Packet #29 - Tayto Bistro Crushed Sea Salt & Aged Malt Vinegar

My goodness, what a name 'Crushed Sea Salt & Aged Malt Vinegar' names don't get much fancier than that if you ask me.

There I was standing in a Spar looking at the vast array of crisps staring back at me, I saw these lads and thought, why not? Tayto have rarely failed me in the past so I'll give 'em an aul whirl.

First thing you'll notice about these 'artisan crisps' is the weight of the packet, they're surprisingly heavy! Then, when you open them up you'll notice something else. The packet isn't nearly full enough! 'I've been had' is what I thought when I opened them up. But I'll keep munching and see what happens, quality not quantity is what they say.

So off I munched, and my word what a munch! The crisp itself is fantastic, a real good feel to it in the fingers, each one feels like an event. Flavour wise you really do get a nice vinegary taste of them too! Not too much wrong with these at all. My joy was complete with an announcement by the end of the packet to my girlfriend 'these are a truly excellent crisp!' to which she replied 'that's nice'.

Mark.

Packet #28 - Red Sky West Country Bacon & Cream Cheese

I know, I know. Fancy, wha!? I wouldn't be normally lured into buying these new luxury crisp brands but it was bank holiday Friday, the sun was out and friends were coming over for a barbeque. So I was treating them really. And a treat it was.

This was the first time I ever saw Red Sky crisps. I had never even heard of them before, so it was a bold choice to supply them to my hungry guests. The first thing you notice is the quality of the potato and a nice crunching to the crisp. Then comes the subtle flavour of west country bacon and cream cheese. I can see some readers turning away in disgust but believe me, they're delicious and not overpowering. Kind of like a bagel, in crisp form.

They went down a treat, with everyone munching away on them while I charred the hamburgers. So if you're looking for something to wow your guests this summer pick up some Red Sky. I did (twice).

Deano.

Packet #27 - Chickatees

Surprisingly there aren’t really that many chicken flavoured crisps on the market in Ireland, so Chickatees pretty much have it sewn up. But maybe other crisps are just too “chicken” to take on the mighty Chickatee! (groan).

Chickatee’s are pure flavour from the word go. You get a waft of chicken as soon as you open the foiled pack, it’s a bold flavour that tastes as delicious as the smell.

Looking at the shape of the crisp it might leave you wondering as to why Tayto (the makers of Chickatees) chose this strange curly cylindrical shape, and not something more obvious, like an actual chicken. I suppose the flavour fits it better in a tiny solid corn based cylinder, I’m no crisp scientist but I reckon that’s the reason.

Taste wise -  it’s everything you’d want, strong, vibrant and full of intensity and yet will disappear off the pallet with one sip of water, plus there is a tremendous amount of finger licking to be had during the eating experience.

They are clearly never going to win the award for our favourite crisp of all time, but Chickatees aren’t out to win any awards they’re just part of a delicious team. If they were a footballer they would be John O’Shea not the most stylish or refined crisp in the world, but always dependable.

Mark 

Packet #26 - Wheelies

I’ll let you in on a little secret, when I was younger I wanted to be the bloke on the packet of Wheelies, to me being on a motor bike on the front of the best packet of crisps in the world seemed like the coolest thing ever. In fact now that I wrote that down, I realize I still want to be Mr. Wheelie.

Enough messing! We’re here for the crisp alone! Wheelies are bacon flavour, and recently have become quite rare, as far as I know they’re only available in multi-packs. The shape of the crisp is highly ambitious, it’s a wheel! But the shape doesn’t mean that Wheelies lose any of the bacon goodness, if anything it adds to the fun. Wheelies are a rollercoaster of a crisp, some are jammed with taste and vibrancy and some are a little less intense. It’s this random flavouring that makes them so brilliant. You’re never quite sure what taste sensation is coming next! Wheelies have attitude and that’s what I love about them.

If you have the pleasure of recommending a crisp to Tourist in Ireland over the Summer, my advice would be to avoid the old Tayto Cheese and Onion yarn and get them a packet of Wheelies. Mr. Wheelie, I salute you.

Mark 

Packet #25 McCoy's Flame Grilled Steak

Ah steak. The king of all meats. So tasty that I'm sure if cows were carnivores there would be none left for us humans. We'd still have McCoy's though.

It was always an obvious choice for McCoy's, positioning themselves as man crisps, to choose steak flavour. It was a risk however to lower the saturated fat by 30%. Thankfully it actually takes nothing away from the great taste. Each crisp was a delight, full of flavour, as if lifted straight from a barbecue. You could really taste the potato along with the flame grilled goodness. They stand true to the famous McCoy's crunch factor too. So crunchy in fact you can savour the pack  eating it one crisp at a time.

Definitely one of the favourites and something I go back to for a regular fix. Truly the real McCoy.

Deano.

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Deano

Packet #24 - Walkers Crinkles Cheddar & Onion

Today I received a free packet of crisps. “Result!”, I hear you cry. Being a fan of crisps and also being a fan of free things I was also pleased at the prospect of free crisps and decided to have them with my lunch. On the menu was soup and a sandwich and sure crisps are obviously a perfect accompaniment. It was all set up to be an epicurean delight but alas, my free crisps were destined to disappoint.

My free crisps were a packet of “cheddar and onion” flavour Walkers Crinkles. They promise to deliver “more flavour in every crinkle”, and while they are admittedly full of flavour, the flavour in question is almost entirely cheese. There’s a small hint of onion but it’s hard to detect and if I was blindfolded I could be eating a flat potato crisp version of a cheesy wotsit or cheeto. Crinkles have that same overpowering artificial cheese taste – a flavour which is not for everyone – but even as a cheesey crisp/snack fan, they just weren’t that enjoyable.

The texture was OK but Crinkles are no where near as crunchy as a Hunky Dory for example and nearly have the texture of one of those low fat, “healthy” crisps. I’m sorry but “healthy” crisps are useless. If you’re going to have a packet of crisps then commit, don’t have a crisp tribute. Back to the task at hand though; Walkers Crinkles also have a smattering of green flecks on them, presumably hinting at some kind of herb. It does nothing to improve.

These crisps aren’t disgusting and can certainly be tolerated but why tolerate them? In a crowded market of cheese and onion stalwarts such as King or Tayto, not to mention the various artisan variations, these Crinkles can be comfortably avoided. Apparently Crinkles are also available in different flavours but if they can’t get the basic cheese and onion flavour right, I wouldn’t have much hope for the rest of the range.

Obviously, I still finished them – they were free crisps! – but all in all, a poor effort.

Gordon

Packet #23 Tayto Waffles

Whether it's coming out of our mouth or made of potato, us Irish love a good waffle. When I was younger I always saw Waffles as a luxury crisp. I think it's the cross-hatch waffle look and the fact the crisps are almost always fully shaped. In the current market however Waffles have taken a back seat to the newer luxury crisps available.


The fact the crisps are whole when eating them makes a great difference to the crunch. You get a lovely texture from the crisp sitting on your tongue, allowing you to truly taste the full flavour. The bacon flavour comes through good and strong, almost smokey. It all adds up to a very enjoyable stack.

Half way through the pack I thought to myself, "I should eat these more often." I think that's the snag with Waffles however, they're delicious every once in a while but you couldn't have them as your staple crisp. In my eyes they're still a luxury.

Deano.

Congrats To Our Competition Winner!

Big love to Mr Keith Kinsella who became the 100th person to 'like' us on our Facebook page yesterday! Keith could choose any bag of crisps he wanted! He's clearly a crisp connoisseur and went for Buffalo Hunky Dory's! Remember to "like" us on  Facebook or "follow" us on Twitter!

Mark

Packet #22 - Hula Hoops Salt & Vinegar

Put simply Hula Hoops are a staple of the Crisping industry. Red, Blue, Brown and Green (sometimes). They're a good fun crisp. A friendly crisp.

When I bought Hula Hoops blue this afternoon I was delighted with myself, the one thing I love about Hula Hoops (of any colour) is that you can really taste the potato. So off I delved inside. One thing I noticed straight away is that there is quite a few oddly shaped Hula Hoops in the packet, plenty of big Hulas, thrown in. Bonus I thought!

But then a strangeness came over me. The S&V (salt and vinegar) flavour was there alright, but that lovely potato taste had been diluted! It just didn't have the same punch as they used to. I checked the packet "NO MSG" it said. The MSG must of been the secret ingredient making the Hula Hoops so delicious all these years! I was highly disappointed.

So all in all, Hula Hoops blue are okay, but they were way nicer with a bit of MSG thrown in.

Mark.

21 packets in!

We're growing and growing, literally! Don't forget you can follow us on facebook and twitter and thanks to all you folks for comments and suggestions. Please keep 'em coming.

Deano.

Packet #21 Hunky Dorys Buffalo

So today I was heading for lunch armed with just a ham sandwich, a pretty pitiful sight. I decided to jazz it up with a pack of the mighty, Hunky Dorys Buffalo. The Americans were nearly successful in wiping out their own buffalo but I for one am glad the lads up in Ashbourne, Co. Meath are keeping their herd strong and safe.

The Hunky Dory crisps are normally reliable for a good strong crunch and even though this pack was a little broken up it didn't take away from that fact. The buffalo crisp has a strong sweet and spicy flavour running throughout. It's a powerful combination which keep you coming back for more. A good selection if you're looking for filler in between your meals or after a good workout. I decided to add a few crisps to my ham sandwich and it spiced it up no end even managing to enhance the flavour of the ham.

So for a break from the norm, nothing too exotic or outrageous mind, I would highly recommend Hunky Dorys Buffalo. Yum!

Deano.

Packet #20 - O'Donnells Mature Irish Cheese and Red Onion

Mature Irish Cheese and Red Onion? Mature Irish Cheese and Red Onion? Cheese and Onion, I think is what they meant to say. O'Donnells is an Irish crisp! From Tipperary to be exact. AND they're "Authentic Hand Cooked" quite what that means, I'm unsure.

Anyway, onto the crisp. Delicious, nice and chunky with plenty of flavour. I gobbled them up with a sambo and a cup of tea, everything went according to plan. O'Donnells are new to the Irish crisping scene, and I'd imagine it's quite a high risk industry, to be releasing such a high end crisp into an already saturated market (pun intended) but O'Donnells Cheese and Onion are grand. To be honest with you reader, I ate these crisps ages ago and haven't returned to the packet since. Should Sam Spud and Tony Tayto be worried? Probably not, but they're definitely worth a nibble.

Kind Regards,

Mark.