Snack #219- Appalachian Jerky Company Wicked Hot Thermonuclear Beef Jerky

Appalachian Jerky Company Wicked Hot Thermonuclear Beef Jerky 

The texture of this beef jerky was unpleasant.  It was super dry and it required some really strong jaw muscles to gnash up and get the flavor out.  So the beef flavor was pretty minimal but the thermonuclear seasoning was very strong and overpowered everything else.  This is very spicy beef jerky that burns the mouth and causes the eyes to water.  It's not a particularly flavorful heat but definitely a palate wiper.  

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 8/10

Bottom Line: Spicy but not tasty or tender.

Snack #218- Jack Link's Cholula Hot Sauce Beef Jerky

 Jack Link's Cholula Hot Sauce Beef Jerky

This beef jerky is a pretty standard dry, chewy jerky that has a strong beef flavor.  The Cholula flavor is true to the bottled hot sauce and combined with the chewiness of the beef jerky it packs a real punch of hot sauce flavor.  It does battle some of the natural beef flavors but if you're looking for a spicy kick in a meaty snack then this a is a good snack choice.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 5/10
Bottom Line: Cholula-infused beef jerky.

Snack #217- Blue Diamond Almonds Bold Habanero BBQ

Blue Diamond Almonds Bold Habanero BBQ

These are standard roasted almonds with a spicy barbeque coating.  The smooth and creamy texture of the almonds contrasts well with the sharp, spicy seasoning.  The heat definitely builds and has a strong barbeque flavor.  Definitely a good snack alternative to chips and not lacking in habanero heat.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 5/10

Bottom Line: Spicy nuts!

Snack #216- Chester’s Puffcorn Flamin’ Hot Puffed Corn Snacks

Chester’s Puffcorn Flamin’ Hot Puffed Corn Snacks

So we can’t really give this snack a fair assessment because these were sitting around too long and were incredibly stale (meaning mushy).  The texture at peak freshness would probably be crispier but at least the flavor was still there.  The Flamin’ Hot line of Cheetos products tends to be on the spicier end of convenience store snack options and these are no exception. We only ate a few each because of the textural problems but we could feel the fiery red powder heat. The heat doesn’t last too long but it is pretty sharp so these live up the their name.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 6/10

Bottom Line: Another Flamin’ Hot snack.

Snack #215- Cheetos Cheddar Jalapeño Crunchy Snacks

These Cheetos are the classic cheddar flavor crunchy corn snack but kicked up a notch with the addition of some jalapeño flavor.  While the combination isn’t anything new, Cheetos balances the flavors well and the heat is present but not overwhelming so the whole bag can be enjoyed without the spice level building too much.  A decent snack to grab when you’re feeling like nacho cheese and jalapeño in crunchy stick form.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 3/10

Bottom Line: Basic Cheetos amped up a bit.

Snack #214 Lundberg Spicy Black Bean Organic Rice Chips

These crunchy rice chips had a nice toasty flavor from the rice.  And while I didn't taste any black bean (or maybe I did, I'm pretty sure black beans have almost zero flavor...), I picked up on some garlic and onion.  It actually tasted like the chips somehow already had guacamole infused into them, which was kind of amazing.  The heat was there, but not overwhelming.  No need to go running for the milk because the heat didn't build, but there was a definite tingle.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 4/10

Bottom Line: pretty darn tasty

Snack #213 - Jalapeño Jack Pretzel Crisps

I really like Pretzel Crisps.  You get the great baked, almost burned, flavor of a hard pretzel without breaking your teeth.  Unfortunately, the jalapeño jack flavor was so unbelievably salty that I couldn't taste anything else.  These pretzels definitely packed some heat, but as for flavor, salt overwhelmed.  Out of curiosity I checked the sodium content of the other spicy snacks I had on hand, and the pretzel crisps had on average 4-5 times more sodium than anything else. That's a whole lotta salt.

Bottom Line: spicy salt lick  

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 5/10