So hey you guys remember back when I reviewed the manliest chips ever, right? The ones that taste like a good day’s huntin’? Well, that was only one of the two Madden NFL ’11 inspired Doritos flavors. Aside from Tailgater BBQ, the other new flavor is Stadium Nacho. I know, I know, they already have a Nacho flavored chip, aptly named Nacho Cheese. Well, Stadium Nacho chips taste a little different, in a few key aspects.
I think the goal for the Nacho Cheese Doritos was just for them to taste like straight up cheese; oh, and to make your hands oranger than Cheetos can. This is not the case for Stadium Nacho Doritos. It seems that for the Madden inspired flavors, Doritos has really tried to nail the specifics. The Tailgater BBQ Doritos taste, in my opinion, exactly like BBQ Pork, which is something I’ve never experienced in another chip – that level of specific and accurate flavor. So I was expecting the Stadium Nacho Doritos to be spot on as well, and for the most part it is.
The first taste I really noticed when eating these Stadium Nacho Doritos is the corn flavor of the chip. They really nailed the taste of a ballpark corn chip, a subtle but important aspect of stadium nachos, which makes the whole experience that much more authentic. The rest of the flavor space is inhabited by a mild blend of nacho cheese (albeit more genuine than Nacho Cheese Doritos) with a wee hint of jalapeño, plus a zesty kick. If you’re not paying much attention you might find that the flavor of Stadium Nacho Doritos falls squarely in between Nacho Cheese and Cooler Ranch flavors, which I guess isn’t that bad.
Compared to Tailgater BBQ, however, and more accurately compared to Fritos’ recent Ballpark Nacho variety, Stadium Nacho Doritos crumble like a sacked QB, or Brett Favre if he’s losing or sees a baby deer. The flavor just isn’t bold enough. Maybe the Tailgater BBQ Doritos spoiled me, but I was expecting more from these chips, and I wasn’t given it. They’re decent chips, and I applaud the subtle flavors, but they’re perpetually silver medal.
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I beg to differ. I dont even like Doritos and I cant stop eating these. They dont sell them anywhere near my house but I had someone bring me a bag after tasting them from a co-worker’s lunch. They are amazing and my entire workgroup is addicted to them. If you close your eyes you think you are eating real nachos. I guess I need to try the BBQ now. Like I need something else to ruin my diet.