Lay's Fiery Habanero

Product circa: August 2018

Well this was a pleasant surprise to see in the store!  Especially as I've been honing my own Jamaican Jerk recipe this summer.

Anyway, the punch line is that these are disappointing.

While a decent heat builds after a few chips, the flavor is mostly uninteresting.  The distinct flavor of scotch bonnet is not present, and instead it seems to be a fairly generic blend of chile and spices/aromatics.  There's even a strange sweet barbecue flavor.  These chips are so non-distinct that the bag could have had a dozen different flavor names on it and it would have been passable.

Speaking of "passable", this product will be rated 1 NOM.  They're easily 2 NOMs in terms of flavor, but the execution of its namesake's flavor is too lazy.

Lay's Fiery Habanero:- Passable
Original Lay's (for comparison):- Good

Ephemeral Crunchy M&M's

Products circa: summer 2018

M&M's have issued a poll product for no apparent reason.  Maybe they're trying to mimic some success had by Lay's as of recent?

These three flavors are new varieties of M&M's Crunchy version.  The rice-krispy part of these candies make them very pleasant and really easy to eat more and more.  Each flavor also comes with a corresponding change in the colors of the candy shells.  Fun!

The first is Crunchy Mint.  Nothing special here.  It's a refreshing peppermint flavor that you'd expect from any other mint-chocolate candy.  There's a cooling menthol in here as well, not unlike Junior Mint candies.

The second is Crunchy Raspberry.  The flavor here is actually quite good.  The raspberry is natural-tasting, and almost juicy.

The third is Crunchy Espresso.  Very nice.  The flavor is like instant coffee, and not in a bad way.  It could have been made a bit stronger though.

Overall, a very decent showing.

M&M's Crunchy Mint:- Good
M&M's Crunchy Raspberry:- Good
M&M's Crunch Espresso:- Good
Original M&M's Crunch(for comparison):- Good

Mountain Dew Ice

Note: This is a Presumptive Ephemeral Nom.

Product circa: 2017-2018 (and onward?)

Pepsico is at it again with a variation on Mountain Dew that sounds so generic that it makes one wonder if it's already been released in the past.

But nope, Mountain Dew Ice came about in 2017 and it seems to have been available continually since then until the writing of this post.

Its colorless appearance and boasts of "lemon lime" on the label adequately prepare you for the sip; it's just a lemon lime soda that fits well into the Sprite-7Up-Sierra Mist archetype.  It tastes fine, and is not noticeably better or worse than those ilk.

What separates here are two things: the oft-insisted combination of both sugar and 0-calorie sweeteners by Pepsico, and the addition of caffeine.  So if you've been looking for a caffeinated lemon lime soda that has less calories than its competitors, then this stuff is for you!  But not for me.


Mountain Dew Ice:- Good
Original Mountain Dew(for comparison): - Great

Cherry Cola Oreo

Product circa: spring 2018

This product was part of a poll product series along with Kettle Corn Oreo and Pina Colada Oreo Thins.

I have to commend Oreo for really getting weird with their flavors this time around, and this one sits on top as one of the craziest yet.  I love just about anything that's flavored like cola, so I was excited.

On the first bite you might get a taste of cherry that reminds you of cough medicine, but it quickly subsides.  What's next is the pleasant commercial cola flavor, probably the same type that's used for the gummy cola candies that you can find.

Not bad, right?  But wait!  These Oreos contain popping candy in the creme, just like the Firework Oreos!  Oh no!!

But it's too late.  Your mouth and throat start crackling and vibrating, and it lasts long after the swallow.  I guess Oreo wants to simulate the cherry cola's carbonation?  Some might like it, but I do not.  The flavor's enjoyable, though.

Cherry Cola Oreo:- Passable
Original Oreo(for comparison):- Great

Lay's Beer 'n Brats

Product circa: autumn 2017

I love chips that attempt to taste like meat, and I've had some pleasant beer-flavored chips before as well, so I went in with high hopes.

I wasn't disappointed.  I was intrigued enough after the first few bites to examine the ingredients list.  Prominent on the list is yeast extract.  In some forms you might know the stuff as Vegemite, but in this form it's simply a pale powder used to simulate the flavor of beer.  It's delicious.  Not only does it give the yeastiness that's reminiscent of beer, but it's also packed with umami flavor.

A curious addition to the ingredients list is cheese.  What?  After spending too long thinking about it, I decided to keep eating.  After eating way more than I should have, I realized that the cheese serves to add a dairy-like creaminess to the chips without making them taste cheesy.  This creaminess is very akin to the creaminess of a good bratwurst sausage.

All in all, the two ingredients in question result in something that, if at the very least approaches what it's like to each bratwurst and drink beer, is completely delicious.  A very clever effort from the food scientists, and something that I'd buy regularly if I saw it regularly.


Lay's Beer n' Brats:- Great
Original Lay's(for comparison): - Great

Pina Colada Oreo Thins

Product circa: spring 2018

This is the third product in the spring 2018 Oreo poll product segment.

I don't think I've said it before, but I absolutely love Oreo Thins.  I've always been of the school that the less Oreo creme, the better.  Double Stuf Oreo was never great to me, and you can read about my thoughts on Mega Stuf Oreo here, where I fantasized about an "Half Stuf" Oreo.

Well, Oreo Thin is here for good, and thank god.  The wafers are cracker-thin, and the creme is a light spread.  The cookies crumble in your mouth without needing to use teeth.  In my opinion, the balance is better.

Anyway, the smell of these things is decided buttery.  This may simply result from the butteriness of the coconut, but it's also possible that there is a bit of added butter flavor to the cookies.  On the bite, the coconut becomes immediately apparent, and it will take you a few chews to notice the pineapple.  These are pretty tasty, but they're much too sweet.  They're lacking a tanginess that would really elevate them into something unstoppable.

In the end, Oreo Thins Coconut is now a permanent product, and I would rather have those.

Pina Colada Oreo Thins:- Good
Original Golden Oreo Thins:- Great 

Gatorade Flow Watermelon Mist

Product circa: summer 2018

Gatorade Flow has existed as an off-shoot of Gatorade for a few years now.  Supposedly Gatorade Flow products taste or finish "smoother" than the original drink.  Personally, I notice no difference.  With that said, some of the other Flow flavors have tasted just fine.

This stuff tastes exactly as you'd expect: liquefied watermelon candy.  I can't detect anything additional that would make it taste unique.  It's too sweet.  If they made it a bit more tart, it'd be a more refreshing and unique product.

Gatorade Flow Watermelon Mist: - Passable
Original Gatorade(Orange, for comparison):- Good