Previously, I covered RaceTrac’s Creamy Habanero Ranch Crinkle Cut Potato Chips. I also issued a long-winded intro that covers a bunch of unnecessary “background” info about frozen drinks, and convenience stores. If you’re interested about all that, feel free to backpedal to that review. Otherwise, we’re pressing forward.
Here we’ve got a bag of Hot Honey Cheese Curls, also from RaceTrac. We purchased these on the same trip as the creamy habanero chips mentioned in the last paragraph. I mean, who couldn’t pass up that stellar 2/$4 deal (::eyeroll::).
It’s been a while, and I’ve been trying to bite my tongue, but I just can’t. My sincerest apologies; I have to start this off with a rant (hey, that had some good flow): THESE ARE NOT CHEESE CURLS! THESE ARE CHEESE PUFFS! I don’t get the confusion. The distinction between the two should be absolutely crystal clear. Cheese curls are the kind that are thin and crunchy; cheese puffs are the kind that are soft and PUFFED. The difference is right there in the name! They are not synonymous with one another; my stance on this cannot be changed.
Okay, now that I’ve partially regained my composure, let’s move on. RaceTrac’s version of “cheese puffs” promises to add a little something extra to the basic formula: hot honey. This seems to be a flavor combination that’s all the rage these days, so why not? It’s like the sriracha craze that randomly took the world by storm several years back. Only, with sweetness added.
Given how strong their “Creamy Habanero Ranch” potato chips were, I braced myself for the initial sniff…and was promptly let down. There’s nothing in the aroma that would give off the impression of heat. It smells light. The only noticeable notes are the cheese, mixed with the sweetness of honey. They smell pretty good, but aren’t exactly in line with what the bag promises.
The flavor follows suit. There’s not a whole lot of heat in here. And I’m not just saying that as some “wannabe tough guy” who wants to seem more “manly” than he actually is. In fact, I’m saying it as a guy who’s actually pretty sensitive to spicy foods. Unless you down the whole bag in one sitting, the heat factor never really rises above “mild-to-medium”. It’s noticeable, but not strong enough that it left me reaching for the nearest cold liquid.
Personally, I think there’s a little too much going on. I know “hot honey” is all the rage, but if the “hot” aspect was taken away entirely, I think these would be even better. Again, I have nothing against “spicy” foods. While I don’t tend to lean towards them, I’d say I have a “medium” tolerance for the stuff. The issue for me is that the “heat” component doesn’t really add anything to the flavor. There’s not a hint of buffalo, or pepper, or any other spice that helps to justify its inclusion.
Maybe that’s the intent; maybe I’m just completely missing the point. But you have to add something to honey to make it “hot”, and this doesn’t add any extra “oomph” in the flavor department to show for it.
Overall: 6/10. First off, this is not a cheese curl, but rather a PUFF. They’re puffy, for Christ’s sake! Outside of that misclassification, this is a good, straightforward honey cheese puff that’s somewhat marred by the inclusion of a medium hotness that doesn’t feel necessary. The “honey” and “cheese” provide a good balance of those two flavors, hitting the desired combination of “salty” and “sweet”. Then the heat kicks in, which is “medium” in intensity and leaves a tingle on the tongue. It’s somewhat strong, but not enough that I was reaching for the nearest cold liquid. The issue for me is that it doesn’t seem to add any additional “spiciness” to the flavor. It feels like the “hot” was included only because “hot honey” seems to be the new “sriracha”; it’s everywhere. The puffs are still good – I have a hard time putting them down once I start – but with the heat component removed, it could have been even better.
