Mackie’s of Scotland Potato Crisps – Sea Salt

This isn’t my first rodeo with this brand from Scotland. I’ve had positive interactions so far, and I previously tried the fancy flavours, so I think it’s good to try the OG and see what they do well without the fancy trappings and natural flavours. A wise man once told me that it’s the seemingly simple things that are the hardest to do, not the fancy ones.

For those without context, Mackie’s is a brand from Scotland and they do the classic style crisps. These are a bit different from what we get here in the West in that they tend to be thicker, not as crispy but more starchy and a bit thicker. More like a really thin potato cracker than a potato chip. I like it over the non-kettle style chip since it has a more distinct potato flavour and seems more like I’m consuming a potato then just a crunchy non-descript thing.

The interesting thing I like about Mackie’s is the classic style crisps rather than the more common chips you see these days. It’s either the are too airy and thin or they are kettle and too crunchy. While I do love some crunchy chips, it’s nice to have something more in the middle, which is where these land. They aren’t crunchy like a kettle chip, and are more akin to a very thick Lays. Because these are so thick, they don’t tend to curl up like the thinner style chips do. Maybe this style of crisp is more common in Europe, but they aren’t the norm over here so this is a refreshing change to say the least.

The flavour is very straight forward, and there’s just sea salt and potato sitting in this car. It’s mostly potato driving but the salt likes to throw its opinions in the ring every so often, just to let you know it’s still there. Overall they compliment each other quite well, and while not bland, it’s not too salty either. This is the definition of what a good base should look like, flavour wise.

Overall I think these are great, and perfect for people who want to try a different style of potato chip without getting mired down with comparing flavours and getting to the core of it, the heart of the potato. I am a bit basic in that I like to get fancy and try out weird flavours, but for someone looking for the base experience, these are perfect way to get started.