The coconut is an odd organism.

A sphere of tropical water protected by a hairy rind so thick you could clock a cartoon character ‘cross the noggin without cracking it, the coconut as an edible fruit takes a backseat to the thing’s most iconic purposes: flavoring piña coladas, serving as a hula girl brassiere, and signaling the entrance of an invisible horse.

Yet the coconut’s incomparable flavor has still developed a cult following—most people either hate coconut, are indifferent about it, or go absolutely cuckoo and nuts about it, rubbing its various oils and butters over their face, arms, and…uh…upside-down cakes.

That’s why every time a coconut cereal comes out, I applaud it. It must be a risk for the company involved, yet it’s still a rare treat that lets me have a breakfast luau without busting out the maple-glazed pig roast.

Case in point: I’m excited to review Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch, because two nuts are better than one.

Wait…no. I take that back!

Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch tastes like macaroons, through and through. If that’s not enough to immediately sell you on this cereal, let me put it another way: this cereal tastes like chocolate-less Girl Scouts Samoas. If that’s not enough to sell you on this cereal, well shame on you, a pox on your house, and so forth.

What I mean by my macaroonian metaphor is that, though the core flake component of this cereal is pretty inoffensive and bland—there’s a light sugary glaze to each toasted flake, but otherwise no wholesome or golden depth—the massive hunks of baker’s coconut scattered throughout do a great job of diffusing their authentic, tropically sweet coconutty taste throughout every bite.

These things are like trained bodyguards: even when you don’t see them, you’ll taste their fury.

And it’s not just the coconut shavings (which look more like carvings). Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch’s titular seed also infuse every bite with an underlying, earthily savory nuttiness that does a good job of balancing the coconut’s sweetness.

If the coconut hunks are bodyguards, these nuts are the secret service.

When combined with the buttery, vanilla-tinged, and nearly honey-sweet oat clusters, This cereal really does a fantastic job of mimicking that iconically hay bale-shaped toasted coconut dessert. It’s a solid flavor, but a little too niche in its appeal to warrant a regular re-purchase. I also really wish the flakes were more than just filler, but hey, at least Post didn’t fill the bag with packing peanuts.

Now Circus Peanuts…that’d be interesting.

Oh, I forgot to talk about Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch with milk. It doesn’t taste any different. Maybe a little doughier, but the stuff has solid flavor integrity. I love me a cereal of high moral character.

The Bowl: Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch Cereal

The Breakdown: If you love coconut, specifically of the toasted dessert variety, this cereal is a low-guilt no-brainer. But it probably won’t win over any converts from the anti-coconut camp, and its jagged, bland flakes probably don’t make for a comfortable skin exfoliant.

The Bottom Line: 7.5 boinked noggins out of 10