Posted on by thechiefeats

Review: Lay’s Dill Pickle Flavored Potato Chips

And we’re back!

I have returned to hit ya’ll with another review to start this week off strong. You never know when I’ll strike next. Uh-oh!! You know I had to do it.

Quick story time:

At my school, we are just about to wrap up the semester, so things have been pretty busy lately. After this week we have final exams, so currently it seems like everyone is chugging away at their final assignments and projects of the semester. It makes for a pretty stressful environment, and is the biggest reason behind my somewhat unpredictable posting schedule. Fortunately I have this blog as a way to calm myself down. I hope you guys are enjoying these posts as much as I love writing them!

Moving on from that little update, I have an interesting one for you guys this evening. We are reviewing these pickle flavored chips from Lay’s, and I must say, I am quite intrigued. I have never had pickle-flavored anything before, so I simply had to grab these when I was at Target a few weeks back.

I would not exactly call myself a “pickle fan”, but I do like them on a burger every now and then. Bread & butter pickles are preferred. I mention this to say that I am not someone who can just reach into a pickle jar and eat them as if they are some regular ‘ole snack. Kudos to those of you who can, I am not on your level.

Depending on how accurate these are with their pickle flavoring, I could love them or hate them. We shall see. Let’s get into it.

Overview: 

In terms of the packaging and presentation of these, they are pretty… simple. Probably what most of you would expect when you think of a chip that is pickle flavored. The bag is green all around, but the color is more of a lighter “yellowish” green. This stays pretty true to how pickles look when they are in a pickle jar, with those hints of yellow throughout the liquid.

The green packaging certainly calls at you a bit, but I think it is more the kind of looking where you are curious about what the flavor could possibly be when you see them at the store. Not ostentatious or loud by any means. These spark your curiosity more than anything else. The close-up image of the chips does very little to point out any major differences between these and regular chips. They just look like crispy, ordinary chips.

Going along with that, one thing that I have to mention is that the chips themselves are SUPER unassuming. When I look at them, they look virtually no different than how a regular potato chip looks. The same yellow, salty, crispy appearance. I guess it’s probably silly of me to think that these would be some kind of crazy forest green color, but nonetheless, an interesting fact. Lay’s is keeping it subtle with these chips, you pickle lovers.

Of course, here are some shots of the packaging and chips in a bowl for your use. Enjoy:

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Review: Lay’s Pickle-Flavored Chips

On to the review. I am in my chair, and am going in for the first bite. Here goes nothing.

WHOA.

Forgive me for underestimating the appearance of these. I am taken aback by how potent the pickle flavoring is; these don’t mess around. If you are a (dill) pickle lover, you are going to LOVE these chips.

Immediately, you are just body-slammed with the sharp, sour flavor of the pickle seasoning. I almost coughed when I ate the first chip. These do a really good job at encapsulating the combined aspects of how an actual pickle tastes, and how the liquid also tastes. It is hovering right around 50-50, so it’s good that Lay’s has chosen to make these chips inclusive to all the different nuances of pickle flavoring.

My use of the word “body-slammed” is pretty powerful. And it is definitely true at first, but you acclimate pretty quickly to the flavor after your first few handfuls. They still don’t play around, but instead of hitting you with that slam dunk, the flavor switches to a layup. More finesse, but equally impressive-OH BABY!!!

The pickle seasoning dominates every moment of these being in your mouth, and the typical potato chip flavoring comes through with the aftertaste. Depending on where you stand in the pickle debate, this could be good news or bad news. Bottom line–if you want PICKLE, you should go with these.

The texture? Fine. They are just ordinary Lay’s chips, no ridges or kettle-cooking involved. They have a nice enough crunch, but they don’t offer the same oomph as something like a kettle-cooked chip would. I feel like Lay’s should have decided to make these kettle-cooked, because pickles do have a solid crunch to them in most cases. If accuracy is their priority, then the added crunch would have gone a long way to replicate that experience.

I like these. I would say that they fall into the category of something that you buy at the store “every now and then” with enough of a break in between. Even as someone who doesn’t particularly love pickles, these were solid. I would get them again in a couple months. However, these are not something that I could see myself eating an entire bag of in one sitting (at least not without getting sick).

All in all, Lay’s does quite the job of putting pickle-flavored chips on the map with these. Despite the mellow packaging, these don’t disappoint with their pickle punch (yes, I said pickle punch).

The Verdict:

For being a flavor that I would not normally gravitate toward, I am impressed with these chips. I could see them being really good on an actual sandwich, because the flavor is just so pungent and concentrated. If you like pickles, these are an absolute go.

Favor the occasional pickle? Still give these a go. They will satisfy your craving.

Not a fan of pickles? Avoid these. They are the real deal. 

All of that said, I would give these chips a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars for being an admirable attempt at fusing the worlds of pickles and chips together in harmony. Really solid, but not something that you need to go out and get right now.

I hope you enjoyed this review. Quick turnaround, I know! Have a great rest of your week.

-thechiefeats

P.S: Health conscious? Below is the nutritional information for Lay’s Pickle-Flavored Potato Chips:

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Posted on by thechiefeats

Review: Sharp White Cheddar Cheez-IT Grooves

Howdy ya’ll,

We’re adding this review to the list of stuff Liam has not tried. So this should be fun to talk about. I am indeed familiar with most products in the Cheez-IT family, but this is not one of them. Quick background before we get into the overview.

Over the years, Kellogg has introduced many different varieties of the standard Cheez-IT, incorporating lots of unique flavors into the mix to switch things up. Over time, this process is what seems to have created the grooves, which are advertised as a sort of union between a potato chip and a Cheez-IT cracker; the crispiness and crunch of a potato chip meeting the flavor profile of a Cheez-IT. An interesting experiment indeed, blending two snack worlds together.

I have had the original Cheez-IT grooves (plain cheddar) when they were first released, and I remember them being quite good. The flavor was more pungent than what you find in the comparatively tame Cheez-IT cracker, more seasoned. With that said, this white cheddar variety is completely new to me. Let’s see how good these are, and if they can stack up to the “ordinary” white cheddar Cheez-ITs shall we?

Overview: 

Up front, there’s not much of a difference between the packaging used on the grooves and what you’ll find on the regular crackers. Cheez-IT seems to stick to their guns here, and for good reason: they have one of the best snack crackers that you can find on store shelves. The logo is the same, the colors are the same, everything is uniform.

The grooved crackers are made quite large to show texture and seasonings, which is one key difference between the two types. The Cheez-IT grooves are made so extremely large to exaggerate their texture and to call your name on the shelf. I think this is a conscious design choice by Cheez-IT; they realize their brand holds enough weight on its own, but they want to entice snackers who live on the edge to try their fancy new grooved crackers. In the words of Miley Cyrus, you get the best of both worlds.

They do advertise “BOLD Flavor, BIG Crunch” on the front of the groove box as well, another clear difference. You can take a look at the packaging and crackers for yourself below:

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These are made for people who want Cheez-ITs on steroids. I am one of them. You are one of them. Let’s get into the review.

White Cheddar Cheez-IT Grooves Review:

Time to give these a go.

I’m not sure how to feel after the first bite. There’s a notable crunch, which certainly stays true to what is advertised. This is good news. The grooved texture must be what is responsible for the satisfying crunch that you get with these.

Perhaps it is just the nature of the beast with these white cheddar flavors, but I find it to be a little…underwhelming? I don’t get a super tangy “white cheddar” flavor when I eat these. As you put it into your mouth, you are hit with more of a general salty flavor as opposed to a white cheddar bomb. They do feel more seasoned than a regular Cheez-IT cracker, however it stops there- they feel saltier, not necessarily more flavorful. This is to say that to me, it doesn’t feel like this flavor of the grooves brings a heavy-handed dose of the white cheddar flavor into the mix.

I will mention that in every handful, there are 1 or 2 groove crackers that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Clearly your mileage may vary, with a box that is super well-seasoned or a box that is not so well-seasoned. Regardless, there seems to be some flavor inconsistency here, which is unfortunate. I want every groove cracker (chip?) to have the big and bold flavor that is advertised.

Why did I mention the flavor being inconsistent? Well, in my experience, that is not the case with the regular white cheddar Cheez-ITs. Those feel quite well-seasoned throughout the box, making each cracker enjoyable. Oddly enough, I feel like you get more of a distinct white cheddar flavor with those too. I do not have those side-by-side to compare, but I am definitely interested in doing that on my own time and writing a comparison with my findings. Maybe stay tuned for that.

I do like the aftertaste of the grooves more than the regular crackers. The Cheez-IT grooves have a…. toastier aftertaste than the regular Cheez-ITs. It definitely does remind me more of a potato chip, which seems to be what Kellogg is going for. Mission accomplished with that, because the toasty/”chip like” aftertaste is something that I really like.

Beyond that, the initial flavor really fades away after the first second of chewing. With the aftertaste, you really have no sense that you ate something that was white cheddar flavored. It just tastes like you ate some kind of cracker chip combo hybrid. Depending on your preferences, this may be a good thing or a bad thing. For you to decide.

These reviews have been off to a strong start, with most products getting really high marks from me. I feel like this is probably the first snack that has its fair share of issues. Let’s get onto the verdict.

The Verdict 

These are not horrible. I would not go out and get them again, but if you are a close follower of the white cheddar community, you may feel differently. And that is perfectly okay.

The regular Cheez-IT crackers and the basic grooves set the bar pretty high for these, so I can see how easy it is to crack a bit under the spotlight. I think I let my past experiences with the brand influence me too much into buying these at the store.

At any rate, I would give these a 2 out of 5 stars for being pretty nondescript and a little disappointing given the marketing, but not horrible. I personally would reach for a different flavor.

Despite the turnout of these, I hope you all enjoyed the review, and hopefully I helped you in deciding whether or not to buy these!

Thanks for tuning in… take care.

-thechiefeats

P.S: Health conscious? Below is the nutritional info for White Cheddar Cheez-IT Grooves:

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Posted on by thechiefeats

Halloween Review: The (Big) Kit Kat Bar

It’s the spookiest time of the year. You know what time it is, my friends. I couldn’t leave my snackheads on Halloween without a proper review. This one? An instant classic. One of the absolute best candy bars out there. Quick story time below.

Think of this one as “Take 5 lite.” The Take 5 is probably the most criminally underrated candy bar of all time, but I’ve always found that KitKat is a close second. For some incomprehensible reason, the people I’ve been around always sleep on the KitKat bar. That ends tonight.

This review, for all intents and purposes, will be short and sweet. Given the time of year, it wouldn’t surprise me if many of you have been enjoying the candy in your (or your child’s) pillowcases. Or maybe you just went to the store and bought some candy–that works too. Feel free to enjoy a KitKat with me.

The only catch with this review? We’re reviewing the “jumbo sized” KitKat. This is going to be the real deal. I am hoping it will translate to even more insight compared to the (already awesome) regular KitKat bars. Let’s dive in.

Overview 

If you’ve ever had a KitKat bar, you pretty much know what to expect here. It uses the typical red KitKat wrapper, which is quite nice looking. Very recognizable, due to both the colors and the shape of the bars themselves. I’ve always appreciated the packaging. The bars have a really nice and symmetrical look. I like the logo too–it is simple, fun, and bold without being ostentatious. It has a very “retro candy bar” look and feel, which definitely gives it some street cred.

As for the bar when it’s unwrapped? The nice design continues. These KitKat bars remind me of blocks of solid gold, except in chocolate form. I dig the vision, KitKat. In terms of making the candy bar look really nice and desirable, I feel like these are pretty much second to none.

The Big KitKat differs from the original bars in that it no longer has the longer, side-by-side style that you can break in half. These bars look more like traditional candy bars, and are quite blocky.

Still solid though, right? Here’s the packaging and a few candy bar close-ups for your viewing pleasure:

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Big KitKat Bar Review

On to the review. Let’s give it a taste.

After the first bite, I was immediately reminded of how complex the flavor is of KitKat bars. They feel a little more involved than your usual candy bar, almost like a ritzy Mercedes G-Wagon compared to most other candy bars (think Toyota).

Despite the chocolate coating being on the outside, the first flavor that you get is actually of the wafer inside the bar, which is quite brittle and messy. There’s an amazing crunch with KitKat bars that cannot be denied. The closest thing I can compare a KitKat wafer to would be those cookie straws that you sometimes get in a milkshake or at the grocery store.

The wafer is crisp and flaky, with an almost buttery like flavor. This serves as a really nice way to lead into the sweetness of the chocolate, which is quite sweet without being overkill. There is a big contrast in texture here, because as you progress through the wafer (and into the chocolate), the KitKat leaves this smooth residue in your mouth.

The chocolate is insanely thick, impressively so for a candy bar that doesn’t claim to be Fannie-May grade. This is something that I think really differentiates the KitKat as well, because the chocolate is very authentic. It doesn’t have a thin “shell” texture like so many other candy bars do. It really sticks around and makes its presence felt throughout your bite. Big time flavor, and very consistent.

What I’ve said about the chocolate’s substance and the crispy wafer may have you thinking that the KitKat is some kind of monstrous “hunk” of a bar–but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is extremely simple and well-executed, with a very airy texture and feel. You could eat a lot of KitKats without knowing what hit you. I find they don’t make me feel sick after eating more than a few, which is a dangerous quality to have.

KitKats are the glazed doughnuts of the candy bar world. Understated, sometimes underappreciated, but a staple nonetheless. The airiness of the candy bar also translates well toward my glazed doughnut analogy. The ingredients are simple, and they might even seem plain to some candy bar connoisseurs.

Perhaps. Maybe. But, KitKat does what it does so well. Maybe it’s not cutting edge; but it doesn’t have to be. Everything comes together here in a way that will always keep KitKat toward the top of my candy bar Hall of Fame.

The Verdict 

If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure you know where I stand with these. KitKats all day, baby. It was a real treat reviewing this for Halloween, and I hope all of my snackheads can agree that KitKats are a name to be reckoned with in the candy bar world.

I would give the (regular or jumbo) KitKats 5 out of 5 stars for being consistent, reliable, and very tasty. You know what you are getting with these bad boys.

Enjoy your trick-or-treating, and be sure to enjoy a KitKat!

-thechiefeats

P.S: Health conscious? Below is the nutritional info for the Big KitKat:

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