I can’t say I knew what to expect heading in to a tasting of Great Value Honey Barbecue Corn Chips. All I knew is that I wanted some kind of salty snack, and this was the only one that stood out to me. Part of this is because of my partial – and inexplicable – addiction to the chili cheese corn chips. They’re overly salty, and not something I’m always in the mood for, but when I am, I can down a bag with relative ease.
I didn’t know what to expect, and yet, somehow, this is what I was expecting. True to form, this is basically the chili cheese variety, but with some slight sweetness added. If that description sounds good, it is. If it sounds really good, it’s not. The honey isn’t prominent enough on the tastebuds to take the first part of the name: “BBQ Honey” would be a more appropriate moniker. “Slightly Sweetened Barbecue” would be even more honest.
About the only thing that stands out to me is how little the “chili cheese” variety tastes like chili and cheese. It’s one of those things that everyone knows, but no one ever thinks about. Like how Yoohoo tastes nothing like chocolate. Or how Apple Jacks taste nothing like apples. The “chili cheese” corn chips have always been a glorified barbecue. Were they just trying to stand out in a sea of similar products by giving it a different name? Was “barbecue” considered too boring, while “chili cheese” sounded more…edgy? Different?
Value doesn’t feel very high, with each 10 oz. bag retailing for $1.98. While that’s probably in line with other store brands, it functions more as proof of the ridiculous rate of (hopefully temporary) inflation. Anyone remember when you could score a bag of chips for $.99? $1.49? Still, I can’t fault it much, because it’s a whopping two dollars less than the name brand, which is just ridiculous.
At the end of the day, these are good, but only because I like the original “chili cheese” corn chip. If you don’t, a little touch of honey ain’t going to do anything to sway your mind.
Overall: 6/10. The “honey” in the title is noticeable, but weaker than I was expecting; it’s a slight touch that I guess would be preferred to too much, but isn’t preferred to “just right”. Meanwhile, the remaining “barbecue” just tastes like the chili cheese variety, which tastes nothing like “chili” or “cheese” to begin with. If you like that kind, you’ll probably like these; if not, these don’t offer enough to sway your mind. The $1.98 asking price only goes to show you just how high inflation has gone lately, because these should be at least fifty cents cheaper. Still, it’s a whopping two dollars cheaper than the national brand corn chip (when not on sale), so there’s still some value to be had. They’re good, but unremarkable.
