REVIEW: Herr’s Kettle Cooked – Cheddar Bacon Jalapeno Potato Chips

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

Comments:

CHEDDAR – BACON – JALAPENO – OH MY!!

Based solely on flavor concept alone, this combo would seem like it simply could not fail.  A culinary slam dunk. First of all, jalapeno is the spicy chile pepper of choice for every brand of chips these days.  Secondly, jalapeno and cheddar is a proven and tasty classic flavor combination.  Lastly, everyone knows, and should agree, that everything tastes better with bacon.  So, one plus two plus three should equal a new flavor home run!  Right?

Unfortunately, for you, and us, the stars did not align this time.  Rather, A plus B plus C, equaled a culinary strike out in our opinion.  In other words, they did not taste very good together.  Right off, Herr’s crunchy kettle cooked chips start off sugary sweet.  What exactly the sweetness is there for, or supposed to represent, we’re not exactly sure.  Maybe it is supposed to act as a part of the bacon aspect, or perhaps to help counter the peculiar and overly salty bacon seasoning.  Either way, it is not very effective.

We are at a cross roads as to whether these flavors were not executed well, or executed well together.  The seasoning blend is not very cheesy; despite an ample dusting of bright orange powder.  The bacon seasoning is slightly smoky, slightly porky, very-very salty, and leaves an off-putting aftertaste in our mouths.  The jalapeno aspect, practically nonexistent.  Maybe the tiniest bit of tingly in the backs of our throats after countless handfuls of chips, but with none of the chile flavor.  All together, the chips sort of taste like some super salty BBQ flavored chips.

Each of the three flavors, on their own, were executed to satisfactory standards at best.  So, maybe these flavors are not meant to be joined together, and maybe they would bring too much competition against each other to ever be a happy family, however, it seems as though they were not given a shot from the get go!

As always we would love to hear what you think.  Let us know.

Chips provided to Chip Review by Herr’s Foods, Inc. for review

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RATING: Trader Joe’s – Stone Ground Corn Jalapeno Tortilla Chips

Rating: ©©©-1/2 chips  (notable)

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REVIEW: Late July Organic – Red Hot Mojo Multigrain Chips

Rating: ©©©-3/4 chips  (notable)

Comments:

Finally, some mojo that Agent Powers can really get behind…….”Red Hot Mojo, yeah baby!”

Whomever Late July Organic has designing their wonderfully, colorful, line-up of chip bags for them, has really outdone themselves.  In fact, this Red Hot Mojo bag is so tasteful that we almost didn’t want to open it.  But, then we thought about it for a second and chips are destined to be eaten.  It’s part of the circle of chip-life.  Who are we to take that from them?  Plus, finding a frame deep enough to fit the entire bag into, was more than we wanted to tackle on an empty stomach.

Chip Review has always had a lot of respect for the little companies that work hard to produce a chip that is both healthy, but it’s even better when they are tasty.  Late July Organic’s Red Hot Mojo Multigrain Chips would definitely be considered on the healthier end of the spectrum, and they are certainly tastier than some.  The multigrain (tortilla) chips had an ample amount of textural grains running through them, while still exuding a light, airy and crispy texture.

The Red Hot Mojo aspect of these chips was a bit of a mystery to us prior to eating them.  Were they going to be extremely red hot spicy? Were they going to taste like mojo (which we know as the tasty traditional Cuban garlic citrus sauce), or did they just have a lot of chip swagger?  Well, the vibrantly red multigrain chips, pretty much live up to the red hot half of their equation.  The chips themselves are very red in color, which we believe to be due to the use of crushed red pepper, and the addition of beet juice into the multigrain dough.  The chips also have small pieces of real diced jalapenos baked into the chips, delivering an amply, rich chile heat and depth, that builds and builds in the backs of our throats, but did not do much for upfront flavor.

As for these chips’ mojo, we just couldn’t seem to really find it.  The chips were definitely not referring to the Cuban garlic citrus sauce, and mojo certainly must not mean salt, or seasoning, because if that was the case, than these chips would be called anti-mojo, or un-mojo’d – in other words, someone needs to loosen their grips from the salt shaker, and live a little!  In the end, we’re guessing that mojo must be referring to “mo(re) jo(kes)”, cause we’ve got endless amounts of them….ha ha…ha.  We’ll be here all night, eating chips of course!

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

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REVIEW: Brother Kane – Jalapeno Home Style Potato Chips

Rating: ©©©© chips  (lip-smacking)

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Comments:

As we look back over the year that is 2013 thus far, we are simply amazed by the number of new jalapeno flavored chips we have tasted.  It has become apparent that “jalapeno” is the new “black”, or we mean “barbecue”.  It seems as though every chip manufacturer includes jalapeno flavor in their flavor arsenal.  And, in our opinion, we are all better off for it!

First of all, Brother Kane’s Home Style Potato Chip bag is packed to the brim with chips.  Brother Kane’s potato chips would definitely be considered thinner potato chips, with a very gentle and light crispy crunchy.  We would almost describe them as having a soft texture.  The potato flavor is there, but definitely plays second fiddle to the jalapeno seasoning.

If can’t handle the heat, then get your fingers out of the Brother Kane chip bag!!  These chips definitely do bring quite a bit of spicy chile heat to the party.  They are not the spiciest jalapeno chips out there, but we would consider them on the spicier end of the jalapeno heat spectrum.  We like how we could taste the jalapeno chile.  Very vegetal and earthy.  The array of supporting ingredients – garlic, onion, etc – are there to compliment the jalapeno, and nothing more.  In fact, it is rather difficult to taste anything besides the jalapeno, and the chips do get a little bit bogged down, or monotonous, with the jalapeno chili heat.

So, if you are looking for some potato chips to bring the spicy thunder, then you need not look any further than Brother Kane’s Home Style Jalapeno Chips.  We were searching for some milk after eating a few handfuls.  However, if you are also looking for some chips with a lot of flavor depth, and complexity, then you may end up wanting a bit more from Brother Kane.  Either way, it is easy for us to say that these are definitely among the best chips that we have tasted from Brother Kane.

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

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REVIEW: Lundberg Multigrain Chips – Mojave Jalapeno

Rating: ©©©©-1/2 chips  (lip-smacking)

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Comments:

Dear Lundberg Family: we just want to know what exactly gave you the idea to take every grain from the family farm, and combine them all into one unusual chip?  Was it because you had an excess of flax, chia and quinoa this season?  Or, was it because someone made a mistake?  Or, were you simply trying to make a positive, health conscientious, innovative, hearty and most definitely tasty, multigrain chip??  We’re pretty certain that it is most likely the latter!

Two things we know for certain with these new chips from Lundberg Farms:

1) These multigrain chips are without a doubt the most grainy grainsters (it’s a word, trust us..) that we have tasted, probably ever.

2) These multigrain chips are without a doubt the spiciest chips that we have tasted in quite some time.

We could tell even before chomping into the thick, rectangular chips that they consisted of more than just the standard Lundberg brown rice combination.  In fact, according to the bag these chips include: rice, quinoa, amaranth, corn, millet, garbanzo beans, chia, flax, and the list goes on.  And while some may think that by including so many different grains into one chip that Lundberg Family Farms is just throwing grains in for the wow factor, but we’re going to tell you that the chip texture and flavor really works. The semi-thick chips have a really different mouth feel to them.  They have a crispy, soft-crunch, and almost crumble in the mouth like a cracker.  Then some of the more seedy, crunchy grains like quinoa, chia and flax act almost like a caviar embedded within the chips, adding a surprisingly nice textural pop to them.

Alright, we surrender.  Lundberg Family, what are you trying to do to us?!?  Holy tongue burning do these multigrain chips ever have an spicy heat that builds and builds and builds…..  Complete honesty here, we have not tasted any chips this spicy in….we have no clue how long.  On the back of the bag is reads “the spicy fusion of grains and jalapeno peppers make this chip unique,” and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!  However, to only describe, and refer to, these chips as spicy, would be doing them a grave injustice.  The chips are all at once earthy, spicy, herbal, sweet, and when paired with the grainy, heavy chip texture, really tasty!   The supporting team of rosemary and garlic really help to round out the flavor profile.

Plain and simple, these are some of the most unique chips we have tasted in a while, and let’s be honest here, we have tried so, so many jalapeno chips recently, that it is really nice to taste something that strays outside of the conventional jalapeno lines.  Do yourself a favor and give these a try if you see them at your local grocer.

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

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REVIEW: Deano’s Jalapenos – Cheddar Jalapeno Chips

Rating: ©©©-3/4 chips  (notable)

Comments:

A few months back, we reviewed the original Deano’s Sea Salt Jalapeno Chips, and we definitely thought they were lip-smacking, and lip-scorchingly, good!  We warned you straight off that you better make sure to grab your bottles of milk, and your icy popsicles before tackling these chips!!  And, the same goes for these Cheddar Cheese flavored ones (don’t you dare say we didn’t warn you!!).

Deano’s Jalapeno Chips “…are the brainchild of Doehne “Deano” Duckworth, owner of The Cactus Café in Stowe, Vermont. As jalapeno-flavored potato chips became more popular on the market, Duckworth thought, why not skip the potato part and make chips out of the jalapenos themselves?  He used the Cactus as a tasting ground, with loyal customers acting as testers and food critics as he perfected the recipe. The chips are still handmade in small batches and packaged in re-sealable bags for restaurant-quality flavor that can be enjoyed anywhere.” (www.deanosjalapenos.com)

Initially, the bright yellow cheddar cheese coating provides a nice salty, tangy and slightly creamy quality to the chips, even slightly tricking us into believing that the cheese would be adding enough of a counter balance to subdue the heat of the jalapeno chips.  However, as so very rarely happens, we were wrong and suddenly Deano’s Jalapeno Chips take hold, and our mouths are officially on fire!!  Eating these chips, is basically like eating jalapeno chiles.  Well, technically we are eating jalapeno chiles.  For the majority of you (and us) out there these chips are simply too hot to eat on their own.  But, if you enjoy your spicy foods, then you may very well love Deano’s Jalapeno Chips; again, be warned – these are not for amateurs!!

The chips themselves are thin slices of jalapeno chile peppers, dusted in cornstarch, and fried just like traditional chips.  The result is unlike any other chips we have tried on the market.  After the initial, and short lived, taste of salty cheddar cheese, the jalapeno flavor is upfront, authentic, and powerful.  The chip’s texture reminds us a lot of those crunchy, fried onion straws that our grandmas were always sprinkling all over their casseroles as we grew up in Northern Minnesota.

In the end, we must admit that we actually like the Original Sea Salt version a bit better, as the bright orange cheddar cheese dusting really did not do anything for us.  We liked the purity of the other chips.  That being said, these would probably go really well with some type of homemade Chex mix, or mixture of nuts, or at least something to help subdue the heat from these things!!

As always, these are our thoughts. Agree or disagree, make sure to let us know.

Chip provided to Chip Review from Deano’s Jalapenos for review

Deano’s Jalapenos Official Website

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RATING: Cape Cod – Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

Rating: ©©©© chips  (lip-smacking)

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