Panera - French Toast Bagel

French Toast Bagel from Panera (Saint Louis Bread Co.)

Panera Website Description:
The official Panera website says that this bagel is made with sweet maple-flavored & vanilla chips.

First Impression/New Bagel Name:
Did they give me a plain bagel by mistake? Seriously, I can't think of a better name except for "plain."

Flavor:
The first impressions of this bagel were of a weak flavor, however, after a few bites a cinnamony taste began to become noticeable and the bagel became more pleasant. Overall, the vanilla chips claimed on the Panera website were missing entirely, and the maple flavor was undetectable to all but the most refined palate. The bagel possessed none of the pungent aroma for which the French are known.

Color:
The exterior of the bagel is a pleasant tan/brown, typical of the average bagel. There is a certain unevenness to the color, which becomes more evident inside the bagel, where it shows a distinctive swirling pattern.

Texture:
Extremely fluffy, this bagel also showed great consistency in texture from the exterior crust to the interior.

Bagel Top vs. Bagel Bottom:
The top of the bagel was clearly superior, with a fluffier texture and more flavor. The bottom of the bagel was quite dry and chewy, to the point that the crust was unpleasantly difficult to bite through.

Nutritional Value:
The bagel is one of the more nutritious on the Panera menu, with a nutritional rating of 9.

Schmeer Rating:
2 Schmeers out of 5