Lay's Smoked Gouda and Chives

Brand: Lay's
Style: Smoked Gouda and Chives
Origin: United States
Type: Potato Chips
Flavor: Like Cheddar and Sour Cream and Sour Cream and Onion had a baby
Verdict: Approved, I guess




These chips are actually what finally inspired me to start this blog back up again!  Currently, Lay's is running a contest where they pit new and old chip flavors against each other.  People taste the new and the old, then vote on the website for the one they like better.  There are four different flavors - 2 spicy ones (not gonna touch these), 2 BBQ (Honey BBQ vs. Korean BBQ), 2 Kettle Cooked (Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper vs. Olive Oil & Herbs), and 2 cheese flavors (Cheddar & Sour Cream vs. Smoked Gouda and Chives).  I thought it would be great to do one of these Lay's challenges to jump back in the snack game!  I tried some of the summer contest flavors back in August (Biscuits and Gravy, Reuben, and Gyros) and was somewhat underwhelmed, but I picked up this bag of Smoked Gouda & Chives, hoping that these guys would live up to the really, really delicious sounding name.  The ones I *actually* wanted to try were the Korean BBQ, but sadly, they seem to be sold out everywhere in my area.

Anyhoodles...on to the chips!  They're...ok.  Pretty underwhelming, really.  It's not that they taste *bad*, per se.  It's just that there's nothing exceptional or different about them.  They taste about 30% Cheddar and Sour Cream (which they are positioned to replace, if they win the contest) and 70% Sour Cream and Onion.  If the contest were to vote on these vs. Sour Cream and Onion, I would definitely say these are the superior chip, but I think Cheddar and Sour Cream is actually a better option than these.  Also, despite the fact that these are supposedly smoked gouda, there is very little smoky taste to them, and they aren't particularly gouda-y either.  They just taste like any other generic cheese-flavored snack, except with an onion finish.

All in all, these are a pretty big WOMP-WOMP if you are expecting some bold new flavor.  Lay's, step up your game!  Stop making such weenie, boring chips!  To be honest, after how bored I've been with all of these new flavors, I think I might stop buying Lay's chips altogether.  There are so many other, more exciting brands to choose from.  What are y'all's favorites?
Purchased at Fred Meyer in Portland, OR