Reviews – Page 220 – The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Reese’s Potato Chips Big Cup

Sean / November 4, 2021 / Reviews / 12 Comments

It’s that time of the year when Reese’s shapes frenetically go from footballs to pumpkins to trees in the blink of an eye. But shapes aren’t the only trick Reese’s have up its sugar-coated sleeve.

When it’s not sculpting its iconic blend of sweet peanut butter and milk chocolate into different but strikingly similar oblong shapes, it does something else with equal authority — stuffing its plus-sized cups with new goodies. Last autumn, we Hershey-heads were gifted Reese’s Big Cup with Pretzels, and this fall, it’s upping the sweet and salty ante with the Reese’s Potato Chips Big Cup.

This item is smokin’ hot brand new, yet the packaging has a retro quality that I find really attractive. It lures me in with its nostalgic charm. Although as a bonafide sweet and salty junky, I didn’t need to be sold in the slightest to pick these up the second I saw them.

I’m not sure if there’s a plan to release these in normal-sized cups or minis in the future, but starting with the Big Cup was the right decision. I’ve found the mix-ins, whether they’re Reese’s Pieces, cookies, or pretzels, can get lost in the smaller variety but get the proper chance to shine with the extra space the Big Cup provides. That’s definitely the case here.

The potato chips provide an immediate and intense crunch, with a touch of pleasant greasiness and punchy saltiness that takes the already salty candy to new heights. It’s still more sweet than it is salty, but the toothy chomp of the crispy ridged chips sets off pockets of legitimate salt that aren’t part of the normal smooth peanut butter equation. The salt gets tempered by the milk chocolate, and while it’s saltier than your average PB cup, it’s still well balanced with the sweetness. It’s delicious and addictive. I want this in the novelty sized holiday half-pound cups!

If I had to fault this Big Cup in any way, it’s in the lack of identifiable potato chip flavor. While they’re not as common as chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate-covered chips are awesome. And as strong as the sweet and salty experience is in this Big Cup, I would have loved for that classic starchy potato taste to come through. I’m not all that surprised, though. Peanut butter has such a dominant flavor, but that cheap greasiness DOES poke through over the fatty PB, so it’s still distinctly different from any prior offerings, even the pretzel. Fortunately, the lack of vegetal potato taste also doesn’t bog down the experience too much. It’s just keeping it from being perfect.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 2.6 oz
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – 36 grams) 180 calories, 11 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jet-Puffed S’moagie S’mores Sandwich

Rachel / November 4, 2021 / Reviews / 9 Comments

What is a Jet-Puffed S’moagie?

Jet-Puffed Marshmallows has partnered with Italian sandwich shop and “best sandwich in New York City” list frequenter Alidoro to crank out a s’mores/prosciutto hoagie mashup in honor of National Sandwich Day. I’m not sure why marshmallows need to muscle in on Sandwich Day, but here we are. I’ll be on the lookout for a Heinz Ketchup collabo on National Toasted Marshmallow Day next August 30th. (Marketing execs, this is a joke. Don’t do it. But if you do, I’ll be there.)

Alidoro created a graham-cracker-glazed hoagie roll, slathered it with sea salt dark chocolate spread, layered on some toasted/melty Jet-Puffed marshmallows, and topped it with thin, crispy prosciutto.

How is it?

First, a word for the sweet-salty averse: CALM DOWN. IT’S GOING TO BE FINE. WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS.

This was a really tasty sandwich. The graham-cracker roll was like sweet bread, and the marshmallows were a perfect consistency – melty and stringy, but not on a mission to ooze all over my hands and clothes. At first, I thought it was a little on the small side, but in retrospect, it was exactly the right amount of sandwich.

The chocolate flavor was so dominant here that the prosciutto actually faded into the background (for better or worse, depending on your personal POV). I’ve had a lot of bacon-laced sweets in my time, and I was expecting it to pack more of a savory punch. A tad disappointing. However, I noticed when I got down to the end of the sandwich, there was less marshmallow and chocolate, so the prosciutto stood out more, which I liked.

Anything else you need to know?

If you’re in New York City, hit the Alidoro locations at Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park to buy a S’moagie in person. The rest of the nation can order a S’moagie kit on Goldbelly, but at a higher price point. Now before you whine about the unfairness of that, just remember New Yorkers pay a staggering amount to live in sky-high shoeboxes, and every one of us has a story about a crazy place where we’ve found a cockroach. Easy access to the S’moagie is the trade-off.

Conclusion:

A fun, delicious combo! As-is, probably more suited for sweet-salty newbies. If you grew up putting salt on watermelon like me, it might be on the tame side. Adjust expectations…or bring extra prosciutto.

Purchased Price: $10.00 in-store
Purchased at: Alidoro Bryant Park
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not listed. Just assume it’s “a lot.”

Fast Food Jet-Puffed

REVIEW: Popeyes Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce

Ann / November 3, 2021 / Reviews / 8 Comments

Much like its quick service brethren, Popeyes has hopped on the celebrity endorsement train with its new Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce.

But this isn’t just a launch it and leave it situation. Megan Thee Stallion has apparently been heavily involved in the development of the sauce, a co-branded line of merchandise, a philanthropic commitment to donate to Houston Random Acts of Kindness, and a franchise agreement with the intent to open as many as five new Popeyes restaurants. Now that’s a partnership. I hope they give her some artistic freedom to make her franchise locations road-trip worthy because I would definitely go to a Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes.

Alright, on to the sauce.

Popeyes offers the Hottie sauce on either its new(ish) chicken nuggets or its infamous chicken sandwich. I opted for the 8-piece nuggets because I wanted to be able to focus on the sauce. The order came with two dip cups, which I think is standard for an 8 piece, so that’s a strategic bonus if you’re looking to try the sauce and save one for later.

At first glance, this sauce looks an awful lot like Popeyes’ Sweet Heat sauce, a well-established sauce that’s basically diluted honey and hot sauce. Noting visual differences, the Hottie sauce is richer in color and has flakes of red pepper throughout, which made me hopeful it would live up to its “Hottie” name.

Still, there’s a lot of internet speculation going around saying that the two sauces are the same. Let me just Poindexter that one real quick by clarifying that, technically/legally they have different ingredient lines, which means that by definition they are NOT the exact same sauce. But, yeah, they are similar.

The Hottie sauce has a sweet flavor up front, reminiscent of honey or sweet and sour sauce, and then builds a bit of heat in a nice balanced “oh this has hot sauce in it” gradual manner. I really enjoy spicy things, and I think the Hottie sauce falls into the same heat realm as the Popeyes “spicy” chicken tenders. That is, this could be hotter and I wouldn’t be mad.

Maybe Megan Thee Stallion was using the word “hottie” a la hot girl summer more so than an indication that the sauce was spicy. Oh well, a heat level to appease the masses isn’t entirely surprising from a major food chain. It definitely has a bit more kick than the Sweet Heat sauce.

I also thought the consistency of the sauce was spot on. I could dip a nugget or a chicken strip into this sauce and get a hefty amount of cling with limited drippage. Technical terms.

Overall I’d say this sauce is delicious. It falls a bit short in the innovation space since it’s very similar to the Sweet Heat sauce, and with the word “hottie” in the name, I had expected it to be a touch spicier, but it’s certainly not bad. I don’t know if I’ll ask for this sauce again, but I hope to visit a Stallion franchise location someday.

Purchased Price: $4.99 for 8 Nuggets and 2 Sauce Packets
Size: 0.90 oz.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not available online for the Hottie sauce.

Fast Food Popeyes

REVIEW: Hershey’s Sugar Cookie Candy Bar

Julie / November 2, 2021 / Reviews / 6 Comments