REVIEW: Marshmallow Butterfinger Bar

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I have to be honest about something up front: I have been waiting and wishing for a white chocolate Butterfinger for over 20 years. From the first glorious taste of a white chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup sometime in the mid-2000s, my brain chemistry changed. I thought to myself, “Why don’t all candy bars do this?” It is such a simple but effective swap to the whole dynamic of a flavor profile, and one that I thought would be a perfect complement to Butterfinger’s crispety crunchety peanut-buttery toffee flavor.

But I also thought the same thing about Snickers and Twix, which, when their white iterations came out, were fine, but didn’t achieve the same greatness as the Reese’s. Something about the white chocolate paired with Snickers and Twix falls short of their milk and dark counterparts, which, despite its amplified sweetness, is duller than the original.

Regardless of white chocolate’s success rate, when Marshmallow Butterfinger was announced, the second in a run of fun new flavors for the bar after Salted Caramel, I began the hunt immediately. Butterfinger is a candy that historically changes its shape as opposed to its taste, with the most significant change before this year being a dark chocolate version, so the idea of not only a white chocolate but a marshmallow white creme is a pretty big swing for an often complacent brand.

I am hoping for the sake of candy lovers everywhere that Butterfinger will continue to take some swings, because the marshmallow version is a wallop of a success. The new white coating distinctly tastes like marshmallow, extra sweet and vanilla-y, with a flavor that will remind you of Lucky Charms’ dehydrated version without the dry crunch. Sometimes white chocolate can simply be sweet, and this has an abundance of character and sweetness that really tastes unique to any other I’ve had. The texture is velvety smooth and melty to go along with the bold pop of sugariness that complements the salty and nutty core flavor wonderfully.

Where the Snickers and Twix fell short, this new Butterfinger shines brilliantly not only because of the slightly savory peanut toffee in the base, but also because of the little extra marshmallow flavoring in the creme. The addition of a strong, pronounced, sweet vanilla elevates the bar to a delightful crumbly crescendo of sweet and salty that tickles the candied fantasies of my mind 20 years ago.

Purchased Price: $3.19
Size: 2-piece Share Pack, 3.07 Ounces
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 piece, 52g) 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of total sugars, 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Alani Nu Pumpkin Cream Energy Drink

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And so it begins: Pumpkin Season.

But not just any pumpkin season, an extra pumped-up, super caffeinated pumpkin season.

For the first time in its short and successful history, Alani Nu released a limited edition Pumpkin Cream sugar-free energy drink. Growing from a supplement store darling in 2018 to one of the most sought-after and competitive drinks in the entire market, Alani Nu is going where few companies are willing to go: cold, bubbly, sweet pumpkin.

Pumpkin-flavored drinks are nothing new. Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is the origin of the last two decades’ worth of pumpkin spice obsession, but cold and carbonated is a different story than warm and milky. After the massive success of Alani’s Witch’s Brew, a slightly sour caramel apple-flavored energy drink, I’m not surprised the company is willing to take a big, spooky swing and attempt a new release that could be polarizing for consumers. And indeed, divisive this one will be.

Alani Nu Pumpkin Cream is good, but there’s no doubt that it’s kind of weird. The flavor has that immediate vegetal quality to it. It’s kind of round and slightly funky — unfamiliar, but not bad. This isn’t just merely bubbly spices; it’s pumpkin, akin to jarred or canned pureed pumpkin, and I respect that. Especially when combined with the very present cream quality, it tastes a lot like a scoop of pumpkin ice cream, which is pleasant, but no doubt, again, kind of weird.

The taste is quite sweet with just the slightest dash of cinnamon to support the profile without any other notable spices like nutmeg or ginger, which makes sense as it is pumpkin cream, and not pumpkin spice. Aside from ice cream, this drink also reminds me of another true-to-taste pumpkin product that arrives this time of the year: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s.

It is not a flavor for the faint of heart or part-time pumpkin lovers, and it is far from a crowd pleaser. However, it executes what it is aiming to execute, and that is a pretty autumnally admirable energy drink that’s fun for an occasional seasonal sip.

Purchased Price: $7.99 (I overpaid for an early release, single can)
Size: 12 ounces
Purchased at: Energy Drink City Website
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can, 355mL) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of sugar alcohol, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s Argentinian Style Steak Potato Chips

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Lionel Messi, one of the most celebrated and decorated soccer (ahem, football?) players of all time, has a new collaboration with one of the oldest and most celebrated chip brands, Lay’s. Paying homage to Lionel’s home country of Argentina, which he helped win the most recent FIFA World Cup for in 2022, the newest limited edition creation from this power duo is Argentinian Style Steak.

When I think of Argentina and steak, I think of chimichurri, and the bold graphic of perfectly vibrant medium-rare steak covered in chunky green goodness on the bag lets me know my brain has gone in the right direction. For those unfamiliar with chimichurri, it is a delicious uncooked sauce made up of olive oil, fresh herbs, and garlic. I love chimichurri. Unfortunately, I don’t love these chips.

The chips aren’t bad by any means, but they don’t deliver the flavors I want and enjoy from steak with chimichurri. What the chip gets right is the beef flavor, as it’s certainly there and notably meaty from the first salty bite to the last. Where it goes wrong is in the lack of complexity and vibrancy of the chimichurri.

When I think of a good chimi, I think first of garlic, then maybe some parsley and a hint of basil, all enrobed in a velvety smooth fatty olive oil. The seasoning on these chips leans into the beef first, followed quickly by an aggressive onion flavor. I like onions and onion powder, but being the dominant flavor here is far from satisfying. The end result is a chip that tastes more like beef and onions than Argentinian Style Steak, which isn’t bad, but disappointing. Sour cream and onion, hold the sour cream, feels closer to home than a spiced-up steak.

In their purest form, this new limited edition chip reminds me of fast food French fries that sit in a paper bag on the drive home next to a juicy burger with onions on it. The fries absorb a bit of that beef and onion aroma, but still mostly taste like potatoes. I don’t mind fries with some beef and onion juice on them, but I certainly can’t put that kind of profile into the Messi-inhabited GOAT conversation.

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 2 1/2 ounces
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 chips, 28g) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Twisted Queso Doritos

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If the exploding patriotic red and blue stars and stripes on this bag are any indication, it is officially America’s birthday. That makes me excited because, in snack food language, that means in about four weeks, it will officially be Halloween; the pumpkin is a-comin! But before spooky season begins in July, Doritos has unleashed a new chip flavor by way of every fireworks-fueled party’s greatest asset — a bowl of warm and gooey queso.

I went into this bag of chips optimistic that I would enjoy them but also nearly positive that I knew what I was going to taste. Last year, I wrote about Fritos Flavor Twists Queso, and being that the new Doritos Twisted Queso comes from the same company, it felt intuitively like a quick and easy rebrand. A twist, a corn chip, a queso — same thing, right? I was wrong!

These new Doritos were not what I was expecting, and in this case, that’s a good thing. I like the Queso Fritos Twists quite a bit, but these are even better. Yes, Fritos Twists are possibly the greatest corn chip form factor ever, but the flavor of these new Doritos is notably different in the best way.

Twisted Queso starts with a nice salty, layered cheese taste that quickly gets perfectly accented by a nice salsa-adjacent pepper flavor. There is a bit of heat that rounds out the profile, but these are instantly more dynamic and deep than I remember from the Fritos, and I really enjoy them. These taste much less like the other chip with Queso in the name and more like a cheese-ified version of the often overlooked Salsa Verde Doritos, an all-time chip in my book.

I had to make sure I wasn’t going crazy and do a little bit of ingredient sleuthing work to confirm what my tastebuds detected — and I was right. There are three key differences between Twisted Queso Doritos and Fritos Twists Queso. The Doritos use jalapeño pepper instead of bell pepper, which accounts for that little peppery kick. They also use Romano and cheddar cheese, whereas the Fritos just use cheddar. The Fritos also contain tomato powder, which keeps them feeling a bit sweeter, whereas the Doritos more prominently feature garlic powder. Long story short — they’re not the same recipe at all.

In the battle of corny twisted queso chips, there is a clear victor, and one that surprisingly stands up with the best of what Doritos has to offer — a true cheesy jalapeño delight.

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 2 5/8 ounces
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (11 chips, 28g) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 190 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of total sugars, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Fritos Lime & Jalapeno Flavor Twists

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I went on record last year stating that one of the biggest conundrums in the chip world (chip-iverse?) is the lack of new Fritos Flavor Twists varietals, and it seems the powers that be have heard my (our) call.

Less than a year later, after being stagnant for over a decade, the company has now dropped two consecutive new flavors. The first is a Cheddar Buffalo that was exclusive to Dollar General, a store that doesn’t exist where I live, and now, just ahead of summer BBQ season, Lime & Jalapeño.

Since it’s already been established that I’m a Fritos Flavor Twists freak, I’m not going to bury the lede here: these are excellent. For those familiar with the Frito-Lay brand, these are essentially a hybrid of three existing corn chips, and the marriage is divine. Combine Flavor Twists’ immaculate corkscrew form factor with the Tostitos Hint of Lime seasoning and the gentle peppery kick of Spicy Jalapeño Fritos Scoops, and you’ve given your tongue the blueprint.

The profile leads with a strong, citrusy lime jolt before leaning into a mild but flavorful garlic-y spice that makes way for a strong corn chip finish with a touch of creaminess. As more addictive twirly chips get devoured, the lime takes a bit of a backseat, and the peppered spice starts to build, with that buttermilk-y creamy tang developing more and more.

These chips aren’t sweet in the way that Honey BBQ are, but there’s enough of a sweetness emanating from the lime that makes them extremely dynamic. If you dislike lime-flavored chips, and I know that can be divisive, then these won’t be for you. But for anyone who enjoys that distinct fruity taste with a touch of creamy heat and the perfect snackable crunch, these are pure Fritos fusilli fun that should be picked up before they’re inevitably gone.

Purchased Price: $5.89
Size: 9 1/4 oz
Purchased at: Nob Hill
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (23 pieces, 28g) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of total sugars, 2 grams of protein.

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