430 | 487 |
| Mishry Rating
(Out of 5) |
4 | 3 |
Our Review Factors
What are we looking for? We are looking for crispy popcorn that has a signature crunch in every bite. We expect fresh tasting nuts and the flavor of caramel to come out boldly.
Here goes the list of the review factors for Act II Caramel Bliss Popcorn.
1. Taste
In this segment, we are looking at three aspects – freshness, caramel flavor, and balance of sweetness. As caramel can make a dish too sweet too quickly, we wanted to check for the level of sweetness along with the intensity of caramel flavor. In the variant that uses nuts, do they taste fresh?
2. Crunch
Popcorn tastes best when they are crunchy. If this factor is missing, the whole purpose of having these is ruined. Here we closely examine the overall crunch of the popcorn and nuts.
3. Other Observations
Main Ingredients
What are the sources of sugar used? Does it contain any added colors? If yes, is it natural or artificial? Any added flavors observed? Which ingredient adds butteriness to these popcorn?
Appearance
How unique are these in appearance from regular popcorn? Are all the popcorn and nuts uniformly coated with caramel? How does the color of the caramel coating appear? Light or dark? Are the popcorn kernels and nuts well separated or are these in clumps and clusters?
Packaging
The crunch and freshness of the popcorn is altered if they are not packed well. How well is this popcorn packed? Is the pack resealable?
Related Reading – Tomato Chilli Popcorn | Paani Puri Popcorn
Act II Caramel Bliss Popcorn – Detailed Review
1. Classic Caramel
Product Inspection: Packed attractively in a black resealable pack, storing them after opening is convenient.
Our findings :
Taste: These popcorn showcase a combination of sweet and salty taste. The subtle hint of salt balances the overall caramel flavor. We love that! A huge thumbs up for the fresh taste of this popcorn.
Texture: Texture-wise, it hits the bullseye. We expected crunchy popcorns, and crunchy popcorns are what we got. The velvety coating of caramel in no way impacts the crunchy texture of the popcorn.
- These popcorn come in a resealable pack. The packaging is handy and travel-friendly.
- The popcorn is crunchy and tastes fresh.
- The mid saltiness cuts down the sweetness of the caramel which tastes delicious.
If you love the taste of caramel flavored popcorn, then you must definitely give this Classic Caramel Popcorn a try.
2. Caramel Popcorn With Nuts
Product Inspection: Act II Caramel Bliss Caramel Popcorn With Nuts comes in a purple color resealable pack. This variant contains whole-sized nuts, including- almonds, peanuts, and cashews. Appearance-wise, these are coated with caramel but lack consistency. While some popcorn have an excessive coating, others don’t. This impacted the overall eating experience.
Moreover, the clusters of nuts are not uniformly spread. They are visible only in a few popcorn kernels.
Our findings :
Taste: When you think of caramel popcorn, you instantly associate it with a sugar overload. That wasn’t the case here. Apart from sugar, it contains liquid glucose and honey. Despite that, the sweetness was low to medium.
Although it has a caramel-buttery taste, the caramel flavor isn’t as bold or intense as we expected. The hint of salt and addition of fresh-tasting nuts help cut down the overall sweetness.
Crunch: The nuts are crunchy and add a much-needed break, texture wise. As these are coated with caramel, the bite of the popcorn isn’t as crisp as we’d like. But these are fairly decent taste wise. Caramel, by nature, is sticky and hence gets stuck to your teeth. Which happened here also.
What works? The crunch of the nuts and the sweetness levels. What doesn’t? The lack of crunch and freshness of popcorn and a muted caramel flavor.
Main Ingredients: In addition to sugar, these popcorns contain honey, caramel, and liquid glucose. It also makes use of an emulsifier( lecithin) and refined palmolein oil. Additionally, it also contains permitted natural colors 150 a, 160 a (i), and added flavor (nature identical flavoring substances).
- The nuts taste super fresh and are crunchy.
- It comes in a resealable pack which makes storing/carrying this easy.
- The nuts are well coated with caramel.
- Sweetness levels. The addition of salt helps balance it out.
- The flavor of caramel is too low.
- The popcorn lacks the crunch and freshness.
- There are too many unevenly distributed dry fruit clusters in this variant. The clumps lower the overall experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on Act II Caramel Bliss Popcorn.
1. Is this popcorn healthy to consume?
Consumption of any packaged food is best when done in moderation. This popcorn contains refined palmolien oil, liquid glucose, and an emulsifier, which is not ideal for regular consumption. Hence, we recommend mindful eating.
2. Does this popcorn contain preservatives?
The pack does not mention the use of added preservatives. These popcorn contain an emulsifier (lecithin), which helps increase the shelf life of food items.
3. How to maintain the popcorn after unpacking?
This pack of popcorn is resealable which makes it easy to just close them and store it away.
4. Can this popcorn be paired with tea or coffee?
Yes. You can pair this popcorn with a cup of tea or coffee.
5. Are these popcorn too sweet?
Despite containing sugar, liquid glucose and honey the caramel popcorn is low-medium on the sweetness. The presence of salt helps balance out the caramely sweetness.
To Conclude
Here’s our final verdict! Team Mishry loved the Classic Caramel variant over the Caramel Popcorn With Nuts. The Classic Caramel Popcorn is crunchy, fresh, and tasty. On the other hand, the Caramel Popcorn With Nuts lacks the crunch and dominant caramel flavor. The positive aspect of this variant is the freshness and crunch of the nuts.
Have you tried Act II’s range of caramel popcorn? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.