Pomegranate Cosmo Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - 10 lbs bulk
Click to buy directly from Jelly Belly!
Click to buy directly from Jelly Belly!
The Good: Taste like pomegranate (without the bite), Environmentally responsible bulk, Taste does not fade.
The Bad: Still not the greatest flavor, Muted.
The Basics: A surprisingly good flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans, Pomegranate Cosmo enhances the cocktail assortment of Jelly Bellys quite well.
It is no secret that I am not a fan of the Pomegranate fad that is sweeping the United States healthfood community now. The Pomegranate is a pretty disgusting fruit by the reckoning of my tastebuds and so I am never eager to consume things that taste like Pomegranate. Even so, when my wife and I discovered a Jelly Belly store in nearby Erie, PA, we suddenly had access to several flavors which are not widely available yet. One of them is Pomegranate Cosmo and because I could not turn up the opportunity to review something new from Jelly Belly, I picked them up. Right off the bat, it ought to be noted that there are differences between Pomegranate Cosmo and the standard Pomegranate Jelly Bellys. And while I generally could not stand Pomegranate, the Pomegranate Cosmo is actually growing on me, even if it is not a superb Jelly Belly flavor.
For those who might never have had Jelly Belly jelly beans, these are easily the best jelly beans on the planet, packing a lot of flavor into a very small size. Unlike most jelly beans which are only vaguely flavored and are more based on colors, Jelly Belly jelly beans have a wide variety of actual flavors, like Sizzling Cinnamon, Sour Cherry, Dr. Pepper, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.
Jelly Belly jelly beans has been expanding its line of cocktail flavored jelly beans and one of the latest is the Pomegranate Cosmo. In the interest of full disclosure, my sobriety prevents me from having a taste comparison (I've been sober since before I could legally drink cosmopolitans and for at least a decade before a Pomegranate Cosmo was actually chic or probably even existed!). Thus, the comparative aspect of the taste for my review will be a little weak. Anyone who might like Pomegranate Cosmo Jelly Belly jelly beans will likely find that the ten pound case is the best way to get them in bulk in an environmentally responsible way for the least amount of money.
Basics
Pomegranate Cosmo is a flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Jelly Belly jelly beans are approximately one half inch long by one quarter inch wide and they are roughly bean-shaped. These little candies are marketed to taste precisely like Pomegranate Cosmo and they have a distinctly pomegranate flavor that has been cut by something else, so I assume the flavor is quite true.
Pomegranate Cosmo flavored Jelly Bellys are available in a wide array of quantities, but the largest quantity available is the ten pound bulk case. This is a decent-sized box with a plastic lining and while some might wonder why anyone would need a ten pound box, I say, "It sure beats getting drunk on ten gallons of pomegranate cosmos!" I suspect that for most people, a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans.
Pomegranate Cosmo flavored Jelly Bellys are remarkably easy to recognize and distinguish from other Jelly Bellys. Pomegranate Cosmo is a translucent medium-dark red colored bean.
Ease Of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not drinking an unhealthy number of pomegranate cosmopolitans while trying to look masculine! In the case of the ten pound box, one might want to put them in a candy dish of some form as opposed to always going into the box. While there is no law against eating them right from the box, basic hygiene might recommend that putting them in another container will keep the bulk of them viable and clean. Then again, it doesn't hurt to eat them out of the box, especially for adults who are clean and respectful to their candy.
Taste
Pomegranate Cosmo Jelly Bellys have no discernible scent when the box is open. I thought this might mean they were either a weak or a deceptively strong bean. They were neither, but there was a little surprise waiting for me when tasted them.
The Pomegranate Cosmo Jelly Belly jelly beans do not taste like the usual, overbearing pomegranate flavorings. Instead, the shell is mild and the taste is actually a slight citrus flavor that feels bubbly on the tongue! Like the soda shoppe assortment, the Pomegranate Cosmo beans have a texture; a bubbling on the tongue surprise for consumers. The bubbling sensation fades to be a muted version of pomegranate. Sure, it's the same distinct flavor of the fruit, but in Pomegranate Cosmo, the fruit flavor's sour aspect is muted and washed out so one does not want to rip their own tongue out while eating these!
As well, Pomegranate Cosmo flavored Jelly Bellys do not diminish in taste when you eat vast quantities of them. These taste like Pomegranate Cosmos bite after bite, never fading and that only adds to the value of the ten pound case. The fizzy effect does mute, however, after eating a bunch of these in a row.
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to understand they based upon something that is not inherently nutritious! Jelly beans, even Jelly Belly jelly beans, are not a legitimate source of nutrition. These are a snack food, a dessert, and are in no way an adequate substitute for a real meal. A serving is listed at thirty-five beans, with each Jelly Belly jelly bean having approximately four calories. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.
The thing is, Jelly Belly jelly beans are not as bad as they could be in the nutrition area. They have no fat and no protein, but for those who have ever dated a Vegan, these are Vegan compliant because they contain no gelatin, though some Vegans object to the beeswax in the coating of these beans! They have only one percent of the daily sodium with 15 mg and they are gluten free! The main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and modified food starch, so it's not like this is an all-natural food, but they could be far, far worse.
Storage/Clean-up
Jelly Belly jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Jelly Belly (though that could have something to do with a package never surviving a year around me). They remain freshest when they are kept in an airtight container (the bag in the bulk box is sufficient if it is kept closed) and they ought to be kept in a lukewarm environment. Storing them in hot places is likely to make the beans stick together and be gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.
As for cleanup, unless one allows the Jelly Belly to get hot to the point that the waxy coating on the bean melts, the dyes on these do not bleed or denature, so there is usually no cleanup necessary, not even washing one's hands after eating them (even if they don’t melt!). I've never had Pomegranate Cosmo Jelly Bellys stain anything.
Overall
Pomegranate Cosmo Jelly Belly jelly beans are a good flavor which enhances the Jelly Belly line. The fizzy effect of the beans is delightful, but too much of the actual, unpleasant real flavor of pomegranate is washed out of these beans. As a result, they do not score quite as high as they ought to, even if they are very worth having and stocking up on!
For other Jelly Belly flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Peach Bellini
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Assortment
Mojito
7/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment