I figured the chances of Buffalo Wild Wings releasing a new sauce were just about as good as your chances of finding a wild Mewtwo walking in the tall grass. In fact I probably exclaimed a bit too loudly the news to my comrades who responded with a normal human’s reaction of “cool.” Nonetheless, I was still as excited as a fat kid on his birthday who has just been given permission to eat the whole cake on his own. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t happen very often, thank god, but hey, this is America; you tell someone that he/she shouldn’t do something, and you can be damn sure that they’re going to do it. Especially when it involves fatties and frosting.

Buffalo Wild Wings is obviously best known for two things: a plethora of large screen TVs displaying every sport you can think of, and their chicken products, specifically wings. But if wings are the All-Star Quarterback of the team, the sauces are the criminally undervalued Linemen. The two new sauces might not be the shining stars of the line-up, but they’re two great additions to have on the team. I have to admit, though, I was shocked when I saw where the new flavors placed on the temperature scale. Despite being known throughout the world for its tongue-melting levels of heat, Thai Curry registered very low. Great for people who aren’t good with spice, yet disappointing for everyone expecting the spicy legacy of curry.

Thai Curry ended up being close to the opposite of what I was expecting. As I stated I was hoping for it to be the spicier of the two, but I really was expecting something special for the “Thai” label. Perhaps a peanut sauce attempt, or some kind of exotic fruit. Instead the flavor delivered was closer to that of blackened chicken, if you could somehow turn that flavor into a sauce. Heavy on flavors like cumin and pepper, mixed with a light hint of citrus for that cooling edge. It’s also a very salty sauce. Despite my initial disappointment, Thai Curry turned out to be my favorite of the two because it was easily a more well-rounded taste.

Jammin’ Jalapeno on the other hand rocked out more like Huey Lewis and the News than Phish. Jalapeno is quickly rallying against Chipotle as the reigning pepper champion again, and I for one welcome the change. Seeing as I’ve been getting my jalapeno fix quite often from the new items from Papa John’s and Burger King lately, I think my initial excitement was from the enticement of jalapeno wings, as well. With a broad hint of sweetness, a lack of spice, and no distinct Jalapeño flavor, the Jammin’ Jalapeño sauce sadly didn’t quite work as well as it should’ve. It tasted good, but wasn’t as hot as the other sauces that surround it on the scale, and it was also a bit more bland and pasty. Jalapeno works best when mixed with a few flavors, and surprisingly doesn’t compliment chicken as well as Chipotle. Overall it’s two strong attempts at new tastes that are more than decent, but they have yet to find a player as valuable as Parmesan Garlic.

Thai Curry:

Jammin’ Jalapeño