Tag Archives: Lay’s Potato Chips

Judging the 2017 #DoUsAFlavor Lays Potato Chips

Posted on by
3

When it comes to my Don’t Blink traditions, you have my Thursday Rundowns, my top ten blog posts of the year, and then my reflective end of year posts. You also have one other sure thing tradition: my annual review of the Lay’s #DoUsAFlavor potato chips.

A look back at the previous four times I sampled the different #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s potato chips.

Since 2013, I have reviewed the wacky and creative line of chips inspired by the suggestions of the American people. Today will be my fifth time giving my expertise on whether Lay’s hit the mark (such as its Brazilian Picanha chips in 2016) or totally bombed (like the Wasabi Ginger chips in 2014). This year, the company only released three flavors, a relatively good thing. I get to cut back on the calories and also write a little less. So, without further ado, I give you my annual review of the Lay’s #DoUsAFlavor potato chips.

For the fifth straight year, I reviewed the Lay’s #DoUsAFlavor potato chips. The 2017 class left much to be desired.

Fried Green Tomato – These wavy chips didn’t have much of a smell. They didn’t pack a bold taste either. However, they weren’t completely flavorless. The Fried Green Tomato chips did have a mild taste. Sometimes mild is good. A chip with great texture and a subtle, pleasant mild taste is a winner. But the Fried Green Tomato mild taste is not pleasant. To me, it screams pure vinegar. There is a slight tomato taste thrown in that can be traced in the aftertaste but to me the chip is forgettable if not outright disgusting.

Stay away from the Fried Green Tomato Lay’s potato chip flavor.

Crispy Taco – Whereas the Fried Green Tomato chips lacked a bold flavor, the Crispy Taco flavor was the exact opposite. I ate the first chip out of the bag and it reminded me exactly of homemade tacos at my parents’ house growing up. It had a distinctive, authentic taste. Each chip thereafter packed the flavor punch as well. Some pieces had hints of spice mixed in as well. To me, it was almost as if Lay’s took original potato chips and then ripped open a taco mix and poured it all over them. I thought they tasted great.

The Crispy Taco Lay’s potato chip flavor was very good and by far the best of this year’s class.

Everything Bagel (with cream cheese) – I was a little intrigued to see how these chips would taste. Would they taste like a Panera bagel, or, like it specifically says in its name, would it have an overbearing cream cheese palate? Well, after eating the whole bag to try to identify what the chips tasted like I can confidently say this: they don’t taste like bagel and they don’t taste like cream cheese. In my opinion, they kind of tasted like nothing. My wife tried to help me identify any trace of a flavor and she said that perhaps there was a faint sour cream and onion characteristic to them. Flavorless or not, the Everything Bagel chips are kettle cooked and that always adds points in my book.

The best part about the Everything Bagel Lay’s potato chip flavor is that the chips are kettle cooked.

**
My Rankings (from favorite to least favorite)
Crispy Taco
Everything Bagel (with cream cheese)
Fried Green Tomato
**
Regrettably, this is probably the weakest #DoUsAFlavor class produced by Lay’s. If not for Crispy Taco, this year would be a complete disaster. I look forward to next year’s flavors when perhaps Sloan can sample them with me. Don’t Blink.

Judging the #PassportToFlavor Lay’s Potato Chips

Posted on by
1

Although the name has changed, the game is the same: Lay’s still enjoys making crazy potato chip flavors. For the past three years, the company held a contest where fans could submit flavor ideas for chips. Titled #DoUsAFlavor, Lay’s selected the recommendations of several potato chip eating fans and transformed their snack fantasies into reality. I bought into this crazy promotion and tried all the #DoUsAFlavor varieties myself, even going as far as to review each year’s lineup in this blog (2013, 2014, and 2015).

Over the years I have enjoyed experimenting with and writing about the Lay's #DoUsAFlavor promotion.

Over the years I have enjoyed experimenting with and writing about the Lay’s #DoUsAFlavor promotion.

This year, Lay’s added a “Wavy” wrinkle to the format. Instead of #DoUsAFlavor, it is now #PassportToFlavor. Gone are the fan submitted comfort food flavors and in are company-created elaborate international flavors. Say goodbye to flavors like Chicken & Waffles or Bacon Macaroni & Cheese and say hello to selections such as Indian Tikka Masala or Greek Tzatziki.

Yes, it is quite the transition. At first I was a little hesitant to follow through on my custom and taste the four new flavors. Usually if I don’t know what something is and can’t pronounce it, I will usually shy away from it. But I am glad I didn’t break my blogging tradition because this was the best class of new potato chips that Lay’s has produced. Here are my reviews of each flavor.

I couldn't pass up trying the new Lay's potato chips. The flavors this time around were a little more exotic.

I couldn’t pass up trying the new Lay’s potato chips. The flavors this time around were a little more exotic.

Greek Tzatziki – I was afraid of trying this flavor the most. The combination that was printed on the bag of “dill, garlic, and unique spices with yogurt” didn’t exactly sound appetizing to me. However, they tasted much, much better than what I expected. The initial taste was a sweet, pleasant one. I was then hit with the dill flavoring. However, it didn’t taste that bad. You could also taste the garlic as well but it was more faint than the dill. Although I generally prefer strong flavor, I didn’t mind the mildness of this chip. The Greek Tzatziki comes in the Wavy (ruffles) style and that scored immediate points with me because that is the texture that I prefer.

The Greek Tzatziki chip was much better than what I had expected.

The Greek Tzatziki chip was much better than what I had expected.

Brazilian Picanha – Ding ding ding! We have a winner! If you don’t know what Brazilian Picanha is, you will know after you eat one of these chips. This flavor takes after its predecessors of Garlic Cheesy Bread and Biscuits & Gravy in that it tastes exactly like what it is named after. I kid you not, these chips taste exactly like a steak coming right off the grill. You can smell it, you can taste it, and then you can savor it because the flavor stays with you. Besides the great flavor packed into each chip, the snack is also very well-seasoned and is salted just right. The description on the bag of what Picanha is (“the finest cut of Brazilian steak”) should alone sell a lot of this flavor but rest assured that it isn’t false advertising…the chip fits the bill.

My favorite chip of the #PassportToFlavor series was Brazilian Picanha.

My favorite chip of the #PassportToFlavor series was Brazilian Picanha.

Indian Tikka Masala – This chip might not have the best flavor, but it definitely packs the most flavor. You don’t just taste seasonings with this chip, you taste actual spice. By far this flavor tasted the most ethnic to me. It had a curry taste to it and it just gave you the feeling that it actually came from the Middle East as opposed to the Lay’s headquarters in Texas. If you want something that will give your taste buds a bold, distinguished experience this chip is for you.

If you want a chip with strong flavor and an international taste, the Indian Masala option is for you.

If you want a chip with strong flavor and an international taste, the Indian Masala option is for you.

Chinese Szechuan Chicken – Out of the four #PassportToFlavor options, this was the one I was looking forward to the most. I was envisioning that each chip would taste like the Chinese takeout I love so much. However, they didn’t really taste like anything. However, whereas the Greek Tzatziki flavor was satisfying with a mild taste, this flavor wasn’t. You can detect a Szechuan flavor lingering around after you eat a few and there is a slight kick at the end, but I was expecting more. The chemical taste that plagued other chips in the #DoUsAFlavor series is evident in this selection as well.

The Chinese Szechuan Chicken was the disappointment out of the #PassportToFlavor series.

The Chinese Szechuan Chicken was the disappointment out of the #PassportToFlavor series.

**

My Rankings (from favorite to least favorite)
Brazilian Picanha
Indian Tikka Masala
Greek Tzatziki
Chinese Szechuan Chicken

**

I can say that three out of the four chip flavors in the #PassportToFlavor series taste pretty good and are acceptable to serve at your next party. If you want to try all four options, your best bet is to go to your local Subway store and buy the mini bags. Please let me know if I nailed this review. Don’t Blink.

Judging the 2015 #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s Potato Chips

Posted on by
2

I get excited about the nerdiest things and the #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s potato chips promotion is one of them. Haven’t heard about #DoUsAFlavor? For the third time in as many years, Lay’s has invited potato chip fanatics to come up with a flavor. The company then chooses three or four of them to actually make into a Lay’s branded chip for the general public to consume. America then votes on its favorite and that particular chip becomes a permanent flavor.

I took the challenge last year as well as two years ago. Let’s face it, you don’t need to pull my arm to get me to try potato chips. This year, the offering by Lay’s is strong. The fan submitted flavors chosen by the company includes New York Reuben, Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro, Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries, and Southern Biscuits and Gravy.

Me holding the 2015 #DoUsAFlavor Lay's potato chips.

Me holding the 2015 #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s potato chips.

As has been the case in the past, it took a lot of effort on my part to find all the flavors. I found two out of the four kinds at Target right off the bat only to have my luck slow down. I ventured to a few different stores in hopes of finding truffle fries and biscuits and gravy. With reality setting in that my search might be futile, a miraculous thing happened. While driving in my car listening to ESPN Radio one of the hosts went to read a Subway advertisement. At the conclusion of the ad, he mentioned “Subway, the only restaurant where you can try all four new #DoUsAFlavor potato chip varieties.” I immediately pulled into a Subway and sure enough all four flavors were neatly arranged in front of the counter. Overjoyed I picked up the two bags I needed and skipped to my car.

Okay, time now for my review of each flavored potato chip. As a bonus, I will also offer Sidney’s take on each chip as well because I couldn’t do something so fun without letting her participate.

New York Reuben – Leading off was the New York Reuben flavor. I sampled a chip and was underwhelmed with the lack of flavor. What I picked up from it was a faint tomato sauce taste. The appearance of the chip made it look like it might be packed with flavor but it was the complete opposite. The chips softly left a very mild impression in my mouth. I felt like I could sense a little bit of sweetness but nothing remotely powerful enough to register. Sidney stated that she thought they tasted like rye bread. We weren’t big fans.

The #DoUsAFlavor New York Reuben chips had a slight tomato sauce taste to me.

The #DoUsAFlavor New York Reuben chips had a slight tomato sauce taste to me.

Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro – After the disappointment of the reuben, I hoped that the gyro chips would turn things around. They didn’t. At first I thought the chips tasted extremely weird, almost like plastic. It was kind of like the experience I had with the Wasabi Ginger flavor last year. It just didn’t seem to work. Even though it was tough to do, I started to eat a couple more to really get a gauge of the taste. These additional samples started to bring out a taste that actually registered with my taste buds. It seemed like a flavor I had tried before and disliked. Luckily Sidney was right there to explain exactly what I was thinking. “It tastes like sour cream and onion,” she expressed. Yep! She nailed it. The chips could definitely pass for sour cream and onion. Sidney also added that the snack could claim a loose connection with what gyros actually do taste like. I know it seems contradictory that in describing this chip I went from “plastic” to “sour cream and onion” but the bottom line remains the same…I didn’t like it.

The #DoUsAFlavor Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro chips had a sour cream and onion flavor.

The #DoUsAFlavor Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro chips had a sour cream and onion flavor.

 

Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries – The name and image on the bag made me think that perhaps these chips would taste like garlic fries, a savory yet massively unhealthy snack I loved to order in Seattle. But shame on me for thinking that truffle fries and garlic fries are the same thing. Despite my mix-up, these chips were still good! At first bite the flavor isn’t that pronounced but then the aftertaste kicks in. For me, that aftertaste could be described as a combination of well put together seasonings. Sidney said it tasted exactly like loaded fries and reminded her of bar food. After taking a few chips from each of the first two bags I tried, I ate the whole grab bag of the truffle chips. You won’t get a bold taste out of this flavor either but you will get a pleasant one.

The #DoUsAFlavor West Coast Truffle Fries chips had a pleasant, authentic flavor. They are good for snacking.

The #DoUsAFlavor West Coast Truffle Fries chips had a pleasant, authentic flavor. They are good for snacking.

Southern Biscuits and Gravy – I remember two years ago when Lay’s introduced the Chicken & Waffles flavor. I was so excited to get my hands on a bag and try them. The flavor sounded spectacular but it was a complete letdown. The chips tasted like Top Ramen to me. Out of the four flavors introduced this go-around, I was by far most intrigued by Southern Biscuits and Gravy. However, I did keep in the back of my mind the disappointment I experienced the last time my adrenaline started pumping about a breakfast-inspired chip. What would be the verdict this time?

The #DoUsAFlavor Southern Biscuits and Gravy chips were my favorite! They taste exactly like biscuits and gravy.

The #DoUsAFlavor Southern Biscuits and Gravy chips were my favorite! They taste exactly like biscuits and gravy.

I loved the biscuits and gravy flavor! I tried the chip and smiled inside, not wanting to sway Sidney’s opinion until she actually tried one herself. After she had, I exclaimed, “These taste exactly like biscuits and gravy!” I am not kidding you, they really do. That creamy, peppery taste is in each single chip. Out of all the #DoUsAFlavor varieties I have tried over the past couple years, Southern Biscuits and Gravy is my favorite. I couldn’t believe they had so convincingly captured the chip. I ate the remainder of the bag in no time.

Of course though, people have different tastes and I was reminded of that by a co-worker today when I was telling her how great the chips were because they tasted exactly like biscuits and gravy. “Well, that is of course if you like biscuits and gravy,’ she wisely reminded me.

Sidney does not. She dismissed the chip she tried with a disgusted look, almost spitting it out. I couldn’t believe it, they tasted so perfect to me.

**

After we had tried the four flavors, we ranked them. Check out the results:

Me
Southern Biscuits and Gravy
Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries
New York Reuben
Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro

Sidney
Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries
Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro
Southern Biscuits and Gravy
New York Reuben

**

So while we did rank them differently, Sidney and I agree on this: the truffle fries flavor is pretty good and the reuben flavor is pretty bad. This is such a fun blog post to do. I thank Lay’s for doing such a cool and interactive promotion. Please let me know your opinion on the #DoUsAFlavor chips. Now get to snacking. Don’t Blink.

Judging the #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s Potato Chips

Posted on by
6

If I want something I will usually do anything to get it, even if it is just for potato chips. After work today I went to EIGHT different stores in search of the new #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s potato chips. The first seven locations on my trek through convenient stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets ended in failure as I was shut out at each one. However, I experienced semi-success when I hopped in a Kangaroo store just about a mile away from my apartment.

I was only able to take photos of 7 of the 8 places I went to because a creepy guy was standing outside one of the convenient stores and I didn't want to do anything to get him angry. The Kangaroo store in the bottom right hand corner was the location that had the chips.

I was only able to take photos of 7 of the 8 places I went to because a creepy guy was standing outside one of the convenient stores and I didn’t want to do anything to get him angry. The Kangaroo store in the bottom right hand corner was the location that had the chips.

I say “semi-success” because unfortunately the gas station did not have one of the four flavors, the much heralded Cappuccino potato chip. The employee working the counter told me that the truck driver who brought in the cargo found that potato chip so disgusting that he didn’t even bother to bring it to the Kangaroo stores on his route. What could I do? After getting in and out of my car almost ten times in the humid heat just to be disappointed all but once, I considered myself fortunate to have even gotten my hands on three of the flavors. When I eventually do come across a Cappuccino bag I will add it to this post.

I got my hands on three of the #DoUsAFlavor Lay's potato chips.

I got my hands on three of the #DoUsAFlavor Lay’s potato chips.

The last time Lay’s let fans create potato chip flavors I did the same thing. I sampled the Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chicken & Waffles, and Sriracha flavors and blogged about it. I agreed with America that the Cheesy Garlic Bread chip was the best (it is now a permanent flavor). But that was then and this is now! I am ready to sample three fresh flavors. Here are the reviews:

Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger

Here is a look at the Wasabi Ginger chips. I wanted to make sure to give you a look at the packaging and chip itself.

Here is a look at the Wasabi Ginger chips. I wanted to make sure to give you a look at the packaging and chip itself.

I tried this chip first and I almost thought it was a joke because it was so bad. The taste itself was mild but still enough to repulse me. I kid you not, the chip tasted like chemicals! After the first chip I tried another one to confirm the nastiness. It was still there. That was enough for me, I rolled up the bag and shook my head. Initially I hoped for a spicy chip with a unique taste but chalk that notion up to wishful thinking. The Wasabi Ginger chip was worse than the Chicken & Waffles chip.

Wavy Mango Salsa

I present to you the Wavy Mango Salsa chips.

I present to you the Wavy Mango Salsa chips.

After the terrible experience with the Wasabi chip a bad feeling started to come over me. What if these other two flavors were busts too? Luckily my fears went unfounded. The Mango Salsa chip, the one I thought I would dislike the most, was an amazingly pleasant surprise. My first thought when I put the chip in my mouth? It tasted like Trix cereal! In a good way, of course. The initial Trix taste gradually went away and was replaced with a semisweet, satisfying taste. I immediately started to eat more chips. A completely fresh taste in wavy form I was impressed. As I was eating I kept thinking that these chips would taste even more incredible with some actual mango salsa to dip them in.

Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese

No #DoUsAFlavor chip was more anticipated than the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese one.

No #DoUsAFlavor chip was more anticipated than the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese one.

Probably no other chip in the #DoUsAFlavor promotion came out with more fanfare than the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chip. I mean who can say no to that flavor combination? I know I couldn’t. The chip definitely did not disappoint. It is the most flavorful chip out of the three. The bacon taste definitely overpowers the cheddar and mac & cheese flavors. Then again, I don’t know that I ever tasted a mac & cheese flavor to begin with although the cheddar flavor was surely there. I would say that the chip tasted more like a bowl of potato soup rather than a bowl of macaroni & cheese. But it still tasted good and I found myself eating several more chips until I told myself to stop chowing down and start writing.

The Verdict:

In the end my favorite chip in the #DoUsAFlavor promotion was the Wavy Mango Salsa flavor.

In the end my favorite chip in the #DoUsAFlavor promotion was the Wavy Mango Salsa flavor.

My favorite chip out of the three was the underdog, the Wavy Mango Salsa chip. The flavor was just so different and refreshing. Like I said, pair it with some real salsa and it will be magical. The Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chip landed closely behind in the second spot. Do yourself a favor and pass on the Wasabi Ginger chip, it doesn’t even deserve a third place ranking.

——-

Hope you enjoyed my #DoUsAFlavor review. I went to great lengths to bring it to you. Although I am sad that the cookie dough flavor never came to fruition I can say that Lay’s did pretty good for itself with the Mango Salsa chip. However, my prediction is that American votes for the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chip to become a permanent flavor. Can’t wait for the next flavor competition to come out so I have yet another excuse to eat multiple bags of potato chips. Don’t Blink.

Ranking The Three Fan Created Flavored Lay’s Potato Chips

Posted on by
2

It took me long enough but I finally achieved something that took me six months to do: Try all three of the fan invented Lay’s potato chips. I am sure most of you know what I am talking about. About a year ago, Lay’s asked via social media for its fans to submit new flavor ideas for potato chips. After countless suggestions from America and lots of scrutiny from the company to narrow down the field, three flavors emerged: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chicken & Waffles, and Sriracha. All three chip flavors would be available on a trial basis and fans would vote for their favorite flavor. The chip with the most votes would become a permanent flavor. I got way more excited than anyone should over an announcement about potato chips and I couldn’t wait to buy a bag of each and do some serious snacking.

However, my initial plan got a little delayed. Believe me, I wanted to chow down on each flavor sooner than later but it was as if it was not meant to be. I simply could never find them on the shelves. One particular day I went to four different places to try to find them, only to be disappointed. About five months ago I did get my hand on a bag of the Sriracha chips. However, it took until this past week for me to try the Cheesy Garlic Bread ones. When my girlfriend brought the chips over and it said on the bag that the Cheesy Garlic Bread snack won the fan voted competition, I just assumed that the non-victorious other two flavors were discontinued and I would never get to try the Chicken & Waffles chips, the one snack that I was really hoping to try.

Imagine my sheer excitement and surprise when I walked into Safeway after work on Friday and I saw a display with ALL three flavors abundantly stacked right in front of my eyes AND on sale! I grabbed the Chicken & Waffle bag and pretty much sped home to try them.

For this post I want to quickly rank and review the three different flavored chips. I can definitely say that the actual taste of the chips contrasted completely with my initial judgments on the ones I thought I would like best before trying them. Starting with the best chip and ending with the worst chip, here we go!

I finally tried all three. Now time to rank them.

I finally tried all three. Now time to rank them.

#1: Cheesy Garlic Bread – I completely understand why America voted this chip its favorite. The Cheesy Garlic Bread chip was very flavorful and enjoyable to eat. It also was by far the one flavor out of the three that tasted like its natural flavor. No lie here, eating a Cheesy Garlic Bread chip tasted exactly like a piece of garlic bread right out of the basket.


#2: Sriracha – Naturally the Sriracha chips appealed to me because there is no other condiment in this world that I love as much as Sriracha. Maybe because of my undying devotion to the condiment I put higher expectations on the chips than I should have. With that said, I was not blown away by the Sriracha snack. I have two main issues with them: 1. They totally whiffed on getting the Sriracha flavor in the chips. I did not recognize the taste that I crave so much, not even to a small degree. To me, they just had a generic Doritos taste to them. 2. There was absolutely no heat to the chips. Even if the makers couldn’t capture the distinctive Sriracha flavor, I would have hoped that they would have made the chips spicy just because that is what Sriracha is all about. Nope. They are completely mild. I will take Tim’s Cascade Jalapeno chips over Lay’s Sriracha chips any day.

#3: Chicken & Waffles – Out of the three flavors I looked at this one and said “What a great idea! These should be fun to eat.” It took me forever to finally get my hands on a bag but let me say this, the wait was definitely not worth it. I was expecting to taste either chicken, waffles, or maple syrup but I couldn’t taste any of them. To me, the chips tasted like Top Ramen. The flavor to me was borderline repulsive and completely disappointing.

I don’t know how much longer the Sriracha & Waffles chips will be available, but if you do happen to find yourself in front of a display with all three flavors like I did on Friday, remember this: Buy the Cheesy Garlic Bread chips for a nice taste bud experience. If you want an average chip that is not very distinctive in flavor, give the Sriracha chips a try. Completely avoid the Chicken & Waffles chips.

Even though I didn’t enjoy each chip flavor, kudos to Lay’s for creating such a fun promotion. I got excited about the new products and my excitement translated into a purchase of each different flavor. Now pass me that bag of Cheesy Garlic Bread chips. Don’t Blink.