Happy Fourth of Ju-LAYS

As promised, the fourth Lays flavor:

Lay's "Do Us A Flavor": Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese

If everyone read the Father's Day Oreos post, you were introduced to "Fitz".  Well, he rears his head again with a HUGE contribution to FaturatedSats.  

Every Monday begins with a 4hr status meeting, but this Monday was different as I arrived at my desk to find this glorious, seductive, golden bag sitting waiting for me.  To my surprise, Fitz and his lovely wife Stephanie had come across these in their local supermarket and decided to generously donate them to the Fat so that the sample set could be completed.  Thanks to you both.

Obviously, this meant that the meeting had to be COMPLETELY derailed, and the Fat entered, guns blazing with the bag of Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese for all to try.  Sharing with friends only enhances the experience, in my opinion.

These chips, as expected, were well received.  The flavor title alone is so inviting that people instinctively lunged toward the bag to taste them.  The CBM&C  did not face the same hurdles as the Cappuccino with hesitancy from eaters to dig right in.  Once you taste them, it is easy to understand why.  They are delicious.  One of the GREAT things about this chip is that the bacon is not overwhelming.  Adding a bacon flavor to a snack vessel is dicey because sometimes it can just translate into a deep smoke that overwhelm the palate.  This chip just has a light dusting that is hardly noticeable until the flavor sinks in just moments after the first chip.

One of the problems I had with this chip, however, was the use of the cheese flavor in the chip.  I couldn't help but think about Sour Cream & Cheddar chips (of any brand) right after popping the first chip.  Perhaps it was how they were trying to execute the macaroni portion of this flavor, but there wasn't a deep, cooked flavor in the cheese.  As a matter of fact, there was almost a brightness, which is what made me think of the sour cream.  Without that deep richness, I wasn't completely blown away.

Nevertheless, I had no trouble polishing off the rest of the bag over the course of the workday.  I would CERTAINLY grab these off the shelf (if I could ever find them in MY grocery), but we have to remember that this is a voting situation ("thanks DT) and I just don't think that I would choose this over the Wasabi Ginger.  I'm not really sure why these chips are not more readily available in all supermarkets, but I HIGHLY recommend trying to find them if you can to decide for yourself.

I'm voting for the Wasabi Ginger.

Do Us A Flavor Breakdown

While attending a wedding in Rhode Island with a bunch of friends and I received an email AND text with the picture below that read:

"Party in our room when we get back from the store?"

Needless to say, I was SUPER pumped!! Knowing my passion for snack food and how excited I was to try these babies out, my incredibly thoughtful friend (who shall remain nameless, but is mentioned in previous posts as the enabler of this blogging mayhem) decided to grab these new Lay's flavors the moment he saw them.  (And, yes, he was purchasing watermelon and bottled water as the originally intended "snack").  If you're an enthusiast like me, you've already noticed that there is one flavor missing.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the 4th flavor (Cheddar, Bacon Mac & Cheese) in any local stores, but I'm working on it. Obviously, I'll post a follow up once the 4th is found and tasted.  In the meantime, here's a breakdown:

Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger - I'll go on record saying that this chip is DIVINE! Of the 3 tasted there was NO DOUBT that this was the clear winner.  Even my buddy had already opened this bag when we met up for the tasting.  Clearly, there is a unique but harmonious flavor profile going here and Lay's even managed to throw in a slight hint of soy to round out the delicious, clean, and slightly spicy kick of these chips.  The fact that they're kettle cooked only adds to the positive eating experience.  Could this flavor fly on a regular Lay's potato chip? I think so. However, the kettle cooking process just marries the flavor deeper into the chip and creates a crisp vessel that doesn't simply melt in your mouth and muddy up the eat.  Well done, Lay's.  This was a fine selection.  There was a FANTASTIC bar across the street from the hotel we were staying in (Brewskis), and I decided that I was going to bring the chips with me in order to get a consensus from the rabble rousing crew I was hanging out with.  During the 500ft walk, I polished off the whole bag of Wasabi Ginger chips.  Fat Mike likey da Wasabi Ginger. Mmmmm....

Wavy Mango Salsa - I'll open by confessing that I'm not a fan of the wavy chip in the first place.  Since my early chip eating days, Ruffles were the first bag that I scratched off my "Favorites" list.  Something about wavy chips has always left me with a bad taste in my mouth.  PUN INTENDED!!  After years of eating research, I realized that it's not the manufacturers fault, but a shortcoming in my own eating process.  I tend to eat chips very enthusiastically, and the wavy chip doesn't lend itself well to my aggressive style.  When Fat Mike throws a load of chips in his face, there is a tendency to break down the pile by pressing against the roof of the mouth.  Wavy chips always leave a mild soreness behind that just serves as a reminder that buying regular potato chips in the first place would've been the better way to go. In addition, I'm never impressed by the way that wavy chips hold onto their flavor.  Oh well, just never been a fan.

That being said, it wasn't going to deter me from trying the Mango Salsa chip! After all, I've always trusted in the folks at Lay's to know what they were doing, and I believed the wavy chip served a higher purpose.  Unfortunately, I was met with similar disappointment that I've been experiencing my whole life.  I completely understand that the Mango should serve as a sweet undertone to the chip, but in order to do that there needed to be a better execution of the salsa flavor.  I think Lay's ended up stumbling into more of a Pico De Gallo application than a "salsa".  The light freshness of the chip combined with the sweet had a tendency to overtake the mild spices after multiple bites.  It just wasn't exciting, and combined with the wavy chip deficiency coming out of the gate, it was hard for the Fat to stick by this one.  If someone offered me a bag, I wouldn't push it away, but I won't be spending my $3.49 on them at the store any time soon.

Cappuccino - Saving the best for last, you wonder?  Hahahaha

Dear Executives at Lay's: I admire the brave choice to release this chip.  I'll tell you, folks, there has not been a SINGLE person (and I'm not exaggerating) that I told about this new flavor who reacted with anything except disgust and negativity.  A chip enthusiast like myself finds flavor choices like these exciting and interesting, but "normal folks" are much harder to impress.  Perhaps it's blind faith that the people behind the magic curtain wouldn't put it out there if they didn't see some appeal in it? Perhaps we've gotten to the point where Lay's just wants to see how many dumb-asses out there (like myself) would buy these things? Perhaps the flavor scientists just wanted to pat themselves on the back for pulling it off?  Whatever the motivation, and despite the overwhelming reactions I had received from others, I was ready and willing to dive in and see what they got.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed.  They definitely nailed the flavor by relying heavily on the cinnamon sprinkle that is typically topped on a nice, foamy cappuccino.  That relationship between salty and sweet works pretty well in desserts and cooking, but is pretty hard to nail down on something as small and simple as a potato chip.  Needless to say, it didn't go over to well with the 15 people I shared the bag with.  Fat Mike was perfectly content to keep going back for more, but most were turned off after the first chip.  In one case, a girl bravely dipped her hand in the bag to grab a taste and immediately after it got into her mouth she spit them onto the table, frantically scratching at her tongue and chugging her Bud Light for relief. Hahaha.  It was quite a reaction, and I needed to share it for any of you out there who think that you want to brave the murky waters of the cappuccino chip.  

This is not one of those circumstances where I'm going to encourage people to go out and try them because they are a happy surprise.  If you are genuinely curious, then by all means go ahead.  I think you'll find, as I did, that while the folks at Lay's were able to nail the flavor profile, there's really no need to sit down with a bag of these chips in ANY circumstance.  I tried to think of an appropriate time or event where I'd add a bag of cappuccino flavored chips into the equation: a BBQ, watching a movie, sitting on a park bench? Alas, not one yielded a "yes" response.  Too bad, cappuccino chips.  You were a brave choice, but I don't see you taking home the gold, or getting many stellar reviews during this year's competition.

There you have it.  Keep an eye out for the CBM&C post.  Like Daniel Day Lewis proclaimed to Madeline Stowe in "Last of the Mohicans", "I will find you! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you!"  Or perhaps the great Wayne Campbell when he said, "She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine."