Kettle Brand – Parmesan Garlic Potato Chips

Parmesan, at least in it’s very common and fake form has a very pungent smell to it that is off putting for me. The type of smell that sticks to your lips and doesn’t let go for a long, long time. It’s why I am always a little apprehensive when getting Parmesan based snacks.

The aroma these give off is reminding me more of the cheddar flavour. I was expecting something much stinkier, so it’s a bit of relief. I’m trying to find some hints of garlic, and that’s kind of missing too. This makes me a bit wary. On the one hand less smell is usually a benefit in public settings, but it can also indicate there’s not much flavour.

Much to my disappointment however, these smell stronger than they taste, which is not much to begin with. The taste is fairly mild all things considered, and the potato itself shines through strong here. The cheese flavour is sort of in the back, and the garlic is more noticeable to the tongue than nostrils, but still a bit of a backseat driver. If you are expecting to be doing socializing or interacting with most regular humans, these will be a fairly safe choice. Notice I say normal, because if I’m looking to consume garlic, I go all out, breath and stench be damned. As you can imagine, I was a bit let down as the flavours while nice and pleasant, aren’t nearly as strong as I would like them to be. But again, I am likely in the minority here.

The real draw of any kettle style chip for me is obviously the texture. Kettle is for the most part the sweet spot of kettle chips, not too hard and not too soft. It appeals to a wide audience and as such tends to offend neither side of the fence. The Goldilocks, if you will. They have a decent crunch without breaking the teeth or the bank. They get the job done, which is what you want in a chip right?

With kettle chips my focus tends to be on the texture, with the flavour being secondary (yet still important). It is for that reason that I find it harder to recommend these if you are looking for the Parmesan garlic flavour. It’s there, just very mild and if you’re going to get a flavour that mild, it might as well just be another flavour since you won’t be getting that stinky, tasty profile as advertised.