Southwestern Queso
Smell: They smell like normal Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips with a touch of taco seasoning.
Taste: Tostito's salsa con queso is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, so I was hoping this would be similar, but in chip-form, and sadly, it's not. In all fairness, this claims to be "queso," not "salso con queso," so maybe I was just setting my expectations a little too high, but I'm really glad I got this little bag because I'd never finish a giant one. These taste like cheddar-chips with some paprika and onion powder. Cheddar is the boldest flavor here, and even with the hints of veggie powders (bell peppers, onion and tomato), I find them to be pretty one-note and not all that enjoyable. But, I don't like cheddar and sour cream chips either. I prefer my cheesy snacks in cracker, curl, or crunchy Cheeto-form.
Beer 'n Brats
Smell: These kind of remind me of the Hot Dog Pringles I reviewed a while back. (Which were surprisingly good!) Already these are way better than the other beer-based chips I've reviewed. (Which smelled like stale beer left out at a party.) If I had to guess the flavoring based on the scent alone, I never in a million years would have guessed these were beer-related. Mostly these smell like hot dogs and a little sauerkraut.
Taste: The bratwurst flavoring is what I noticed first, although it tastes more like bologna lunch meat than a cooked brat, but then the more complex aftertaste kicks in. If you get a chip with a lot of powdered seasoning on it, the aftertaste is more like the stale beer flavoring I've experienced before, which I am not a fan of, but the lighter seasoned chips have more of a sauerkraut-like finish which I like a LOT more. As most of you know, I still don't like beer. (I always try them since b/f likes it a lot, but none of them ever appeal to me beyond a few sips.) So this flavor is another "meh," for me personally, but if you really like hot dogs, bologna, beer, and chips...this could be your new favorite snack!
Both flavors are busts for me and my taste-buds. With that being the case, I'm really glad I was able to find them in these mini-bags at Walmart, because I'd be really bummed out if I wasted my money on the larger bags. Everyone likes different things, so if you're a fan of sour cream and cheddar chips, I bet the queso would be a great change of pace while keeping the cheese-y flavoring you love in the forefront. Beer and hotdog (or bologna) fans, you might think the Beer n' Brats hit it out of the park.
For a cheddar and sour cream chip hater like me, who isn't too keen on beer, I can finish both of these little bags, but I can't see myself ever repurchasing either flavor. Especially not in their full-sized form.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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