Dr Bugs Mint Choc Gourmet Popcorn Treats product reviews

As lovers of popcorn my children and I knew that we needed to try the flavours of Dr Bugs Gourmet Popcorn Treats when I saw them advertised. The flavour that I found quite appealing was the Mint Choc with Dark Choc Drizzle, the rest of the family doesn't like mint so I knew I wouldn't have to worry about missing my chance to eat them.

Dr Bugs Gourmet Popcorn Treats are proudly made in New Zealand from New Zealand grown corn, with natural colours and flavours, and are gluten free. The packet size of 120g was a good size for me, and the fact it has a resealable top meant the leftovers stayed fresh until I finished them. Through the clear window on the front of the packet you can have a sneak peak at the product.

When I opened the packet and looked inside, I thought that the choc drizzle was quite generous on some pieces which were pretty much entirely covered. On the other pieces they show a green colour which I would describe as a similar shade to Pistachio green. The popcorn tastes a lot like peppermint and leaves a pleasant aftertaste, this popcorn is the perfect texture between soft and hard. I found after eating a handful that was enough at one time, and then came back later for more.

I recommend these as a different choice for a snack, however I think if you do not like strong mint this might not be for you. The size packet is great, it says in the nutrition information that there are 4 servings in the bag, however at the price these will purely be for an occasional treat. I look forward to seeing what flavour creations Dr Bugs comes up with in the hopefully not too distant future.

The children stared in disbelief as I gave each of them a small handful of this popcorn to try. "You have to be kidding me!" said Mr 13. "What is it?" "Are they dog treats?" asked his sister. Surprise turned to delight and then to demands for more as they each bit down on one and realised that, far from being an alien foodstuff, this was one of the most delicious treats they had ever tried. They had just learned a very important lesson: looks can be deceiving. Mr 13 has braces so is wary when he tries a new food, but he was overjoyed to find that the outer layer of minty chocolate just melted in his mouth while the inner flake was small enough to be easy to chew without sticking in his teeth.

By now the children have learned that anything marked "adults only" is a forbidden treat; that label just makes the product more attractive. I agree; although this is a confectionery item that was enjoyed by all the adults, the children enjoyed it just as much. Four adults (including me) all gave it the thumbs up and said we would definitely buy it again. Dark chocolate is the kind I like, the darker and more bitter the better, so it appealed even to me. My daughter thought it was a strange combination of flavours but after trying a couple of flakes she decided it worked. My son-in-law said it looked home-made because the balls were uneven in size and some were more chocolatey than others, but that was a bonus in these times of mass production.

We all remembered minties; my other daughter thought this was a better alternative as the mint flavour was similar but the ingredients were a lot healthier. Some chocolate mint sweets and biscuits include a great number of flavour enhancers and preservatives; this product is made from all natural ingredients. She likes to serve up unadulterated food to the family whenever possible so this got the health tick from her.

Miss 11 decided to decorate a bowl of blackberry jelly with some of the flakes. She had asked us to leave a few in the bag so she could try out her idea. The jelly was fully set and cold from the fridge, so she was able to place a circle of balls around the inside of the bowl. It was an unusual combination - even more than the idea of dark chocolate and popcorn! - but it was surprisingly pleasant. The jelly was one of those brands that has a strong fruity flavour and is not too sweet, so it went well with the peppermint chocolate combination. I don't think I would bother; I was quite happy eating the popcorn straight from the packet, but I did try some and had to admit that it was pleasant, if unusual, served that way.

The first thing my daughter and I noticed on the packet was the words, "Adult-Only Popcorn'. "Does it contain alcohol?" my daughter asked. "Mmmmm" I replied, as I mulled over how I could avoid sharing this decadent-looking snack. The popcorn comes in a resealable bag with a window at the front that shows small green and brown balls of popcorn. They look delicious. Upon reading the back, the snacks contain natural colours and flavours, are gluten-free and the corn is grown in New Zealand.

I love mint chocolate and the smell of it makes me drool, so I was pretty much drooling when I opened the packet. There was a strong smell of mint, followed by a popcorn smell, and then chocolate. Each popcorn morsel was a perfectly round shape that was coated with peppermint and quality dark chocolate. There was a slight crunch when I bit on the first ball but then there was a minty chewiness with the chocolate coming through later. These were absolutely delicious and extremely moreish. My daughter did click pretty soon that these didn't contain alcohol and that she could, in fact, eat them. I begrudgingly gave her a few and she swooned when she ate them! She begged for more, but by then, I had almost demolished the bag. Bonus points for no hard unpopped kernels in the bag or unpopped coated kernels as there is nothing worse than taking a bite and feeling your teeth crack!

Overall, these were an addictively delicious treat and my only gripe was that the bag was too small! I will definitely be buying these again and hiding them from the kids!

I had the biggest craving for popcorn last night. But, I did not want to open while my daughters were around so I had to wait for ages before they disappeared from sight. By the time the youngest had gone, I was basically going stark craving mad. I was like a dog drooling. So when I finally got to the packet I ripped it open and took a handful as if my life depended on it. What I was not prepared for was the taste explosion - wow!

The mint was so powerful - I am not sure what I was expecting but nothing on this level. The chocolate took a while to come thru as my mouth was a minty paradise. The chocolate felt like a slow release in the background as the mint was in every part of my mouth. Even after I had finished eating I still felt minty clean five minutes later. I realised pretty fast that the richness of the flavour was so satisfying that a couple was all I needed so I sealed the bag after another handful and sat back in glee.

As I knew if anyone else in the house found these they would not last for long I hid them. Getting up this morning I had breakfast and I kept looking over towards the hiding place knowing I needed another hit. This time I was prepared for the taste and I took my time and before I knew it, over half the bag had disappeared. I hid the bag once more and continued with my day.

After spending a couple of hours in the garden I could not help myself and before long the bag had disappeared - very sadly. These are delicious. They don't look pretty but boy-oh-boy do they taste pretty! They remind me of mint chocolates, however, without the heavily coated chocolate. There is just a slim coating.

They are the perfect snack as because of the richness in flavour you do not require many and because you can seal it, they can last longer depending on your willpower. I am absolutely in love with Dr Bugs so far - I have tried two of the three flavours and both have been winners in my eyes. I said it in my last review but when we are down in Christchurch I am definitely going to the factory and I wouldn't be surprised if I buy out the store!

As a kid, I was jokingly called 'Supermint' because mint-choc-chip ice cream was my kryptonite. No idea why, but choc-mint is my all-time favourite flavour, followed very closely by feijoa and peach fighting a never-ending battle for second place. So when I opened up the box of samples from Dr Bugs and saw a mint-choc popcorn, I knew I was going to be writing a review just so I could give it a go.

Each kernel is a nice little round ball, generously coated with a naturally-coloured mint glaze and drizzled with dark chocolate. Popping them one at a time was easy. Too easy. The flavour quickly ramped up from tasty, through delicious and rocketed past crave-able before the number of morsels consumed even reached double digits. I am a little ashamed to admit that I inhaled the entire 120g bag in far less time than I wanted. Savouring the flavour and lingering over each bite is a hard ask indeed, when every taste bud is screaming for you to simply up-end the bag into your face and chew like a machine.

The texture is exactly what you would expect - the crisp snap of well-tempered chocolate, the crunch of the sugary mint coating and the soft chewiness of the perfectly-popped corn. However, as impressive as that all is, the one thing that took the trophy for me was the lack of any unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bag. The only thing remaining after I had scooped out all the corn balls was fragments of chocolate, a few pieces of broken but fully popped corn, and a lingering regret that the bag wasn't much, much bigger.

Overall, these were incredibly tasty and I will struggle not to buy them the moment I see them on a supermarket shelf. It really will be a siren call, knowing how yummy these are. I can easily imagine these being used as a component of a creative fancy dessert. If not for the price tag, they would easily be rated a must-have in the pantry for when guests come over... if you could keep your hands off them long enough for the guests to actually arrive. They would also be a fun addition to a chocolate fondue centrepiece at the next family gathering - sure would beat out the soggy trifle and lumpy custard!