Lay's USA Wavy Mango Salsa

I had high hopes for this bag. I like a little sweet, a little salty. Bright and Acidic. Mango Salsa kinda tricked me into thinking that was what it offered. In reality, this bag smells like perfume and tastes like Mango flavored candy. I've read a lot of reviews on China's fruit flavored bags that have a perfumey smell... I guess this was what they were describing. It is an artificial fruit candy smell. SO weird. Popping one of these chips in your mouth tastes straight-up like a mango hard candy... with a tiny hint of tomato and spice. TINY. That flavor creeps up after the initial mango taste, and doesn't really stand out. Only after eating multiple chips does it tend to build up a little... but its nothing special. The real failure of these chips was the choice of WAVY cut potatoes. The wavy cut doesn't add any thing, in fact, it seems to take away from the subtle heat and tomato. This flavor should have been on a regular cut chip, or the seasoning needed to get kicked up and put on a kettle chip. I really thought these would end up being my favorite, but I found them boring and not memorable. And my review seems a bit overly positive, cuz apparently im the only weirdo that liked that mango candy taste. My friends found it inedible. It was the only flavor from USA that I saw someone spit out during our tasting party. So, if you are a traditionalist, I don't recommend these at all. This flavor is for the daring, but, just during the dare. I doubt this is going to become a cult favorite that is missed after it is gone. MEH.

Contest: Lay's USA Do Us A Flavor 2014 Finalists Announced

Today Lay's USA announced the 4 finalists in 2014's "Do Us A Flavor" contest. The flavors are even more exciting then I could have imagined; "Cappuccino", "Wasabi Ginger", "Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese", and "Mango Salsa". This year Lay's expanded their contest to include other textures like Kettle Cooked and Wavy which lends itself better to certain flavors. "Cappuccino" and "Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese" will both come in the standard, tried and true, Lay's cut.
"Cappuccino" sounds awesome to me, I'm a huge fan of the salty-sweet combo, and it seems to be working for Lay's. I loved "Chicken & Waffles" last year, and the Chocolate covered Wavy chips released at Christmas were such a hit that I couldn't even get a bag. "Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese" seems like the sure-to-be winner. Americans love a Cheesy chip... look how well "Garlic Cheesy Bread" did last year, eventually becoming the winning flavor. This flavor has everything foodie fans love; Cheese, Bacon, and Macaroni & Cheese. The other flavors are a bit more fun, but this one is the only one I see having mass appeal.
The Kettle Cooked option comes in "Wasabi Ginger", I'm personally not excited, but I can see people loving this. I can't bare Wasabi. But, I think if you loved "Siracha" last year, you will be intrigued by this bag. And I think the Kettle Cooked chip will suit it well. The thicker cut, richer potato flavor, and saltyness will stand up to the brightness of the Wasabi and Ginger. For a similar reason, the Wavy "Mango Salsa" bag is probably the bag I will be buying the most. "Mango Salsa" is a sweet take on refreshing salsa... that flavor, paired with thicker, crunchier Wavy chips, sounds like a perfect match.

So, are you pumped up for these flavors too? Or do they seem a bit ridiculous?
They should hit stores 7/28... Happy Hunting my friends!