Let's talk about Reubens. Have you all had one? I hope so! I have to admit I like them, but it's not my "go to" sandwich by any means. And, then, there's that whole pastrami vs. corned beef debate. Personally I like both but would pick pastrami over corned beef for this sandwich. If you are unfamiliar with a Reuben, it is a sandwich made with either thinly (hopefully) sliced pastrami or corned beef, Russian dressing, sauerkraut and swiss cheese grilled on rye bread. In many cases, the meat to mouth ratio is about four to one, so you better hope you don't dislocate your jaw trying to eat the darn thing.
When all four flavors came out, this flavor intrigued me the most even though it sort of disgusted me at the same time. I've had chicken flavored chips and let's just say those shouldn't exist. So, I didn't really think pastrami chips would go over too well, but that morbid curiosity really clouded my judgement when I debated whether or not to try them. Of course I tried them who was I trying to kid?
So, per usual, I opened the bag and took a nice deep breath of chip air. You know that face that kids make when you ask them if they want broccoli? Yeah, I made the same face. All I smelled was sauerkraut. That's it...nothing else. The vinegary smell literally burned my nose and I had to turn away. Now, don't get me wrong, I love vinegar but this wasn't appealing at all! I actually didn't even really want to try them, but I did.
It is my theory that it takes at minimum two tries but ideally three tries to make your final decision on whether you like it or not. Sometimes the initial flavor shock is a huge turn off but you learn to like it as you try it again. This was not the case for me. I was turned off from the get go and continued all the way to the third and final chip. I did not get "Reuben" going to my brain. I got "freshly opened can of sauerkraut" to my brain and nothing else. I like sauerkraut but not as a chip and I really felt the pastrami, cheese, dressing and rye aspect was missing or if it was there it was just being over powered. One of my friends, however, was delighted by these chips and said they tasted just like a Reuben to her. Maybe my taste buds aren't equipped to handle something so sour and get the undertones at the same time.
Final score: * one star for originality but I wouldn't buy these again.
They hit the mark on tasting like a Reuben. Just not a flavor that should be a chip. At all.
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