Lays - Flavour mashup special - Ketchup + Cheese and Dill Pickle + White Cheddar

Those brand new Lays flavours are pretty cool! There's a third one called BBQ+ Sweet Chili Heat but the store I went to were out, I'm sure it rules as well

Lays Ketchup + Cheese

The simple yet effective packaging is reflected in this top notch mix of flavours. It's not for the snobs with refined palet but more for the working class who grew up with mums who sometimes had to cook Kraft Dinner mac and cheese and add some tomato sauce to it to make it less bland. Often served with sliced hot dogs too. I always liked those flavours so I was sold right from the start. I am but a simple man finding pleasures in simple things.

Merging the Lays Ketchup flavour with the cheesy taste of Cheetos isn't a simple task and I'm surprised the mortals from Frito Lay accomplished it with such a resounding success. "Two iconic flavours combined" is what we were promised and that's what we got. The Ketchup Lays are honestly a top 5 flavours and I always prefered a simple chip to the soft, spongy texture of cheetos (the hard ones are legit) so that's a godsend. 

At first, it's nothing impressive but then it hits you, the simplicity, the difficult yet accomplished mission of The Merging, the tasteful aura of nostalgia, it all creates such a powerful blow to the taste buds that it cannot be ignored.

Lays Dill Pickles + White Cheddar

I like dill pickles chips well enough. Those new spicy Miss Vickies were one of the most talked chips I've seen in years and for good reason, they were outstanding. What about this merging of powers we have here though? Well, it's certainly interesting and successful. One of the weaknesses of dill pickles chips is their acidity and saltiness, it's good but it makes them a "only once in a while" purchase, same for salt and vinegar chips.

The big difference here is how the white cheddar (from the Smartfood white cheddar popcorn) flavour blocks some of the saltiness of the dill pickles and adds a sort of enjoyable creaminess. Maybe like a cheesy dill dip!? I now want to eat them with the new Doritos cheese dips (world changer to be honest) and be fat forever. It's a more eatable dill pickle chips, it's dangerous as it's faster to finish a bag!

Lays redeems themselves after a few disgusting flavours, the two Chinese inspired bags I tried (Chicken and Tomato, Cucumber) were awful but those two are worth trying for sure.

Pringles Honey Mustard and Wendy's Baconator / Snack Review

Honey Mustard

Packaging: The colour is spot on, that sort of dark yellow close to Dijon mustard is attractive and reminds me of when I make my own honey mustard dip for chicken nuggets in the microwave as well, I'm trashy. The "Limited Time Only" red notice obviously made me them automatically, for review purposes only, of course. The bees and their hive is a touch and adds some cool artistry to the tube.

Texture/Taste: it's Pringles so the texture is always the same no matter what, were you expecting something different? Well yeah you could argue that they released some "wavy" or "groovz" chips but they're nothing special. The taste is pretty spot on to what I wanted. It tastes like a honey mustard dip, they did their job. It's spot on. The taste is pretty subtle and subdued too, it's not too much mustard-y or too sweet because of the honey, there's a good balance.

8/10

Wendy's Baconator

Packaging: there's a freaking big burger on the tube alongside the Wendy's sign. The tube is black too 'cause bacon is manly and shit, I guess?

Texture/Taste: Same old Pringle, it's orange-ish like the bun of the burger. Full disclosure, I don't think I ever tried the Baconator itself. I went to Wendy's like once and it was nothing special, it's not a super common fast food joint in Québec either. Still, this isn't very good or special. It tastes like a blend of fake bacon taste, BBQ sauce and hints of a beef aftertaste. It almost tastes like cheap beef ramen. I'll probably finish the tube anyway, mind you.

5/10

The Snack Series: Doritos 3D and Ruffles Double Crunch Jalapeno Cheddar

Doritos 3D chili cheese nacho

Packaging: The overly modern package with the big 3D letters isn't super aesthetic, it's a bit too much. The red and white colours are very aggressive too. The main intent was to show off how three dimensional the Doritos actually is since that's the main selling point of that new flavour. Mission accomplished, I guess. It's just ugly. Looks like a 90s sport logo or something.

Texture: The 3D Doritos are bite sized and yeah, they're hollow. They're like small triangular balloon disks. It's a fun texture to put in your mouth. It's almost adventurous, that's the kind of chips people in Star Trek would eat if they were actually unhealthy and not boring.

Taste: A mix of spicy chili and their usual nacho flavour, the taste is pretty decent while nothing out of the ordinary or special. It works. I think the size of the chips helps for some reason, probably a placebo one. If they were the size of a normal Dorito, it would had been weird.

All in all, it's a gimmick Doritos and I'd rather see them do adventurous flavours like Sonic Sour Cream or the guacamole collisions or something

6/10

Ruffles Double Crunch Jalapeno Cheddar

Packaging: the bag highlights how thicc the chips are and shows us a big chunk of cheddar and those powerful jalapeno boys. I always liked the blue Ruffles bag and the add green on the bottom is a good mix to their classic colours.

Texture: if one of your desires in life were something like "hey I'd like those Ruffles to be twice as thick and crispy" then you'll be satisffiied. They're as advertised and that's appreciated. You'll need to increase the volume of your TV though.

Taste:  Similar to the Cheetos crunchy jalapeno cheddar in taste, it doesn't reinvent the wheel. The focus was given to the texture and that's ok. It's not overly spicy but it has a nice little kick and the cheese flavour isn't overshadowed either. I'm intrigued by the double crunch ketchup Ruffles as well.

Strong effort by Ruffles

8/10

Ruffles Cheeseburger Snack Review

Ah, what's better than some new Ruffles flavours to survive the Covid-19 pandemic? Beer. Yes, probably beer but something better than Budweiser who aligned themselves with Ruffles. PBR isn't better than Budweiser but it's the cheap beer I had in the fridge. I'm not gonna waste good beer. Released alongside the Hot Wings flavour, can the Cheeseburger appease my anxiety? (the answer is no)

Packaging
Now, for the first time ever in a chips review, here's some social commentary. The whole marketing angle of Ruffles Canada for those two flavours is targeted at "men' who likes hot wings and cheeseburger with beer while watching SPORTS and it's frankly boring and retrograde. It's 2020, guys. Girls can like shit snacks too. The catchphrase on the back of the bag saying "get together with the buds" that's then translated to "rassemblez-vous entre gars" (get together with the boys) is sexist and unnecessary. The burger on the artwork looks juicy though...but putting a pint of Budweiser on the bag itself is a bit tacky.

Texture
The same as the usual Ruffles, there's some spots/spices to differentiate them from the other sorts though. The Ruffle chips is a legendary shape that you don't change.

Taste
Ok. Even if I slapped the whole bag in like fifteen minutes, I don't think they were good. The fact I'm having heartburn right now has nothing to do with it. The bag says "flame grilled, juicy authentic cheeseburger" and if they mean hints of ketchup, relish, mustard with a fake ground beef taste, it's pretty accurate. The aftertaste is not optimal either. It tastes like the idea of what a cheeseburger should taste like based on what an otherworldly but inapt being guessed. Maybe drinking both a PBR and some Arizona green tea while devouring the bag wasn't a good idea though but that's on me. Releasing those chips wasn't the best idea either. Stick to All Dressed or BBQ for Ruffles, guys.

5/10

The Snack Series - Doritos Flaming Hot / Pringles Groovz Applewood Smoked Cheddar

Doritos Flaming Hot

After awkward but funny ideas like the Sonic Sour Cream Doritos (previously featured here), the Collisions ideas or even the Crunchy Nuts Doritos, the brand is back with something safer but hotter.

Packaging: I got a small bag since I'm not the toughest dude ever in relation to spiciness and I decided to try them for research purposes only. They're also available in normal Doritos bigger size bags for people more courageous than me.

Texture/Look: They were Doritos alright and except for their flashy "dangerously hot" red colour, they had nothing special going for them.

Taste: Doritos often releases spicy versions of their chips and some were better than others. Compared to the 2017 version called Heatwave, those were spicier but not as interesting. They lacked depth and panache and only went straight to the heat. Not necessarily a bad thing but I do prefer subtleties with my nachos.


Blazing hot take. Not for weak tongues
7/10

Pringles Groovz Applewood Smoked Cheddar

After some interesting ideas like the Tortilla releases (Nacho Cheese and Salsa were pretty damn legit), Pringles is trying to reinvent itself with Groovz, a wavy take on their classic chip. I mean, there's no reinvention here but it's still good stuff.

Packaging: It's a freaking can. Were you expecting Pringles to change their one and only winning formula? Nah, I didn't think so.

Texture/Look: They're wavy and crunchier than your usual Pringle. They feel good in the mouth, my dudes.

Taste: The cheddar taste is here but it's not really strong. Pringles usually go for low key and balance approaches and it's still the case here.

Nothing spectacular. Honest cheese chips.
6.5/10

The Snack Series - Lays Taco and Lays Pizza

As you can see, I only pick healthy choices when I do my groceries

Lays just unleashed a new trio of flavors upon all the Canadian fatties and I had to try them. I now regret not buying "Grilled Cheese", the third flavor but it looked a bit too tame. I think this new series called Lays StEATS is a good idea despite the lack of originality. Lays has been quite bold with the contests they had and it wasn't often a big success (those Cinnamon Buns chips remain one of the most disgusting thing I ever tried and the only chips bag I had to throw away without finishing it). Sure, those three flavors are safe choices but they're also safe bets and classics.

Price: $5.50 for two 240 grams bags. Pretty damn fair.


Lays Pizza

Packaging: blue isn't a colour I tend to associate with pizza unlike green, red or white but fine, ok, I'll buy it anyway. The slice on the bag looks Italian and not the bastardized American version which is a good thing.

Texture/look: slightly reddish colour, nothing out of the ordinary. I wasn't expecting anything weird. Were you? No, there's no dried tomatoes in the bag!

Taste: One of my only points of comparaison were the Pringles Pizza and surprisingly the Lays are better. The taste is milder but more pizza-esque. The tomato taste is subtle but present and there's a slight herb touch to be found. It doesn't taste like pepperoni or cheese which could be interpreted as a welcome change or a risky interpretation depending on who you ask. Appreciable but not mind blowing.
7/10

White bowl = Taco - Green bowl = Pizza. I actually ate more than 2 bowls to be fully honest.

Lays Taco
Packaging: This time, green is a colour that works for the flavor. Lettuce is important for a taco!

Texture/look: Once again, it's a traditional Lays chip... There's some weird blackish spots on there to indicate that you're not eating normal bland Lays.

Taste: the Taco flavor is more complex than the Pizza one, there's hints of salsa, ground beef, spice, lettuce and even (maybe?) cheese in there. There's a short lived bang in your mouth too and it's more than just dipping your tongue into a little bag of taco spice powder. It's a good effort and I think it would perhaps be good enough to win a blind contest of "what does this taste like?". Recommended.
8/10

The Snack Series – Lays BLT

The Snack Series – Lay's BLT

Price: $2.99 Canadian for a 180 grams bag. Not too bad.

Packaging: Bright blue with a big BLT on the bag. I’m a bit disappointed by the fact it’s a smaller bag than their usual bigger ones but considering Lay's did some weird experiments in the past (during their contests, remember the cinnamon buns flavour? EWW!), it's understandable that they're not doing gigantic bags for their temporary or special releases.

Texture/look: Normal colour, same as the original Lay's brand but there's some black spots on the chips. Nothing quite special here.

Taste: It doesn't really taste like a BLT at all but this was to be expected with simulated flavors. The flavor at the forefront would be mayonnaise and then there's some slight bacon and tomato in the aftertaste but I had to eat the whole bag in 30 mins to find those. I'm a big mayonnaise fan (it's not an instrument, by the way) but those Lay's weren't really interesting. I'd say that they're a bit better than the Bacon Lay's though.

Spend your snack money on something else. They're not bad but they're uninteresting and uninspired.

6/10

The Snack Series - Doritos Sonic Sour Cream

Price: Doritos are getting pricier and pricier but there's no way I'm not gonna try their new flavours! The 250 grams bag was like $4.50

Packaging: The packaging is INTENSE. Bright guacamole green with some purple and a big ass bowl of sour cream and some red onions. It definitely attracts the eye... and the hand. Finally, a big plus for the totally bonkers name. Sonic sour cream? Gotta go fast, right?

Texture/look: It's the same as your usual Doritos flavor. Were you expecting something wildly different? The chips are as white as snow. Perfect if you're a cunt and you're listening to some NSBM while eating 'em!

Taste: Not too dissimilar from a ranch taste but it's absolutely better. There's this tangy sour cream flavor and it's persistent in a lovely way. I'm not too sure it tastes like sour cream but whatever! It's a bold taste and definitely another success for Doritos. I'll definitely buy again.

9/10

The Snack Series - Doritos Mojo Citron & Doritos Heatwave

Doritos Dinamita mojo citron - 4/5

Another of those special Doritos experimental flavors. Compared to the others, this one isn't spicy. There's a little tangy but the dominant flavor is lime. The corn flour taste is predominant too and it's enjoyable.

I really appreciate the circular shape of the chip. It's easy to put in your mouth (in a phallic kind of way) and it makes the experience more complete. The crispiness of the chip is also a big plus.

Doritos are making some really avant garde tortillas right now and it's a resounding success. I really hope they do bigger bags of this series

Doritos heatwave - 3/5

In one of my earlier snack reviews, I proclaimed that the Doritos Chili & Lime were their spiciest ever but damn, the new Heatwave flavor is the new champion. 

There's something weird about 'em as they're not as crispy as their other tortilla chips.They're somewhat more granular and fragile. It's not something detrimental though

The taste is at first really BBQish but then turns into an explosion of heat! The spiciness stays vibrant for a while too.I'll be honest, I'll admit that they were a bit too much for me. Still, They're good! Try them now as they're only available for a limited time.

The Snack Series - Kettle Brand Potato Chips / Honey Dijon

Price: The chips bags of Kettle are always less expensive than Miss Vickies' stuff so that's a good reason to check them out. I think it was $3.50 Canadian so like 10 cents for my American readers.

Packaging/extra information : Frankly, the bag was too hard to open, it's not quite cool when you're drunk or high and in need of a snack. The colour is bright though so it's easy to spot if you forgot where the light switches are. It's those sort of plastic-y bags that, I guess, can keep the chips fresh for a while.

Texture: Their chips are super crispy and cooked more naturally than most brands. They're the regular size of what you can expect from a normal chip and that's totally fine with me. Originality is overrated!

Taste: The taste is precise. The mix of the sugary and idiosyncratic feel of honey with the bitter and strong dijon mustard element brings a bold approach but not one that you get tired of after like ten chips (I ate the bag in one sitting, of course.) They're perhaps not as excellent as the aforementioned Vickies but they're a good alternative as they have a bunch of different flavors. I'll try the blue cheese one next time

All, in all, this is a decent choice while you watch the hockey game. The Habs still managed to lose though.
7.5/10

The Snack Series - Sriracha Popcorn

The Snack Series :

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Popcorn by Pop Gourmet Popcorn

Price: $4.50 for a 127g bag. It was pricy but eh, the temptation was too strong to resist. The bag was bought at Bulk Barn alongside gummy bears, peanuts M&Ms, BBQ bits & bites, Oh Henry pieces and Reese pieces. Fuck off, it's Halloween and I wanted to make myself happy again.

Packaging/extra information : the bag is gorgeous. It looks like the Sriracha bottle with the green cork and the red body. If you're a fan of the popular hot sauce like I am, you'll notice the bag immediatly.

Texture: Well, it's popcorn and like it's written on the packaging, the color is natural and there's tiny bits of Sriracha flakes on the pop corn. It's high quality stuff.

Taste: If you have a cold, eat those. As it was expected, they're pretty damn spicy. I currently have the sniffles while I'm writing this review but I just can't stop eating them. Precise and identifiable, the Sriracha taste is in the spotlight.

8/10

Great but a bit too pricy. You could possibly make them yourself too but ehhhh, probably not worth the hassle.

The Snack Series: Jean Coutu délices - Ketchup / Sour Cream & Onions chips

Price : 
99 cents so I obviously bought 2 bags since I might as well be a family of five by now. I can feel good about myself because just before going to my nearby Jean Coutu (drugstore/convenience chain) to get those, I bought a bunch of sushis. I'm almost healthy.


Packaging/extra information :
1 buck for 140 grams of chips is really cheap. There's 270 calories for 50 grams but this is a totally irrelevant information since if you're like me, you'll eat the whole bag while watching the NHL playoffs or the re-runs of Friends on mute. The package is actually pretty cool in its subtility or the lack of it. There's a big bowl of ketchup and a tomato or some green onions (that are possibly absent from the recipe) depending of the flavour you got, they have nothing to envy from the big companies like Doritos or Lays except for the fact that Batman or Superman aren't on their bags.

Texture:
Pretty thin round chips, nothing to call your mom about but the design is honest and easy to put in your mouth in a repeated and really fast way.

Taste: 

The taste is worth more than what I paid for. It’s comparable to Pabst Blue Ribbon in the way that you get an easy to drink beer for cheap. If you’re on a budget and don’t want to ruin yourself by buying Miss Vickies’ latest new pseudo snob flavour (feta olive oil caesar salad or whatever the fuck they’re doing)

7/10

A very fair product from the Jean Coutu Délices line.  Shoot me an email if you me to send you a bag, I ship overseas.

The Snack Series: Pringles - Cheddar Cheese

Price :
5 bucks combined with a 500 ml can of Newcastle. I felt trashy.

Packaging/extra information :
Well, it comes in a pringles, you’ve seen the already or else you wouldn’t be reading a snack review… There's 168 grams of chips and there's 150 calories for 15 of them (or 28 grams). I ate the whole box anyway. I always like the colours of Pringles' tubes and the mustached logo with the bowtie, he seems like a cool dude.

Texture:
The typical Pringles thin texture, I like to eat like 3 or 4 chips at the same time, it's enjoyable.

Taste:
the cheddar taste is subtle, possibly a bit too subtle even but it's quite good. The new tortillas flavours like Chili Cheese or Nacho Cheese are superior and should be picked instead of this tame cheddar cheese option. Still, it's not spicy and if you want a simpler, down to earth Pringles option, this is a good one.

6/10
An underwhelming Pringles flavour. They're at least better than the original one. Try the pizza flavour or the aforementioned Tortillas series.

The Snack Series! Doritos Dinamita Review

Dinamita - Chili and lime /chile limon

Price:
11 bucks with a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon Dry and another bag of Doritos or simply $1.49.

Bag/additional information:
The bright green bag is quite attractive to the eye. There's also 420 calories for the whole 80 grams package so it's perfect for when you decide to blaze it.

Texture:
The main novelty of this limited edition doritos flavour is the rolled/twusted shape of the chip recalling the shape of a joint but unfortunately you can't smoke those. Tostitos also made something similar but it was their normal boring flavour but in a easily dipable format.

Taste:
Possibly the spiciest chips I've ever tried! Usually, snack companies exagerate the spice level of their chips but this time Doritos were right to call those "Dinamita" as they really blow up my mouth. There's really a mix or zesty lime combined with the agressive chili flavour and it's super tasty. It's a potent mix and the Pabst was really useful to extinguish my fiery tongue. Even though it was really well done, the 80 grams bag was somewhat hard to finish without the whole thing without the help of my friend who has a bigger tolerance to spicyness.

7/10
Overall, a nice effort from Doritos.