SALSA RIO

8.5/10

Since I started THE CHIP TRIP, I've conditioned myself to become excited at the sight of a new Dorito variety. The introduction of a new flavor happens often enough that I routinely stop and imagine what something tastes like, whether the flavor seems to be shooting fish in a barrel (see: Spicy Nacho), or whether it's really pushing it (see Late Night All-Nighter Cheeseburger). Up until about a year ago, I always acted on the urge to try a new thing, with mostly excellent results, but as you can see from the state of this blog, I usually just push my cart onwards, failing to find the motivation to try "Pizza Supreme." I had observed that Frito-Lay resurrected the "original" Dorito packaging for "Original Taco," but I was completely blindsided by the two new "Limited Edition" flavors that followed, "Salsa Rio" and "Sour Cream and Onion." I daresay I went with the safer of the two, as I'm really not sure what to expect from Sour Cream and Onion tortilla chips, but hey, here I am again.

And I have to say, wow. When they're on, they're on. An 8.5 may not seem like the highest praise I can give, but these probably aren't the kind of Dorito you'd want every day (not that you should want any Dorito every day). That being said, the flavors here really stand out: it's spicy, sweet, and citrus-y in equal measurements. The proportions are perfect, as the spice is more of a pleasantly warm feeling in the back of the mouth than anything overpowering, and if anything really stands out, it's the lime. Frito-Lay's lime-flavored Tostitos are really good, so to see that flavor successfully incorporated into a Dorito is really a thing of beauty. What I'm finding even better, though, is that as I go through the bag, the chip's flavor morphs: the first five chips or so taste (and smell) just like Tostitos salsa, but as more are eaten, it just becomes warm and pleasantly salty (with perhaps a hint of cheese), while the lime's presence is never forgotten. Anyway, these were really solid, so get 'em while you can.