Farbeit for me to risk being accused of being a hypocrite, whatwith decrying the environmentally irresponsible bulk packs of teas that have legitimate nutritional benefits (or at least no detractions) in many of my other reviews, I was in the mood to write a real positive review this morning, so I decided I would have to start with the biggest quantity available of Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn Flavor jelly beans. Instead of starting at the smallest possible packs (Epinions database on these is a bit esoteric in what it offers for review) and having to acknowledge that there is some element of low rating because of the way they are bulked, I am opting instead to review the full ten pound bulk case of Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly's.

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 toasted marshmallow, orange sherbet, Dr. Pepper, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.

Who needs ten pounds of Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly's? Anyone who has ever had one of these delightful jelly beans would never ask that!

Basics

Buttered Popcorn 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 buttered popcorn and they live up to that well.

Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly's 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, it's hard not to go through these when they are around. The Buttered Popcorn flavor, especially is one that is so intriguing and delicious that once one starts eating them, one needs to come up with a reason to stop. I want to say that a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans, they would certainly keep for a year even in this level of bulk, but once a box like this is open, they are lucky to last six months around my house.

Ease of Preparation

These are jelly beans, not the Paris Peace Process. Preparing them is as easy as opening the box and popping one (or a handful) into your mouth. 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, but hey, I'm not the candy police. Eating them out of the box is fine!

Taste

There is something truly disconcerting about Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly jelly beans and that is that they taste precisely like what they claim to. The beans do not have a bouquet, so smelling them does not smell like a tub of movie theater buttered popcorn, but placing a bean on one's tongue reveals a taste that is the exact taste of buttered popcorn. This flavor is perfectly and accurately titled, tasting just like kernels of butter-flavored popcorn.

The reason this is disconcerting (other than not being able to write anything more because the taste is exactly like what one would expect if one has ever has popcorn drenched in butter) is the texture. Because the bean tastes so exactly like buttered popcorn, it is weird to have the texture and sweetness of a jelly bean when one bites into a bean. Texture aside, the taste is absolutely perfect and despite the growing fear of obesity, I find it remarkably easy to sit and watch a movie satisfying my oral fixation by downing these beans (often more than) one at a time.

Nutrition

Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to keep on walking. 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! 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 or a pocket 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 (always wash your hands before eating Jelly Belly's, though, it shows respect for the beans!). I've never had Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly's stain anything. That said, it's pretty wild to be able to eat something that tastes so much like buttered popcorn and not have to clean butter off one's fingers afterward!

Overall

Jelly Belly jelly beans might just be the best candy on the face of the planet and Buttered Popcorn is an exceptional flavor to use to help prove that. And the ten pound box is not overkill, not by a longshot!

For other candy reviewed by me, please check out my takes on:
Whopper's Malted Milk Balls - http://www.epinions.com/content_429639765636
Nestle Butterfinger Crisp - http://www.epinions.com/content_419735375492
Whopper's Strawberry Milkshake Milk Balls - http://www.epinions.com/content_443196477060