REVIEW: Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ and Smoky Bacon

Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ and Smoky Bacon Cans

When I look at these new Pringles Smoky flavors, I can’t help but think the Pringleneers (Pringles engineers) are running out of steam. Or should I say smoke? Available in three varieties — Smoky Mesquite BBQ, Smoky Bacon, and Smoky Cheddar — they appear to be previous flavors with additional smokiness or flavors that Pringles has offered before. For this review, I found only the barbecue and bacon flavors. I’ll smoke out the cheddar one later.

I don’t know about you, but I can tell when I love a Pringles flavor when I end up eating more than half the can without realizing it, at a pace that makes it seem like my hand is a car’s piston and the Pringles can is an engine’s cylinder. However, my gluttony and repetitive arm motions remained in check with both Pringles Smoky varieties I tried.

Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ up close
Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ

Barbecue didn’t come to mind when I tried the Smoky Mesquite BBQ Pringles. Its aroma somewhat reminded me of ketchup or All-Dressed chips, and its flavor evoked Asian flavors similar to those found in Lay’s chips I’ve had from China. There’s a bit of lime flavor that’s really noticeable among the onion and garlic powders. But all of that flavor doesn’t draw my taste buds or my hands to the Pringles can.

Pringles Smoky Bacon close up

The Smoky Bacon seems to taste slightly different than the previous bacon-flavored Pringles. I suppose that difference could be considered a “smokiness,” but I feel as though it has a meatier flavor than what I remember the original Bacon Pringles had. However, despite their bolder flavor, I couldn’t say I thoroughly enjoyed the potato crisps. While I feel they taste fine, that greasy flavor that comes with bacon-flavored products is something I can only enjoy in doses.

Because I’m snacking on these slower than a sloth on a sidewalk, I decided to stack the two flavors, and what I tasted was something that made me think of SPAM for some reason. And now that I have that in my head, I’d really like to taste a Hormel SPAM and Pringles collaboration. That would be more exciting than these Smoky flavors.

Purchased Price: $2.59 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Smoky Mesquite BBQ), 5 out of 10 (Smoky Bacon)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 14 crisps) Smoky Mesquite BBQ – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Smoky Bacon – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Miller Lite Beer Pringles (Grilled Beer Brat, Beer-Braised Steak, and Beer Can Chicken)

It’s almost Memorial Day, aka the unofficial start of Summer, aka prime grilling season (you know, if you’re the type to relegate your outdoor meat cooking to only one particular time of year).

In the spirit of the season, Pringles is teaming up with Miller Lite beer to bring a few different types of beer-inspired grilled meat potato crisps to store shelves: Grilled Beer Brat, Beer-Braised Steak, and Beer Can Chicken. (If you’ve never had beer can chicken, it’s where you stick an opened can of beer up a chicken’s butt before grilling it, ostensibly to… infuse the chicken meat with the essence of beer? It doesn’t actually make it taste like beer in my experience. Maybe it keeps the chicken moist, I’m no food scientist.) Anyway, although I don’t drink beer nowadays, I DO eat Pringles — and chicken, brats, and steak — so I tried all three.

Beer Can Chicken: The worst of the bunch. Not bad, but not good. Very neutral, in other words. These tasted like regular Pringles, honestly, that were maybe just a little… off. I heard someone online suggest that they tasted like chicken ramen packets, and someone else excitedly agreed, but I didn’t get that sense AT ALL. A Pringle flavored with chicken ramen seasoning would have been much better (though probably not accurate for Beer Can Chicken and chicken ramen seasoning Pringles have already been done). I found myself tired of these after two crisps.

Beer-Braised Steak: Interesting, and better than the BCC, but I wasn’t in love with these, either. There was definitely more of a meaty essence with these — even, dare I say, steak-meat — and a decent charcoal hint at the beginning, but it felt like it was all right up front on the chip, with no nuance or longer-lasting flavor.

Grilled Beer Brat: The best of the bunch, if only because it felt the truest to its intention. Though I still didn’t get any “beer” flavoring, this one nicely mimicked an actual grilled brat. My only complaint was the same as with the Beer-Braised Steak version — the flavoring could’ve used a little more oomph. All of the seasoning seemed to be at the beginning of the tasting, and I didn’t really feel like it warranted eating a bunch to get that good initial taste.

Because I wanted to know if I could trust my taste buds — and the Pringles food scientists to get it right — I blind taste tested each to see if I could pick out which one was which. The Chicken’s blandness was unmistakable — I guessed it on my first go-round. The other two took a bit more work. I initially mixed up which was which, but after having about three of each, I got them correct. Additionally, I tested them on my daughter, who went in with zero knowledge of the intended flavors. She thought the Chicken was “regular Pringles,” Steak was “garlic,” and Brat was “mint.” She also declared that she didn’t like any of them, and was scandalized that I tried to give her beer. Kids, am I right?

Purchased Price: $2.00 (each)
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Chicken), 6 out of 10 (Steak), 7 out of 10 (Brat)
Nutrition Facts: (14 Crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium Brat/Steak 180 milligrams of sodium Chicken, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Pringles Mingles

Years ago, Pringles attempted to convince us to flavor stack, combining different flavors to create new ones. I don’t know how successful that campaign was, but I don’t recall ever doing it. But now Pringles is doing the flavor mixing for us with the cornmeal-based Pringles Mingles, a new line of crunchy puffy snacks with four fused flavors: Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch, Cheddar & Sour Cream, BBQ & Pizza, and Dill Pickle & Ranch. However, I could only procure three of the four at Walmart.

First off, let me say how much I love this product’s name because it’s incredibly clever, it’s fun to say, and I’m a sucker for rhyming. Saying Pringles Mingles gives me the giggles and tingles. The puffs come in a curved bow tie shape, and they have a texture that’s not as airy as Cheetos Puffs but also not as dense as Cheetos Crunchy. Also, a serving is frickin’ 56 PIECES!!!

The Cheddar & Sour Cream one is the tastiest of the three I tried, but I’m not surprised. Numerous other crunchy snacks have shown us that the two flavors work exceptionally well when paired. For example, Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream is the best Ruffles variety. Heck, even regular Pringles has a tasty Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor. There’s a pleasant tanginess from the sour cream and a sharp bite from the cheddar flavoring. Also, my taste buds sometimes got a Cheetos Puffs vibe from them. I could eat these light orange puffs all day, every day.

When I first tried the Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch one, I instantly thought it tasted familiar. At first, my mind leaned towards a White Cheddar Cheetos, but that didn’t seem right in my head. Its flavor starts with a sharp cheesiness, and then the ranch kicks in the background. It’s got a great savory flavor, but it’s not as addictive as the Cheddar & Sour Cream one. After eating one-third of the bag, I finally realized why this tasted so familiar. The aftertaste reminded me of Chicken in a Biskit crackers. I could eat these white speckled puffs some of the time.

Finally, there’s the BBQ & Pizza, which I found to taste odd initially. The pizza seasoning is the most dominant of the two. Its cheese, herb, and tomato flavor is common with most pizza-flavored snacks, and the smoky, sweet taste similar to other barbecue-flavored snacks is right underneath it. While I did think the combination was weird at first, the more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it. I think it helps that pizza is the dominant flavor because I love me some pizza-flavored snacks. I could see myself eating these dark orange puffs every so often.

While I enjoy the three flavors, the one slight downside to them is that the seasoning left on my fingers isn’t as flavorful as what I’d taste after eating a Cheetos or Doritos. Also, I totally forgot to mingle the Pringles Mingles to stack even more flavors. I’m such a dingle…berry.

Purchased Price: $4.24 each
Size: 5.5 oz bags
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Cheddar & Sour Cream), 7 out of 10 (Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch), 7 out of 10 (BBQ & Pizza)
Nutrition Facts: (56 pieces/1 oz) Cheddar & Sour Cream – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. BBQ & Pizza – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Everything Bagel Pringles

Last week, a strange mustachioed man sprinted up to me and asked if I could name Pringles’ newest flavor. I, being the eastern United States’ preeminent Pringles historian, replied to this definitely real person, “Hasn’t Pringles done everything?”

Without pause, the astonished and not made-up man’s eyes went wide with fear. He muttered under his breath, “How did you know?” Then he dropped a fresh can of new Everything Bagel Pringles at my feet and ran away in hysterics.

Not gonna lie (absolutely gonna lie, I am clearly lying); it was pretty weird. I didn’t even get any money, but hey, I got some Everything Bagel Pringles. Score.

I love Pringles and jump at any chance to review new varieties. I’ve actually been on a run of only reviewing “ring” based snacks, so it was nice to break away from that with these Pringles that are based on… bread shaped like a ring. Oh, man.

Wait a minute, pRINGles! “Ring” is right there in the name. I’m stuck in a ring-shaped loop!

Meh, whatever. At least I have snacks.

I didn’t know what to expect from these. There are a lot of elements to cover – cream cheese, onion, garlic, the various superfluous seeds, and even the bagel flavor itself. Can a chip do all that justice?

Yes and no. They’re really good, but “everything bagel” is a bit of a stretch. Also, Pringles aren’t chips, they’re crisps. You shoulda known that. I was just testing ya.

They smell like Sour Cream and Onion, which is fine, as those are my favorite OG Pringles. The flavor profile hits on onion and garlic, but they’re pretty mild. Cream cheese is the strongest flavor. I guess that’s appropriate to real life because my request of “just a little cream cheese” is always interpreted as “three pounds of cream cheese.” Sesame and poppy seeds barely have flavor as it is, so they brought nothing to the table.

These could have just been called “Cream Cheese and Chive,” but they probably need the “bagel” to move cans. Pringles don’t taste like bagels, though.

If I were to really pinpoint the flavor, I could think of one very specific food that is apparently called “Gournay Cheese.” My mother used to buy a little wheel of garlic and herb cream cheese-like spread made by a brand called Boursin around the holidays. I absolutely loved it on Wheat Thins. That’s what these Pringles taste like, almost to a T. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I implore you to try it. If you do know, just imagine these are flavored after that and not an everything bagel.

I was gonna nitpick the appearance because these crisps look boring. They barely even sprinkled them with poppies, but ya know what? You can keep ’em. Poppy seeds taste like nothing and only exist to get stuck in your teeth.

These are definitely worth a try, even if they taste more like Gournay Cheese Spread on Wheat Thins. Maybe if I guessed that, the totally real man wouldn’t have run away from me.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 5.5 oz
Purchased at: Shop Rite
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (14 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Pringles Harvest Blends Potato Crisps

The name “Harvest Blends” might make one think these Pringles are a fusion of farm finds and actually might be healthy-ish, but their nutrition facts are the same as regular Pringles, and there aren’t any claims that these provide any whole grains or vegetable servings. They’re just Pringles with either multigrains or sweet potato blended into them to create different textures and flavors than just dried potatoes.

Pringles attempted multigrain chips before, which, if I remember correctly, were around for a few years and then disappeared like Julius Pringles’ hair. Also, a few years ago in Australia, the brand rolled out a Pringles Veggie Creations line, which included a sweet potato and sea salt flavour.

Of the two Harvest Blends I picked up, the Sweet Potato Sea Salt variety had me sticking my hand in the can more often than I would like to admit. A wise old man with a gigantic mustache and no hair once said, “Once you pop, you can’t stop,” and that’s the case with these crisps. It’s similar to sweet potato fries, although, with the first few crisps, I thought I was eating regular Pringles for some reason. But the more I ate, the more the sweet potato came out of these slightly orange-hued crisps. I love the flavor of sweet potato fries, but I can’t say I’ve ever had crispy ones. These crisps blend their taste with a crispiness I’ve never experienced with the fries.

Sunchips were the first thing to pop into my head after munching on the Multigrains Farmhouse Cheddar variety. Since Sunchips are also multigrain chips, it makes sense why these Pringles taste similar. As for the seasoning on these, its cheesiness doesn’t explode like on a Doritos or Cheetos. Also, I couldn’t tell you if it truly tastes like “farmhouse cheddar” since I’ve never had it. But it’s definitely cheddar, and it’s good. The crisps have an aftertaste that reminds me of regular Pringles, which makes sense since they also have dried potatoes in them. They also crunch slightly duller than regular Pringles, but it doesn’t take away from how snackable they are. Although, I didn’t inhale them like sweet potato ones.

Pringles’ Harvest Blends line also includes Multigrain Homestyle Ranch and Sweet Potato Smoky BBQ varieties, which I might try if able to find them since these two flavors I did try were great.

Purchased Price: $3.29 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Sweet Potato Sea Salt), 7 out of 10 (Multigrains Farmhouse Cheddar)
Nutrition Facts: (1 ounce/about 14 crisps) Sweet Potato Sea Salt – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar (including 1 gram of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein. Multigrains Farmhouse Cheddar – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar (including less than 1 gram of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

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