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Not really my cup of tea in terms of flavor, but still an exceptional value. |
I was once again on the hunt for some
kind of chip-like product to take to work with me, something I tend
to do just about every week. Only this time, something was different:
I found myself in unfamiliar territory: With our local Aldi
temporarily shut down for a rebuild/renovation, we opted to forego
our usual backup plan (Meijer), and instead headed to Walmart for
groceries.
I stumbled into the chip aisle, with no
specific options on my mind; all I knew is that I wanted something
that I couldn’t get at Aldi. With that very broad criteria in
mind, my eyes finally settled on a bag of Great Value Jalapeno Jack tortilla chips, a
knockoff of the national brand flavored junk food tortilla chip. I
never tried the “actual” version of these, so it won't function
as a comparison between the two, but rather a look at this on its own
merits.
The smell is jalapeno through and
through, with no suggestion of sweetness or other flavor profiles; it's a
scent that strongly insinuates that it means business. Thankfully,
the heat is pretty well subdued, with what I would consider a
light-to-medium spiciness that dances on the tongue for a little
while, but that isn’t strong enough to cause any real discomfort.
In other words, you probably won’t have to have a gallon of milk
nearby, unless you’re overly sensitive to hot products, or throw
down handful after handful without a break in between.
The taste is pretty good, although it
falls somewhere in the weird gray area that many mainstream foods
find themselves in: it might be too peppery and straightforward for
non-fans of jalapeno, yet it won't pack the anticipated heat for
strong fans of the pepper. I'm somewhere in the middle of both of
those sides, and personally, I'd say they're pretty tasty at first,
but once I’ve had a handful (or two if I’m particularly hungry),
it’s pretty easy to put away the bag. And that's not something I
can say for other flavors of this chip (particularly the ranch, which
I have a hard time putting down once I eat one), although I suppose given the nutritional content (next to none), that might be a good thing.
Also coming from a “casual” fan of
jalapeno, I gotta be perfectly honest here: I don't think I'll ever
get these again. Again, there's nothing wrong with the taste, it's
just too...boring for me, for lack of a better term. I kind of
expected an addictive flavor like the ranch (and, to a lesser extent,
the nacho cheese), but instead got a more straightforward pepper
taste that just didn't hook me like I was expecting. I was hoping the "jack" in the title (an allusion, of course, to "pepper jack" cheese) would provide more to the flavor, but considering it's also a spicy cheese, it just adds a slight cheese taste that just comes off as "more of the same". Again, though,
those with more of an affinity for pepperiness will probably enjoy
these a lot more than I did.
As underwhelmed as I was on the flavor,
what's putting this (slightly) over the fence for me is the value: an
11 oz. bag is just $1. One dollar for a full-size bag, which is even
cheaper than the snack size bags from the name brands. At that price,
I can't really not recommend it; if you have even a mild
interest in jalapeno, it's worth picking up just to try. Even if you
dislike it, you won't be out much at all. And that's the way a budget
item should be.
Overall: 5.5/10. These are good for a
change of pace from the norm, but not something I would probably ever
care to get again. The flavor is disappointingly straightforward
jalapeno, with no offsetting sweetness or other flavor profiles,
which makes them almost disappointingly one-note, especially compared
to the ranch and nacho cheese versions. On the other hand, a full
size, 11 oz. bag retails for just $1, making it an incredible value,
especially for those on a strict budget. That's reason enough for me
to recommend at least giving them a shot if you're even the least bit
interested, as the low risk is more than offset by the potential of finding a great chip that you might like more than I did.
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