Welcome to Drunk on Chips. I'm a potato lover whose potato-loving father always kept our snack cabinet stocked with a carefully curated collection of chips. Here, I give you an honest review of a specific bag.
The Setup
I like brands a lot. I like Nike. I like Adidas. I like (to look at) Gucci. I like those Balenciagas (not the ones that look like socks, the other ones). So when a box of chips and chip-adjacent snacks from the walking contradiction that is "Brandless" showed up at my desk I was, I must admit, swimming in a sea of skepticism.
That sea rose to high tide after finding out this brand was not dedicated to snack food. In fact, Brandless makes a ton of stuff you can't eat, like napkins and shampoo. Without a laser-focus in chips, how good could these really be?
Having rarely met a chip I didn't like, I decided to give them a shot. Hell, the fact that Brandless has a "Jalapeño Lentil Crisp" was reason enough to start exploring.
I started with Sea Salt. Folks, the chips are good. Damn good.
The Assessment
Brandless has nailed simplicity in every facet of its...brand. I'm a big fan of the packaging—it feels futuristic and helpful from an organizational sense. Color coding a chip cabinet is definitely something I see in my future.
Most importantly, these no-frills chips hit the mark in all categories. They're adequately sized, pack a just-right crunch, aren't over-seasoned, and maintain an authentic potato flavor. They are tasty and salty and keep you coming back for more. It's all you need in a sandwich companion without wading into the world of over-the-top* (and sometimes unnecessary) chip flavors. Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-mixing it up, but sometimes in this complicated world I long for the simple things.
That's what I love most about Brandless' chip lineup (I also had their Jalapeño and Salt and Vinegar flavors): They aren't trying too hard. The three flavors mentioned here are all they've got in terms of potato chips. And if that lack of variety irks you, they've got those aforementioned chip-adjacent snacks to try out. I gave the Jalapeño Lentil Crisps a try and they were awesomely addicting. The Olive Oil and Sea Salt Hummus Crisps, however, tasted like a communion wafer that accidentally got dropped on the floor of a woodshop. I guess the sort of person who'd eat a "hummus crisp" deserves that.
Some Tasting Notes
Size: Adequate. Pretty ordinary stuff here, which is good. You hate to see a bag of crumbs.
Crunch: Perfect. Finally there's a kettle chip that rivals the crunch sweet spot that Cape Cod has hit. I might even like these better because they're a bit thinner.
Seasoning: Simple, just like everything about this brand, which I love.
Aftertaste: Nothing good or bad to report here—they didn't tear up the roof of my mouth, which is always a plus.
Some Pairings
Pairing One: A fried bologna sandwich—like the one I had at Turkey and the Wolf last week in New Orleans, which had potato chips on it and completely changed my world forever.
Pairing Two: An ice-cold Coca-Cola.
Pairing Three: Nothing at all. Keep the theme going and enjoy the simplicity, my friends.
*I'm very aware of Lay's latest lineup that's been announced—stay tuned for my full review next week.
