Kotas Reviews Lime and Jalapeno Ruffles

Hello Sports Fans, it's been a while hasn't it? Well, that's just how we roll on in today's cavalcade of flavor options churned out ceaselessly by Corporate Food Companies. Seriously, I can't even keep up with the onslaught of new and varied flavors of things anymore. Every time I go into the grocery store there is something new and different to try. Still, the occasional really interesting thing pops out, and that's what we have for today's experience. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's take a look at Lime and Jalapeno Ruffles.

I should probably know who Anthony Davis is, but this is the world we live in.

So for decades, athletes have been used for food advertising. For decades they've even had their faces on the packaging. However, this is absolutely the first time in my experience that a flavor was...uh...developed? Approved by? It says "By", so I'm going to assume Mr. Davis here came up with it. The packaging is spot on. Not only does it put the flavor front and center, the image of Anthony Davis is out of the way without being pushed aside. It's a delicate balancing act, but this pulls it off. Good job, Frito-Lay. Now, let's tear open this bag and see what we can see.

It ain't much, but it's honest flavor dust.

Yeah, yeah, this continues the tradition of Jalapeno flavored things generally having an underwhelming appearance. I mean, it's Ruffles with tiny green specks. Shocking, eh? The scent is exactly what you would expect. Fake-ish lime scent with some Jalapeno mixed in. Let's taste! First off, damn these things are spicier than I expected. Second, they are also damn good. Normally I don't like artificial lime flavoring, but either they've used a different one that I've tasted on other chips or the jalapeno essence they used just compliments it really well. Really strong lime flavor, big hit of pepper spice, and it fades fairly quickly if you let it. These are delicious, and the bag did not survive my household long.

On the FACE Rating System, these get 3 Smiley Faces. You really have to be in the mood for spicy lime flavor, but this thing delivers that flavor by the truck load, without being too much in either the lime or spice direction. Bravo Anthony Davis. If that whole basketball thing doesn't work out, perhaps you could be a Flavorgineer? 

Kotas Reviews Mozzarella N' Marinara Ruffles

Well, it's quickly approaching the nightmarish hellscape known as "summer" around these parts. Pity we didn't actually have a spring to go with it, eh? Still, these times call for backyard fare to feast upon as we pay tribute to the glorious excesses of the year. What better way to do that than with a new and totally different potato chip flavor! Ladies and gentlemen, today we crunch into Mozzarella and Marinara Ruffles.

Sure, let's go with that.

I can honestly say I've never been eating potato chips and gone "You know what this needs? Marinara sauce!" Seriously, who approved this? I mean, I get it. Mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce are delicious, but do we really need them in chip form? Wouldn't that ease of access simply reduce the delight in eating a good mozzarella stick? No? Fine. The artwork on this is pretty good, with a solid picture of what they were going for, along with the actual product. I haven't harped on this too much but kudos to you food manufacturers for actually putting representative pictures of your product on the bag. Let's rip it open!

Not exactly the most exciting picture, is it?

Well, they smell kind of like tomato sauce I guess. They certainly have some sort of flavor dust, but it's not particularly stand out now is it? The little green flecks I guess are a nod to oregano or other herbs that separate tomato sauce from marinara maybe? Whatever, let's eat. 

Okay, these taste alright. Definitely some tomato sauce from a jar type flavors here, but nothing too significant. Some mild cheese flavors that I associate with mozzarella, but not definitively mozzarella flavor. It's not bad, but it's not particularly good. I guess if you dumped a jar of Prego over some regular Ruffles, scraped a few shavings of mozzarella on it, and then baked it, you might approximate the taste. I think I'm pretty whelmed by this.

On the FACE Rating System, these get 0 Faces. They aren't bad, but they are nothing special. If you just need something different yet unlikely to anger you, these fit the bill, but so do a number of other chip flavors. I'd probably pass these by.

Kotas Reviews Ruffles All Dressed Chips

Welcome to the BONUS ROUND! After such a disappointing finish to Chip Week, I remembered that I had one more chip to review...that I probably should have reviewed months ago when I was first introduced to them (thanks [REDACTED])! Let's close this out with a look at Ruffles All Dressed Chips.

Oh yah, time to find out what it's all aboot, eh?

It is a well known fact that chip companies provide flavor variations based on regional preferences, and Frito-Lay is no exception. The Ruffles All Dressed chips hail from our frozen neighbor to the North, Canada, where this flavor is incredibly popular, and only just now made its way South to the United States. The flavor is described by Frito-Lay thusly: "hard-to-describe, hard-to-put-down salty, savory, and sweet all at the same time". Which really doesn't describe it too well, but it sounds like an interesting combination. From the imagery on the bag, I gather it has something to do with barbecue sauce, paprika, and vinegar. Still, the bag is otherwise a bog standard Ruffles bag. Let's open it up!

Yeah, okay, color me whelmed.

Well, these look like nothing special. A light dusting of reddish flavor powder and that's it. The smell is delicious though, with a nice vinegar-y yet sweet scent that made me hungry. The taste is actually amazing. It's like a more savory, less sweet barbecue potato chip, with a lot more zing. It is a strong flavor, probably from the vinegar elements, but unlike normal barbecue flavored chips, which are usually way too sweet, this has that perfect balance of, dare I say it, Sweet, Savory, and Salty coupled with the solid crunch that Ruffles are known for. Om Nom Good is what these are. I did share the bag I purchased, but reluctantly. 

On the FACE Rating System, these get three smiley faces. They may be my new flavored chip of choice, dethroning my long beloved Cool Ranch Doritos as my number one snack chip go to. If you like barbecue chips, these are a must try. If you always wanted to like them, but found them too cloying, these are a must try. In fact, just go out and get them. If you don't like them, I will take them!