Mmmm ... Pie!

7-Select Pumpkin Pie

While driving home from visiting the family for Thanksgiving, I made a stop for gas and caffeine. Of course I had to look over the chip selection and - lo and behold - these chips were patiently waiting for me.

I'll admit that I hesitated. I was pretty sure they were going to be sweet and my experience with sweet chips hasn't been all that good. In the end thought I just couldn't resist the oddness and holiday theme. Take heart, potato chip manufacturers - no matter how strange the flavor you have at least one guaranteed sale with me.

I waited to open the chips until I got home just so I could give them my undivided attention. Good readers, I tell you this so you'll understand my dedication to you. I will deny my own curiosity just to make sure you get a quality review. Ok, there was also the minor issue that I couldn't get the bag open. The thing wouldn't open up with the standard techniques and there wasn't even a version of Kettle Brand's patented Evil-Bag-Ruining-Notch™.

No matter. The next day I used a pair of scissors and had the chips with lunch.

The bag opened and puffed out a strong scent of pumpkin pie spice. There was even a touch of pie crust to the smell, which was kind of impressive. Either the scent faded after a few moments or my nose became desensitized. It still wasn't an unpleasant experience.

The chips themselves had a light coating of brown powder.

And the taste? First of all, these things were sweet. They were not quite up to the level of caramel corn, but they were still too sweet to be eating for lunch with a turkey sandwich. I suppose that's proper given that pumpkin pie is a dessert rather than a side dish. That being said, I didn't stop eating them. The chips really did taste like pumpkin pie - not just pumpkin pie spice but the actual pie, complete with pumpkin and piecrust.

About halfway through the bag I noticed spatterings of ... pumpkin? ... on the inside of the bag, which I'd seen before with the ketchup chips.

Maybe it has to do with the moisture level of some flavorings. I'll really have to keep an eye out for it in other chips.

On the whole, I really liked these chips. Cindy said they were interesting and sort of ok, but she only ate one ... but then she doesn't like sweet barbecue flavors much.

Rating: 4/5