Rocky Mountain Popcorn / Fully Loaded Popcorn

Update Review - March 2020: Fully Loaded Popcorn

I recently discovered what I thought was a new brand of popcorn: Fully Loaded Popcorn.  I was confused though, because it seemed *very* familiar.  The flavors, the shape of the kernels ... the parent company name ("Open Road Snacks") ...

"Flavor doesn't mean junk.

Our naturally delicious, high-quality snacks are cooked up with a dash of Americana and the spirit of the open road."

And then I realized it was indeed a product I knew, I just knew it as "Rocky Mountain Popcorn", which I reviewed a few years ago.  Not sure why they rebranded, but the product is still all about the big huge kernels of popcorn which really continues to be a unique aspect.  Those kernels are now trademarked as FluffyCrunchy™ kernels.

Classic Butter.

"Fully Loaded Classic Butter does your standard bucket of movie popcorn one better."

I didn't realize this was Rocky Mountain Popcorn when I tried the first flavor in my stash: classic butter.

I was impressed with the kernels, which I know doesn't sound interesting, but I promise you, they make really really fluffy/puffy/large size kernels that really are better than most.

Butter popcorn is rarely my flavor of choice, but this was actually very good "butter flavored" popcorn, in the very rich, decadent, movie theater popcorn sense.  Nothing subtle about it.  Loaded (uh, fully) in butter ... well, ok, in oil and "natural flavor".  It truly was like having a bucket of movie theater popcorn, just from a bag.  And very salty too.

Not the flavor I normally crave, but when I crave buttery ridiculous popcorn, this one is among the best I've ever had.  Would go great paired with a movie, and, a ridiculous large foundation drink to combat the butter/salt ...

White Cheddar.

"Savory white cheddar combined with masterful attention to perfectly popped, FluffyCrunchy™ kernels."

The white cheddar was ... boring.  The kernels were still big and fluffy and great of course, but the flavor was quite minimal.

Not bad, but, just not much going on.

Jalapeño Cheddar

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"Our Jalapeño Cheddar Popcorn packs a punch that lands right in between “ooooh, yeah” and “hey, that’s got a little pep!”

This was the one that surprised me last time, as it used to simply be called "Jalapeño", and I found the cheesiness unexpected.  This time I knew what to expect, and, I liked it.

Again, great big kernels, slightly cheesy flavor, some kick to it.  I wouldn't really want it as a snack, but I did like it alongside a meal, appropriately paired.

My favorite of their lineup.

Caramel Crunch.

"Our Fully Loaded Caramel Crunch popcorn is pure taste nirvana. Tear open a bag and get a taste. Right now."

The final variety, the only sweet one, I expected to love.  Caramel crunch!  I love sweet popcorns, and caramel corn is definitely high up on my favorite indulgences list.

But alas, this was just "ok".  Sure, it was better than Cracker Jacks, but, it was that style of caramel corn.  A decadent style, but without the buttery backdrop that makes Harry & David Moose Munch caramel corn so addicting, but not quite the sweet bomb of Pop! Gourmet Popcorn.

It was well coated, as always, huge kernels, and did have a nice crunch as the coating was so thick, but, it didn't particularly wow me.

Original Review - July 2019: Rocky Mountain Popcorn

Snacks. Popcorn.  Trying regional items when I travel.  These are some of my favorite things.  So when I visited our Boulder, CO office, I was of course eager to try out the local products, like, Rocky Mountain Popcorn.

Popcorn Bag.

"Rocky Mountain Popcorn® is wholesome kernels as FLUFFY as high-country clouds. A crunch as LIGHT as the mountain air. Now that’s taking your snack to new heights! Taste HUGE.™ "

Uh, ok?  Fluffy, light, and huge.  Got it.

The popcorn is available in 6 fairly standard flavors: "naked", butter, white cheddar, kettle, caramel, and jalapeno.  Nothing particularly novel here.  They do make a product size intended to fit in cup holders, for snacking on the road, which I thought was kinda cute (except, really, is that a problem? A popcorn bag fits quite nicely in my lap thank you very much!)

The parent company, Open Road Snacks, also has a healthier line, called "Sinfully Thin" of lighter popcorn flavors.  "No longer will you be trapped in popcorn purgatory when you unleash the naughty nibbler within," they say.

I tried the simple Rocky Mountain line, as it was all that was available.

I started with the "Naked".  The most basic flavor of all, just popcorn and canola oil.  I tried it just to understand the foundation of their goods, not because plain popcorn is remotely interesting to me.  It was ... popcorn.  No unique aspects, there just isn't much to say.

Butter.

"Crunchy and salty, exploding with buttery flavor. Just like you're at the movies. Need we say more."

I moved on to the butter popcorn.

Movie theater popcorn.  That is how I'd sum this up.  It looked exactly like movie theater popcorn, with an extreme, unnatural looking, orange hue.  Except, from a sealed bag, and not actually dripping in warm melted butter.  Not nearly as fun as real movie theater popcorn.

The kernels were indeed large, all well popped, and evenly coated in "butter flavor" (and, corn oil).  A nicely made product.  But it was also boring.  The butter flavor wasn't the decadence you get from real, fresh butter.

It also was not a light popcorn.  I was amazed that the single serving bag was 260 calories.

Meh, not worth it.

Cheddar Bacon.

"Light and airy popcorn kernels with the taste of cheddar and bacon."

I was pretty weary of this one.  I've seen the bacon fad come (and, thankfully, mostly go by now), where "bacon makes everything better" is the mantra, and, although I like bacon, I find it often really isn't the answer I'm looking for.  And I'm fairly particular about my savory cheesy popcorn.

One bite in though, my fears dissipated.  I loved it.

Did it taste like actual bacon?  Not at all.  But the taste was unmistakable.  It tasted like bacon bits.  The fake, shaker bottle kind.  That I adore.  That I never had in my house growing up, but my friends did, and I remember, in particular, loving shaking them all over the english muffin pizzas my best friend's mom made (seriously, so good.  She oiled and toasted the english muffins in advance, and what a world of difference it makes!). I was transplanted back immediately.  Fakin' bacon.  Yes.

And the cheese?  Also fake, in the great way.  I expected orange fingers from fake cheese, and I didn't care.

This was a winner, nostalgia, and such familiar tastes, just in a different form.  The popcorn too was high quality, huge nicely popped pieces.

I'd get this again.

Jalapeño.

"Dressed in the perfect amount of spice that anyone can appreciate, this popcorn is packed with the authentic, bold, zest of jalapeño flavor. Try it (we dare you), and join the fan club."

Another good popcorn from Rocky Mountain.  The signature large, airy kernels were like all the other varieties I tried.  Perfectly popped.

I was confused when I tasted it at first though.  I expected ... heat.  And likely salt.  But I tasted ... cheese?  It turns out, the third ingredient, after popcorn and canola oil is ... "cheese blend".  No wonder I tasted cheese!  These really should be called "cheesy jalapeño" ...  I liked the cheese powder, don't get me wrong, just, wasn't what I was expecting.

And then, as I was pondering the cheese, the jalapeño hit.  Ah, yes.  There was the hit.  It took a moment for it to come on, but once it did, very obvious.  Nice kick to it.

This was a good flavor, not necessarily one I would normally go for, but I enjoyed trying it, and it was different to mix up my regular savory popcorn lineup.  The spice made it a bit harder to pair with my meals though!