Is "Popcorn With Herbs & Spices" Code For Herbal Corn Imposter?

I'm sure I don't need to remind you of my affinity for Little Lad's Herbal Corn, but sometimes I'm just not near Lad's or Whole Foods when I'm in the mood for some tasty, popped corn.  Enter Trader Joe's popcorn with herbs & spices.  A local vegan-in-the-know alerted me to the existence of this pseudo herbal corn and I had to give it a try.

The taste is similar, but not at all identical.  While the prevalent taste in herbal corn is nutritional yeast, popcorn with herbs & spices specifies only "dried yeast."  And even though the yellow bits look awfully familiar- they are clearly not in as much abundance as in herbal corn.  Instead of supporting, dill is the prominent flavor in popcorn with herbs & spices.

The other significant difference is in the crunch.  For some reason, I found TJ's offering to be considerably crisper than Lad's. I won't say that made it better or worse, but it was appreciated.

89 loves nooch, but popcorn is a no-no

On a scale from 1-5, Trader Joe's popcorn with herbs & spices scores a 4, while Little Lad's herbal corn holds steady at high number 5.  I conferred with a friend and fellow herbal corn lover and he agreed- making the results indisputable.  In a pinch, you'll be happy you have it.  But, if given the choice, you'll always reach for the Lad's.