Sun Chips Sweet & Spicy BBQ

Let's be honest here.  French Onion Sun Chips are freaking delicious.  So delicious, in fact, that I kinda of forget there are other kinds of Sun Chips available for purchase.  Why would I ever purchase them when French Onion is RIGHT THERE?  No reason - that's why.  Well... unless it's a NEW flavor!  Exciting!  Will this trump the ever delicious french onion flavor?

I don't know, but I'm willing to find out.  For science!  For chips!  For glory!

But what do they taste like?
They're pretty good, but not really anything super special.  The thing that works well about the french onion flavor, I feel, is that it really compliments the multigrain taste of the Sun Chips.  The BBQ flavor, though?  Well - it's just not strong enough.  There's a hint of vinegar, and the tiniest bit of mouth burn, which, one supposes, is the 'spicy' half of sweet and spicy, but the I really mostly taste the base chip.

For BBQ flavor these really don't stand out from the pack for me.  They taste BBQ-y, sure, but it's not really what I expect from a BBQ chip.  What I'd like to see is a BBQ punch of deliciousness, not a multgrain flavor and oh also some BBQ I guess if you have time.  It's a pity, because the tiny hints of BBQ sauce flavor I get are pretty good.  Bit vinegar-y, tomato-y and spicy - it would taste pretty good... if I could TASTE it.  Where is it?  It's also kinda strange have BBQ and multigrain flavor - BBQ sauce isn't something I generally associate with many grains.  The pairing works, but it could be better.

If you really like plain Sun Chips, but feel they could use the tiniest of kicks then perhaps give these a try.  But if you're looking for a really solid BBQ chip, then you'd be better off elsewhere I think.

Rating

Annie Chun's Cracked Pepper & Herbs

More seaweed!  This time found at Fairway and hopefully equally delicious.  These, however, are pepper and herb flavored which is strange.  Sesame made sense, as it's a sushi flavor, but cracked pepper?  Herb?  I'm not so sure.

I am going to try them anyway!  Even if the flavors will possibly be, dare I say it, strange?

But what do they taste like?
As feared - the herb/cracked pepper flavor kinda overpowers the natural seaweed flavor.  There's also a strange kind of sweetness that wasn't in the sesame brand.  It's also possibly saltier, which is weird, since you'd think herb and pepper would be less salty, no?

Also much saltier than the sesame, which is strange since I thought the sesame was pretty salty to begin with.  These, however, have a pepper-y aftertaste that's kinda nice, but also strange, because it's totally out of place with seaweed.  I mean, they're still pretty good, but they're definitely not normal seaweed.

If you, for whatever reason, want seaweed that also doesn't taste like seaweed, then give these a shot.  Otherwise, perhaps try the sesame.

Next week we'll be back to actual chips - I even have some international ones to try, courtesy of my friend who just came back from Israel!

Rating
 

Cheetos Mix-Ups Cheezy Salsa Mix

Sorcery and witchcraft!  It's a mix of different Cheetos types in the same bag!  There was another bag in the store, but it didn't have a strange green 'jalapeno cheddar' thing in it, so I passed.  Why get normal Cheetos when I can get strange green ones?  No reason is why!

The flavors are:  salsa picante, chipotle cheddar, jalapeno cheddar and cheddar.  Cheddar seems like a standard cheez doodle type chip, while the salsa picante is more like a cheeto.  The other two are like a waffle fry (chipotle cheddar), and a green tater tot (jalapeno cheddar).  Let the battle for ultimate mix flavor... begin!

But what do they taste like?
Salsa picante: I thought these would have more flavor actually.  They're like cheetos, but there's... the tiniest hint of tomato flavor?  Not much spice and not much cheese though.  They really don't taste like much of anything other than some slight spiciness.  These were the mildest of the bunch, which was unexpected.
Chipotle cheddar: chemical-y, chipotle flavor right off the bat.  It tastes the way cheese sauce smells, if that makes any sense.  It's a strong, sort of smokey cheese flavor that stays pretty strong throughout.  It's not bad, but it's definitely the strongest chemical flavor of the bunch.  It's also a very thick chip, while the others are smaller bites.
Jalapeno cheddar: jalapeno-y, but not in a painful way yet.  They get a little spicier as you go, but not too bad.  A tiny bit of a kick, but they taste pretty good!  The green is... a little off-putting, but I guess you... might not know it's jalapeno otherwise?  All things considered it's pretty mild - like a cheez doodle that tastes spicier than cheez-y.
Cheddar: pretty much your standard cheddar flavor, but weirdly, every single chip seems to have the jalapeno green on it, so they all have a bit of a punch.  Basically... think 'cheez doodle' and you've got the cheddar flavor.

All four flavors at once: it's... weird.  Pretty much a spicy, chemical-y mix that has a strong cheez doodle flavor.  The problem with these is that the 'cheddar' and 'chipotle cheddar' are all way bigger than the others, overpowering them.  It's not much of a mix and match bag.  Eating a handful without the 'cheddar' flavor is actually better, just because the cheddar flavor is pretty overpowering.

Overall these are fine, but a bit strange.  The green from the jalapeno cheddar is pretty strange looking, and when it gets on the cheez doodles it makes them look moldy, even when they're not.  The flavors are aren't bad - bit cheesy and spicy, but, all the same, I don't think I'd buy them again.

Rating

Doritos Jumpin' Jack

As with the Doritos Tacos, these are in the weird throwback bag.  I'm not sure why since it looks weird.  I saw these in 7/11, which, all things considered, does a pretty good job of stocking strange chips, so I snagged a bag.

On first open, they remind me a lot of Cool Ranch Doritos (super delicious), so that's a good start.

But what do they taste like?
They taste a bit like pepper jack cheese, as you'd expect, since that's what the label says, but it's mostly 'Doritos chip' flavor.  More than anything else it's just salty with a little bit of kick (and when I say a little bit - it's barely there) from the cheese and... that's about it.  There's some weird 'cheese' sense when you first bite into it on some chips - I suspect it's on ones that were especially flavor blasted.  But, unfortunately it doesn't last for long and you're left with tortilla chip and spice flavor.

Do they taste good?  Sure!  Hard to go too far wrong with Doritos that taste like a chip, but is there some sort of magical awesome pepper jack cheese flavor going on?  No... not really.  I certainly wouldn't eat these and think 'ah yes, pepper jack flavored Doritos'.  It's like... a very mild Cool Ranch and maybe the slightest hint of pepper jack cheese.

So, while they taste fine, I wouldn't really go out of my way to get these.  I'd much prefer some Cool Ranch, or even regular Nacho flavor over these, just because it's a more distinct flavor.  All I get after these pepper jack chips is a tiny bit of mouth burn and tortilla chip taste.  And... that's kinda boring.  It seems like, unless the cheese flavor is 'nacho' Doritos is kinda out of its depth on cheese flavorings.

Rating

Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wings

It's a known fact that I think ranch dressing is pretty delicious.  It's also known that the best dipping sauce for buffalo wings is ranch dressing.  None of these other dressings for me.  It's safe to say that I am both pro ranch dressing, and pro buffalo wings.  Or, in this case, hot wings.  So I was pretty excited when I found these magic chips.  But also wary for, as I've learned, chips rarely taste like the two promised things.  It's one or the other.  How shall these fare?!

But what do they taste like?
Wow.  They actually taste a hell of a lot like ranch dipped hot wings.  They're not quite buffalo wings, because there's no chicken flavor really, but it's pretty close to eating a chip that's been dipped in some sort of strange 'ranch hot wing sauce' mix.  They're also practically neon with flavor - usually a good sign.  For these the flavor isn't super overpowering, but the flavor that lasts is the chemically hot wing taste, when I'd prefer to taste more ranch.  Another thing is that they're strangely thick chips, and way bigger than regular Doritos.  Is that a thing with JACKED chips?  It's a bit strange, since the chip flavor detracts from the ranch/hot wing flavor.  It seems to be a thing, since the bag says that they're 'bigger, bolder, thicker', but I honestly don't feel like that improves them.

The larger than average chips are kinda weird.  There are fewer chips in the bag, but simultaneously more calories than a usual bag of chips.  That's not a problem, but I think these can very easily be overeaten, since you feel like you've only eaten a few chips when really it's double normal size Doritos.  They're not too spicy, but they do have a bit of a kick, which you expect with hot wings sauce.

The flavor overall is nice, but it seems to taste best the first second you try it.  After that it gets pretty chemically.  I think I'd like these better if that first taste stuck.  The first taste is more ranch/wing, but it's very quickly overpowered by the chemical hot wing sauce.  Overall, these do actually have a ranch and hot wing sauce flavor, so props to Doritos for the 'dual flavor' chip, but they're deceptively big and taste pretty chemically the more you eat.  That and the neon seasoning requires extra napkins.

Rating

 

Doritos Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch

If you know me you may know that I think ranch is awesome.  On salad?  Sweet - best salad ever.  Dipping things in it?  Sup, buffalo wings, you're looking delicious.  Blue cheese?  No thanks - that's gross.  Check plus ranch dressing.  So, needless to say, when I saw these I decided I should buy them.  I would've preferred  a smaller bag in case these are awful, but they didn't have a smaller bag!  Of course, I ended up finding a smaller bag at a different store later in the week, but that's not the point.  I have these now.

Let's hope they're good because I have a ton of them.  First off - they look like regular cheese Doritos and kinda smell like them.  Not getting much of a buffalo or ranch smell.  The orange flavor dust is so orange it's nearly radioactive.  Exciting!

But what do they taste like?
Spicy.  But not buffalo wing spicy, like the Pringles Blastin' Buffalo Wing - it's more of a generic spice.  Maybe it's just me, but I'm not really tasting the buffalo or the ranch taste.  To be fair, it probably isn't easy to make one chip taste like two flavors, but I don't think they've quite done it.  The actual taste isn't obvious.  My mouth mostly just burns a little right now.  It really doesn't taste like much, weirdly.  Or, at least, not of buffalo wings or ranch.

They don't taste bad - Doritos rarely do, but they're also very much not buffalo wings and ranch which is kinda strange since some of them are nearly neon with flavor.  They're a bit spicy and mouth burn-y, but not really anything more than that.

As far as wanting something that tastes like buffalo wings or ranch these definitely miss the mark.  That being said, they don't taste bad necessarily... they're pretty much just mildly spicy nacho Doritos that don't quite taste like cheese.  Weird.

Rating

Walkers Prawn Cocktail

I got these in the same aisle I got the Hula Hoops and for the same reason.  International chips woo!  I've also always been intrigued by prawn cocktail flavored chips because... what the heck?  Who thinks this would be a good flavor?  In the International Chips post, Ciara and Gemma said they have a fishy smell and I believe they enjoyed them.  What could go wrong?!

These pretty much look like Lay's which isn't surprising really.  Weirdly, they kind of smell like ketchup.  They smell a lot like ketchup.  Have to say I wasn't expecting that!  What other surprises do these chips have in store I wonder!

But what do they taste like?
Wow they are salty.  I mostly just taste salt and kind of a strange sweetness.  It's hard to describe the saltiness of these because they aren't traditionally salty.  It's the kind of salt that burns your mouth - you feel it rather than taste it.  And I really taste a very strong salty ketchup flavor.  It suddenly occurs to me that I have no idea what prawns taste like, but I'm fairly certain they should be fishier than this.  This is such a strong flavor - like a punch to the mouth really.  But weirdly, it doesn't last very long. 

There's a slight burning on my tongue still, but other than that the ketchup is basically gone.  The chips themselves are also extremely flimsy... kinda like Lay's.  You know, I think this isn't so much 'prawn' flavor, but more the actual prawn cocktail sauce flavor.  It's not the worst flavor, but it's strange.

Ciara tried the Tayto brand and these are Walkers so perhaps that's the difference.  I'm also really amazed by this ketchup-esque flavor.  It's not quite ketchup, but it's not prawns.  I don't really like the flavor, but I don't dislike it either.  They're not chips I would buy again, though that weird sweetness is kinda growing on me.

Rating:

El Sabroso Original Guacachip

I grabbed these a few days after I got the El Sabroso Salsa chips because why not, right?  And happily it's a much smaller bag so I won't have them lying around for ages!

For starters the bag is pretty small and seems pretty empty.  On the plate they look kinda lonely.  El Sabroso seems to have skimped on the chip count in this bag.  They don't smell like much and look a little weird.  With that, let's give them a try.

But what do they taste like?
They don't taste like much strangely.  Definitely not like avocados or any sort of guac.  The chips are kind of hard and bland tasting.  There's a hint of salt and spice every so often, but really there's not much.  These definitely do not taste like guacamole unless it's terribly made.  They don't taste bad, but they're way off the mark as far as decent guac flavors go.  There's a smoothness to them, but it's just mild nothingness.  Compared to the El Sabroso salsa chips which weren't great, but at least had some flavor, these definitely miss the mark.

The green chips are also a little disconcerting.  It's not a fresh green... more of a 'this isn't quite right' green.  These are okay chips, but okay doesn't really cut it when it comes to buying them again.  Also, strangely, some of the chips are covered in seasoning and others barely have any, but they all taste roughly the same.  Usually those smothered chips at least pack a bit of a punch, but not in this case evidently.  That being said, I don't mind eating them.  The very mild flavor (a hint of... avocado maybe) is kinda nice.  I just don't feel it's worth it to eat chips that taste so mild.  I'd like to taste what I'm eating!

These weren't bad, but I wouldn't get them again.  There's not enough flavor to make it worth it really.

Rating:

Lay's Classic BLT

I was drawn to these Lay's Classic BLT chips because the bag was slightly larger than usual and it was a weird brown color.  Also, it had a sandwich on the front.  I love bacon so I was hoping that these would mostly just be 'bacon' flavored rather than 'sandwich' flavored which the Classic BLT name implies.

 

For such a large bag it wasn't particularly full which was disappointing.  I also was not hit in the face with a bacon smell which was a sign of things to come.  The chips themselves look like they're covered in all sorts of flavors and were remarkably intact considering they spent a lot of time in my bag.

But what do they taste like?
Not like a BLT - classic or otherwise.  They don't even taste like bacon, or lettuce, or tomato.  I think the downfall of these chips is that they actually tried to make them taste like the sandwich with the bread included and sometimes a hint of mayo.  They're pretty salty and whatever the flavor is, it gets stronger as you chew.  It's sort of a generic, but mild, 'salty meat' flavor.  Maybe it was the green seasoning on the chips, but they tasted sort of like sour cream and onion chips (though these were slightly meatier).  Eating a single chip doesn't really taste like much and eating a handful is mostly just salt.  Not too much grease at first, but it gets greasier as you go somehow.

Overall they were pretty disappointing.  I never expected them to taste like a BLT, but I did expect them to at least try to get it to taste like a BLT or bacon, lettuce and tomato.   They're not bad chips.  The flavor wasn't unappealing, but it definitely wasn't BLT flavored.  If you're looking for BLT flavored chips then unfortunately your search continues.  If you're looking for generic and kind of weird tasting chips then you could probably pick up a bag of these.

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