Talk About A Mixed Bag: Planters Flavor Grove Jalapeno Pistachios Disappoint!

The Good: Fairly nutritious.
The Bad: A little pricey when not found on clearance, Awful flavor (from one of two extremes).
The Basics: The Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios from Planters left me completely disappointed from both the imagination and execution of Planters.


For one who absolutely loves pistachios, I have reviewed remarkably few of my favorite nuts. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, the only pistachios I have reviewed up until today are the Wonderful (brand) Pistachios (here!). That changes today, though, with my review of Planters Flavor Grove Jalapeno Pistachios. Alas, though, these nuts did not grab me. At all.

The Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios were a mix of exceptionally spicy hot and utterly flavorless. Ironically, there is no point at which these nuts actually tasted flavorful or intriguing. Instead, they were unpleasant or boring. I was not surprised that I found these on clearance for $1.74 a bag, but having tried them now, I would not even pay that. These are a pretty unpleasant snack and not one that I foresee Planters sticking with very long.

Basics

Planters Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios are a ready-to-eat snack that attempts to zest up pistachio nuts with something other than the traditional salt flavor. While I applaud the initiative, the execution leaves something to be desired. Packaged in a 4.75 oz. stiff plastic resealable bag, the Flavor Grove Pistachios are kept fresh until opened. After removing the safety seal, consumers have access to the Pistachios that are still in their shells. The shells and any exposed portion of the nut beneath are coated with a glaze that gives them their Jalapeno flavor.

Outside their glazed shells, the Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios look just like ordinary Pistachios. Each 4.75 oz. container has approximately two and a half servings after they have been shelled. These nuts are easily dispensed through the wide top of the bag.

Ease Of Preparation

These are flavored nuts, so preparing them is as easy as opening the bag they come in, cracking the shell open, and consuming them. There is no trick or work beyond that needed to eat Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios.

Taste

The Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios smell like peppers. These pistachios have an aroma like peppers, moist and fruit-like, without any hint of either the nut or spice in their scent. This does, however, prepare the consumer for the idea that these will taste flavorful, if not spicy.

Cracking the shell open, the Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios are predictably spicy hot. These nuts are like a fire on the tongue and those who are not big on spicy hot things are likely to find their eyes watering. The flavor, though, is limited by two things. First, most of the flavoring appears to be from the glaze, which is mostly on the outer shells. The nuts that are in shells that are barely open are not at all flavored like Jalapeno and thus are pretty much a letdown for those who are fans of spicy hot foods. But the ones that are appropriately glazed are cut pretty fast by the nut themselves. Chewing on the Planters Jalapeno Pistachios quickly transforms the flavor from searing white blindness to a surprisingly bland pistachio flavor. I write “surprisingly bland” because these pistachios are not even salted. So, they oscillate between being utterly unpleasant and entirely boring.

Nutrition

I purchased a bunch of Planters nuts all at the same time and I’m not, honestly, surprised that the Planters Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios are the least healthy of the bunch. A serving is considered 28 grams (shelled) which is about an ounce (an estimated forty-six shelled nuts). With the standard recommended serving size, the nuts have 12 grams of fat! That's 18% of the RDA of fat, with 8% of the RDA coming from the one and a half grams of saturated fat! There is 2% of the RDA of calcium and five grams of protein, which is almost enough to make one look the other way on the fat content! In addition to potassium (280mg) and an average amount of salt (125 mg sodium!), these nuts have iron and Vitamin C, but not much else at all.

The ingredients list for these Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios is fairly short, which is nice because most of the ingredients are natural. Planters are made primarily of Pistachios, dried Jalapeno peppers, and sea salt. There is nothing unpronounceable in these nuts and the ingredients are generally healthy. Obviously, these nuts are manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and other tree nuts.

Storage/Clean-up

Just as with the preparation, Planters Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios candies are low stress when it comes to storage and cleanup. Storage is simple when the nuts are kept in their bag at room temperature or cooler. Kept sealed in their bag, these nuts would not expire until May 18, 2012, which is why I suppose they were on clearance.

Planters Flavor Grove Pistachios are easy to clean up after as well. Simply wash your hands after eating to get any of the glaze dust off. There should be no other residue, but if there is, it may easily be wiped away with a damp cloth.

Overall

Planters Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios are a pretty harsh experience for the mouth and while some who like spicy hot foods might be initially intrigued by that, they are more likely than not to feel somewhat underwhelmed by the overall package, which mixes the bland and the bold.

For other Planters nut reviews, please visit my takes on:
Planters Flavor Grove Vanilla and Caramel Almonds
Planters Flavor Grove Cocoa and Cinnamon Almonds
Planters Creme Brule Almonds

2/10

For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Delicious And Healthy, Planters Flavor Grove Vanilla And Caramel Almonds Deliver!

The Good: Great flavor, Fairly nutritious.
The Bad: A little pricey when not found on clearance.
The Basics: The Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds from Planters are a wonderful snack that tastes far less like almonds than one might expect, making for a delightful sweet snack.


I’ll admit it; I am getting just a little tired of almonds. Truth be told, I have grown to appreciate them, but I have not, traditionally, been a fan of them. I have been eating them more and more of late because they are a healthy nut and my wife and I have discovered many of them on clearance at a local grocery store. Planters nuts, specifically, seem to be on clearance locally and we found the Flavor Grove Cocoa and Cinnamon almonds (reviewed here!). We also found the Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds and I found they were even more enjoyable.

The Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds were very good and surprised me with how much I would enjoy them together. My only wish would have been that they were a little healthier and, of course, less expensive. The expense is more of an abstract idea; getting these on clearance for $1.74 a bag makes these more than reasonable on the price front!

Basics

Planters Vanilla and Caramel flavor Flavor Grove Almonds are a ready-to-eat snack that combines two complimentary flavors of lightly sweetened nuts. Packaged in a 6 oz. stiff plastic resealable bag, the Flavor Grove Almonds are kept fresh until opened. After removing the safety seal, consumers have access to the almonds that are dusted with a powder that gives them their Vanilla or Caramel flavors; the two types of almonds are mixed together. The two types of almonds are very easy to keep straight; the caramel almonds are dark brown and the vanilla ones are white with what appears to be more of a glaze than a powder.

Outside their frosted appearance, the Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds look just like ordinary almonds. Each 6 oz. container has six 1 ounce servings easily dispensed through the wide top of the bag.

Ease Of Preparation

These are flavored, roasted nuts, so preparing them is as easy as opening the bag they come in and consuming them. There is no trick or work needed to eat Vanilla and Caramel flavor Flavor Grove Almonds.

Taste

The Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds smell amazing when the bag is opened. The combination of vanilla and caramel results in a warm, inviting aroma that begs the consumer to start eating. The resulting aroma actually smells like honey and cinnamon.

Planters made the Caramel almonds very subtle. When placed on the tongue, the caramel almonds have a decent amount of flavor. They are very sweet and have a dry quality to them that is a great embodiment of caramel. When the nut is broken, though, the buttery almond flavor completely overcomes the taste of the caramel powder coating.

The bad of nuts is completely sold by the vanilla almonds. These are light, sweet and this might well be the only almond I have ever had that did not taste dry. The lack of skin on these almonds allows the full vanilla flavor to resonate and permeate the almond. These sweet, delicious coated almonds are exceptional and perfectly embody the flavor of vanilla.

Mixed together (which seemed reasonable to me because Planters combined the two flavors), the caramel and vanilla flavors blend together in the mouth to ultimately taste like brown sugar. The two flavors combine to make exactly that sweet, smoky flavor of brown sugar that is absolutely delicious.

Nutrition

After my recent experiences with almonds, I was not surprised that Planters Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds are fairly healthy! A serving is considered 28 grams which is about an ounce (an estimated twenty-four nuts). With the standard recommended serving size, the nuts have 12 grams of fat! That's 18% of the RDA of fat, with 5% of the RDA coming from the one gram of saturated fat! There is 6% of the RDA of calcium and five grams of protein, these surprisingly full of nutrients. In addition to potassium (170mg) and a fairly low amount of salt (55 mg sodium!), these nuts have iron, Vitamin E, riboflavin, Magnesium, copper, and Manganese. Other nuts I have had lately have had more nutrients, but these are still not bad at all.

The ingredients list for these Vanilla and Caramel flavor Flavor Grove Almonds is fairly short, which is nice because most of the ingredients are natural. Planters are made primarily of almonds, sugar and honey. There is nothing unpronounceable in these nuts and the ingredients are very healthy. Obviously, these nuts are manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and other tree nuts.

Storage/Clean-up

Just as with the preparation, Planters Vanilla and Caramel flavor Flavor Grove Almonds candies are low stress when it comes to storage and cleanup. Storage is simple when the nuts are kept in their bag at room temperature or cooler. Kept sealed in their bag, these nuts would not expire until May 16, 2012, which is why I suppose they were on clearance.

Planters Flavor Grove Almonds are easy to clean up after as well. Simply wash your hands after eating to get any stray flavor dust off. There should be no other residue, but if there is, it may easily be wiped away with a damp cloth.


Overall

Planters Vanilla and Caramel flavor Flavor Grove Almonds are entirely delightful and are a flavor well worth picking up!

For other nut reviews, please visit my takes on:
Planters Crème Brule Almonds
Blue Diamond Cocoa Oven Roasted Almonds
Wonderful Pistachios

7/10

For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Planters Flavor Grove Almonds, Cinnamon And Cocoa Leave Me Unimpressed.

The Good: Good cinnamon flavor, Fairly nutritious.
The Bad: A little pricey, Cocoa flavor is exceptionally weak.
The Basics: The Cocoa and Cinnamon Flavor Grove Almonds from Planters are a decent snack together, but on their own are unfortunately weak for those looking for a healthy salty-sweet snack.


Over the weekend, my wife and I were thrilled to discover giant carts of treats filled with snacks and drinks being clearanced that were enough to get our tastebuds watering. As I have been on a kick with nuts lately, because they are so surprisingly good for us, I gravitated toward a bunch of Planters products, while my wife nabbed some hot chocolate for us. The first one I was eager to try was the Planters Flavor Grove Cocoa and Cinnamon Almonds.

The Cocoa and Cinnamon Flavor Grove Almonds left me initially bewildered as the combination of the two flavors seemed unnecessary. I instantly suspected that Planters was not having luck marketing the different flavors of almonds on their own (a suspicion bolstered by my wife geeking out over the Vanilla and Caramel Flavor Grove Almonds) and combined them more for pragmatism than the belief that the flavors would all be ideal together. Even so, I was less surprised than I would like to discover I enjoyed half the contents of the bag quite a bit more than the other half!

Basics

Planters Cocoa and Cinnamon flavor Flavor Grove Almonds are a ready-to-eat snack that combines two complimentary flavors of lightly sweetened nuts. Packaged in an 6 oz. stiff plastic resealable bag, the Flavor Grove Almonds are kept fresh until opened. After removing the safety seal, consumers have access to the almonds that are dusted with a powder that gives them their Cocoa or Cinnamon flavor; the two types of almonds are mixed together. The two types of almonds are very easy to keep straight; the cocoa almonds are dark brown and the cinnamon ones are white with a little dusting of yellow and red powder coating.

Outside their frosted appearance, the Cocoa and Cinnamon Flavor Grove Almonds look just like ordinary almonds. Each 6 oz. container has six 1 ounce servings easily dispensed through the wide top of the bag.

Ease Of Preparation

These are flavored, roasted nuts, so preparing them is as easy as opening the bag they come in and consuming them. There is no trick or work needed to eat Cocoa and Cinnamon flavor Flavor Grove Almonds.

Taste

The Cocoa and Cinnamon Flavor Grove Almonds smell deliciously like overwhelmingly like Cinnamon. This is one of the sweetest, warmest smelling bags of nuts I have ever opened, certainly one of the best smelling collection of nuts from a major company.

Planters made the Cinnamon almonds exceptionally sweet. Not generically sweet, these nuts are coated in a cinnamon sugar that is instantly reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (cereal). The flavor is distinctive and fairly strong. On virtually every nut I had, the cinnamon flavor coated the entire nut. However, once the coating is broken (i.e. by chewing), the almond flavor quickly overwhelms the tastebuds.

Unfortunately more erratic are the chocolate almonds. Planters dusts the Cocoa almonds with a surprisingly light dusting of cocoa. This results in an almond that tastes like it was dropped into hot chocolate powder and it is not the strongest chocolate flavor at all. Like a light milk chocolate flavor, over half the almonds in my bag tasted like the chocolate had been partially washed off them. In other words, this is not the most robust chocolate flavor and the almond flavor easily overwhelms the consumer on these nuts.

Mixed together (an experiment I did because I presumed there was a reason Planters combined the two flavors), the sweet cinnamon easily overpowers the strangely weaker chocolate. The cinnamon flavor seems to be extended some when the nuts are combined, so when chewed together, the cinnamon flavor actually overcomes the bitter almond taste well enough to keep the consumer happy. The lack of a strong chocolate flavor, though, left me a bit disappointed.

Nutrition

After my recent experiences with almonds, I was not surprised that Planters Cocoa and Cinnamon Flavor Grove Almonds are fairly healthy! A serving is considered 28 grams which is about an ounce (an estimated twenty-four nuts). With the standard recommended serving size, the nuts have 12 grams of fat! That's 18% of the RDA of fat, with 5% of the RDA coming from the one gram of saturated fat! There is 6% of the RDA of calcium and five grams of protein, these surprisingly full of nutrients. In addition to potassium (180mg) and a fairly low amount of salt (only 40 mg sodium!), these nuts have iron, Vitamin E, riboflavin, Magnesium, copper, phosphorous and Manganese. Other nuts I have had lately have had more nutrients, but these are still not bad at all.

The ingredients list for these Cocoa and Cinnamon flavor Flavor Grove Almonds is fairly short, which is nice because most of the ingredients are natural. Planters are made primarily of almonds, sugar and honey. There is nothing unpronounceable in these nuts and the ingredients are very healthy. Obviously, these nuts are manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and other tree nuts.

Storage/Clean-up

Just as with the preparation, Planters Cocoa and Cinnamon flavor Flavor Grove Almonds candies are low stress when it comes to storage and cleanup. Storage is simple when the nuts are kept in their bag at room temperature or cooler. Kept sealed in their bag, these nuts would not expire until September, 2012, which is why I suppose they were on clearance.

Planters Flavor Grove Almonds are easy to clean up after as well. Simply wash your hands after eating to get any stray flavor dust off. There should be no other residue, but if there is, it may easily be wiped away with a damp cloth.


Overall

Planters Cocoa and Cinnamon flavor Flavor Grove Almonds are a real mixed bag. I was not impressed with the cocoa flavored nuts, but the cinnamon ones were actually quite delightful and I would look for those again.

For other nut reviews, please visit my takes on:
Planters Crème Brule Almonds
Blue Diamond Cocoa Oven Roasted Almonds
Wonderful Pistachios

5/10

For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Gourmet Response To Glazed Peanuts; Planters’ Crème Brule Almonds Are Delicious!

The Good: Good taste, Generally affordable
The Bad: Still fairly expensive, Not as nutritious as many almond options.
The Basics: Planters Creme Brule Almonds are delicious, but not the health food many other premium almonds are.


I’ve gone nuts! Okay, I have gone to nuts for trying to eat healthy. My reviews have begun to reflect that as I have recently reviewed Blue Diamond Toffee flavored almonds (here!) and Wonderful Pistachios’ Roasted & Salted Pistachios (here!). Given that Planters is one of the leaders in nut production and sales, I figured it was a good time to review one of their products. Today, that takes the form of Planters Crème Brule Almonds.
I picked up the Planters Crème Brule Almonds for my wife and I had to sneak them out of the house in order to review them; she loves them so much, I know she would object to me sitting and consuming some for the sole purpose of writing about them. The truth is, though, I enjoy these almonds. They are a nice alternative to candy, but not a great alternative to other flavored nuts, at least for those looking at the health benefits. For those who are not, these are wonderful either way. Tasty and not at all like what one expects of almonds, Planters Crème Brule Almonds are a treat . . . much more than a health food.

Basics

Planters Creme Brule flavor Almonds are a ready-to-eat snack that is reminiscent of glazed peanuts, like what one buys at premium locations like Gertrude Hawk. Packaged in an 20 oz. cardboard canister, the Almonds are well protected. After removing the safety seal, consumers have access to the almonds that are glazed with a sugary coating that gives them their Creme Brule flavor. In fact, the glaze is so heavy on the Crème Brule Almonds that they do not resemble almonds at all. Instead, these nuts look like little candied blobs with no discernable nut or item they are coating.

Each 20 oz. container has approximately twenty 1 ounce servings easily removed through the wide mouth of the canister. This is a snack that is very hard to ration unless you are actually counting out the nuts!

Ease Of Preparation

These are glazed, roasted nuts, so preparing them is as easy as opening the canister they come in and consuming them. There is no trick or work needed to eat Creme Brule flavor Almonds. The most work here comes in stopping yourself from eating them all!

Taste

The Creme Brule Almonds smell like a bakery in the early morning. They are rich in the aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar and they are entirely inviting. This is arguably the best smelling nut – for something that smells like anything but a nut – that I have ever smelled. These are so richly scented, they are impossible to resist.

On the tongue, the Creme Brule almonds are overwhelmingly sweet. Completely eliminating the flavor of almonds until the very last of the hard, caramelized coating is gone, the Crème Brule Almonds taste exactly like what they are supposed to. These taste like a warm, caramelized crème brule treat and it is impressive just how well Planters nailed the flavor of crème brule. The almonds, when their flavor does come out after the sweetness dissipates are remarkably average, almost bland almonds. They have the buttery, indistinct flavor of unsalted almonds. They are not bad, but Planters could pretty much put the crème brule coating on anything and get it tasting as good as they make these almonds!

Nutrition

What surprised me most about Planters Creme Brule Almonds was how my wife recently applauded almonds as exceptionally healthy and these nuts are not all that healthy! A serving is 28 grams which is approximately eighteen nuts). With the standard recommended serving size, the nuts have only 8 grams of fat, which is pretty goof! That's 12% of the RDA of fat, which is less than many nut products. With 3% of the RDA coming from the half gram of saturated fat, Planters Crème Brule Almonds are not as bad on the health front as some saltier nut options. While there is 4% of the RDA of calcium and three grams of protein, there are not a ton of other nutrients in these nuts. In addition to potassium (115mg) and a comparatively low amount of salt (45 mg sodium!), these nuts have trace amounts of dietary fiber, iron, Vitamin E, Magnesium, and Manganese!

The ingredients list for these Creme Brule flavor Almonds is fairly short as well. Planters Crème Brule Almonds are made primarily of almonds, sugar and fructose. There is nothing unpronounceable in these nuts.

Storage/Clean-up

Just as with the preparation, Planters Creme Brule flavor Almonds are low stress when it comes to storage and cleanup. Storage is simple when the nuts are kept in their canister at room temperature or cooler. I was surprised to discover that these nuts, which seemed like they were new to the market, had an expiration date of March 9, 2012 (I bought them on the 1 and wrote this review days after, so . . .); they seem very fresh and I am surprised they would go bad so quickly. Once opened, they did not last long around our house, so I doubt that when they expire they actually “go bad.”

Planters Almonds are easy to clean up after as well. Simply wash your hands after eating them. Because these nuts are a dry glaze, there should be no residue left behind. If, however, there is, it may easily be wiped away with a damp cloth.


Overall

Planters Creme Brule flavor Almonds are a very good sweet snack and they win big points for tasting like the dessert whose name they bear. But they are not the healthiest rendition of almonds and that makes it a little harder to justify the expense of these delicious nuts.

For other snack reviews, please visit my takes on:
Quaker Low-Fat Chocolate Chunk Chewy Granola Bars
Peeled Organics Banan-A-Peel
WhoNu? Nutrition Rich Chocolate Cookies

5.5/10

For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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