Silver Bagged Guerillas: AKA Doritos Pt. II

The secondary definition of "guerilla" is: referring to actions or activities performed in an impromptu way, often without authorization.  That's the way I do things when I'm walking down the chip isle, and this definition also works for the subtlety with which Doritos executed their latest crazy scheme. 

I can't take direct credit for this discovery.  Believe it or not, my wife was the one who informed me about these test flavors after wandering into a random Sheetz. Needless to say, I was taken aback when I saw these silver beauties (below) starting back at me walking through my local supermarket. I knew (as I always do) that it was my responsibility to try them first hand to understand what was going on.

Apparently, Doritos recently decided to release "test flavors" into the market, and then let people vote for their favorites.  However, unlike the Lays tests, Doritos opted to use nondescript, silver packaging and a numbering system to keep people TOTALLY guessing.  I respect the HELL out of this because it allows eaters to have a completely unbiased experience.  They can't just read a flavor profile and develop preconceptions beforehand.  The consumer needs to commit to opening the bag, reaching in, and popping that chip in their mouth just to satisfy the sheer curiosity. A brilliant move.  For someone like myself, however, it means grabbing ALL 3 bags off the shelf and bringing them home to find out what this was really all about.  I've provided a breakdown below, and each is accompanied with an ASSUMED goal that Doritos may have been going for. 

This was the first to get opened, and I gotta say it made it obvious there was something special going on.  There were some dark spices on there, and while the smoke was apparent there were subtle sweet notes like brown sugar and chocolate.  It was hard to decipher what exactly was the root flavor that #2653 was going for.  However, after some thought I realized that the Latin roots with the hints of sweet seemed similar to ingredients used in a Mole.  If you are unfamiliar, a Mole is a deep, rich sauce used in Latin cooking that incorporates (something like) 25 ingredients, one of which is chocolate.  You'll see chefs on cooking competitions try to whip one of these sauces up if a secret chocolate ingredient is introduced.  Needless to say, this test flavor was perfect in its subtlety and mystery. Not too overbearing, and easy to eat.
 

Test flavor 404 definitely brought a new style to the table.  This bag slaps you in the face with notes of citrus, garlic, and something like a funky cheese.  It's unique in that the profile was really hard to pin down. When sharing with a couple of friends to gather other opinions, some even tasted hints of lemongrass and thought this was meant to emulate a Thai flavor of some kind.  I, on the other hand, found it very reminiscent of the "cheesy garlic bread" that Lays rolled out last year.  Granted, the citrus is noticeable in Doritos flavor profile which sets it apart for sure.  Nevertheless, I couldn't envision myself grabbing a bag with the intention of taking it down in full during one sitting.  It's rare for me to find a reason NOT to take down a whole bag, and so it is worth noting that my willingness to purchase this over the myriad of other options would be inhibited                                          by that fact.

Finally, we come around to test #855 aka the Red bag.  Once the chip is tasted, the color of the bag is a dead giveaway.  This was a nacho flavored chip to be sure, but bigger, bolder, and more in your face.  Most might hear that label "nacho" and think, "what's the big deal? Doritos are always nacho flavored."  The difference is that THESE are not simply meant to coat the chip in a nacho cheese, but rather a plate of prepared nachos similar to what can be found at a local pub or chain restaurant.  A noticeable coolness of sour cream exposes the flavor profile intention.  It's amazing how the chip is able to encompass the entirety of a quality nacho order.  Smokey beef chili, a bit of jalapeno spice, onion, tomato, sour cream and (of course) the cheese.  I could eat bag after bag of these and then move on to a plate of restaurant nachos just to seal the deal.  It's obvious that nobody understand nachos better than the folks at Dorito, but I'm not sure if I'd vote this my favorite because of that fact.  Why introduce another "nacho flavored" chip to the market? It's not that it's unoriginal, far from it, but I'd rather take part in bringing something with a little more imagination if it's gonna be left in my hands.

However, as I always say, now it's up to you to decide for yourself.  Go to your local store and grab these test bags.  I can only hope that the guidance I have provided will guide your hand out of curiosity to see if you share my sentiment.  As always, thanks Doritos for keeping it lively out there, and using your collective scientific minds to keep snack enthusiasts like myself on our toes.