2 days ago
Moore Crunch! pretzel review: Heck yeah.
Moore Crunch! pretzel review: Heck yeah.
There's a lot to like about Moore Crunch! pretzels. They're founded and crafted by an autistic adult, Marcus Moore. And the best thing about Moore Crunch! products? They're freakin' awesome.
These are, in all honesty, the best pretzels I've ever had. They may be the best thing I've reviewed in my four years here. As much as I may want to talk about Moore Crunch!'s mailer -- replete with a massive foamboard poster detailing Marcus's backstory -- let's just get into it with my reviews of the company's offering of all kinds of incredible flavors:
Garlic Ranch: A+
I'm excited about this blend. It speaks to my Italian roots and my current place in the midwest. Opening the bag unveils a stay fresh zip lock top -- a nice touch, but an unnecessary one for a one-ounce bag. The smell is baked bread and potent garlic, which is, honestly, just about perfect.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the texture -- with a name like Moore Crunch! I expected a harder, crumbly pretzel. But these are a little more pliable. They crunch, to be certain, but they also have some give. You get into a softer interior that's more satisfying to chew than your typical Snyder's. It's a little more crumbly than your typical spindle, and it works. I like to eat my pretzels in small bites, spitting them down the middle with my front teeth before flinging them back to be digested. These work great for that.
Each twist is well dusted in a combination of garlic powder and Hidden Valley-ish ranch. The balance is nice, with the tang of the garlic leaning into the softer, creamier base of salad dressing powder. The flavor hits each bite equally, lasting as long as it's on your tongue and a bit afterward. I have no doubt my breath is absolutely banging after this, but I don't care. It's worth it.
What I said before about the resealable bag? That would probably hold true if these came in a half pound size. A single serving of these isn't enough. They're wonderful. The seasoning is addictive and the texture is just about perfect. It's one of the best snacks I've ever had.
Maryland Crab: A-
I don't much like seafood (hey, we're back to talking about food textures, neat) but I have had crab fries. This isn't Old Bay seasoning, but the smell coming from the bag tells me it's close.
Once again, the bag is well coated in a fine dust of flavoring. There's a certain spice of paprika and black pepper that immediately zaps your tongue. It isn't as savory as the garlic ranch, which allows you to taste the pretzel a bit more than its predecessor. It's fine -- it's a pretzel -- but it slides to the background after that mild peppery influence rolls back at the end of each bite.
The seasoning here isn't hot, but it's much more crisp than the last round. Again, it's deftly balanced and lingers through the satisfying snap of each bite. It doesn't hit the spot in quite the same way as the garlic ranch, but it's still an impressive and original leap into what had been a fairly routine snack.
Cinnamon Sugar: A
Pouring the bag onto a plate unleashes a proper stockpile of cinnamon and sugar. Once again, Moore Crunch! delivers its flavors in satisfying amounts.
The cinnamon sugar is almost a dead ringer for the coating on Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. This is a good thing. That's basically like eating candy for breakfast.
The texture remains soft but crunchy. The cinnamon sugar is sweet but savory. It's absolutely more of a dessert snack, but there are some real "walking through the mall and getting within 100 yards of an Auntie Anne's" vibes going on here.
This stands as further evidence Moore Crunch! gets things right across its spectrum of flavors. The pretzels are a bit softer than other sticks. The flavor is familiar but still unique and liberally applied throughout each bag. These are next level pretzels. Most importantly, they're really, really good.
Would I eat it instead of a Hamm's?
This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking (or eating) to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I pick Moore Crunch! pretzels over a cold can of Hamm's?
Let's pair 'em up, they both rule.
This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
