Ruffles Molten Hot Wings – Review

Could these be the best buffalo flavored ship yet? And do they really have the kick that their name claims?

I‘m a sucker for new, limited, special edition anything. I love going into gas stations whenever I’m traveling, or even around town and seeing if there’s something I’ve never had before. Different regions around the country have their own flavors and preferences, so who knows what you’ll find at some gas station in the middle of Georgia, Kansas, or wherever. I always look for local brands as well because they are usually better quality and have more unique flavors geared towards those regional favorites.

When I stumbled on the Ruffles Molten Hot Wings I was in South Milwaukee  (The Filthy as it’s called by some) about 30 minutes from my house. They may be sold all over the area at gas stations but I definitely haven’t seen them at any area grocery stores or Walgreens. My wife and I were on our way to a kids birthday party when I swung into a gas station for gas. I grabbed two bags, one to eat in the car on the way and one for later so I had another chance to try them and think about their flavor.

We tore through the first bag as our destination was only a few more minutes away. I ate the second bag at work the following week. My initial reaction was the same as my reaction during the second bag. They just don’t taste all that good. They have a slight bit of tang, and a strange attempt at a chicken flavor (unlike Chicken in a Biscuit crackers by Nabisco that magically do taste like chicken), but at no point does it taste like you just bit into a saucy hot wing. In all honesty, they are pretty bland. There’s no Molten heat. There’s no boldness. There’s nothing that would get me to buy another bag. When you think of Hot Wings or Buffalo sauce you think of that tangy vinegary, buttery, and the heat from your favorite hot sauce like Frank’s or Louisiana. These chips lack any of those flavors. They don’t even taste good as some more unique flavor that is Buffalo-ish. The heat is on the very, very mild side. Usually when you start snacking on Flaming Hot Cheetos the first few really pack the heat. To some people Flaming Hots are still really hot. These aren’t even in the same ballpark. It’s like they were dipped in ranch to cut the heat, minus the ranch flavor. I was really disappointed in these chips. I thought I might have stumbled on a new favorite, but sadly I was let down.

Closing:

I would not recommend these chips, nor would I even ever eat them again. I expected more from Ruffles, and with such a cool name I expected heat. What I got was a wing that didn’t taste like a buffalo wing, had no heat, and left me with $2.09 less in my pocket. I’m glad I tried them though, and I’m always on the look out for new chips or other things that are geared towards the wing crowd. These products keep getting more and more popular as wings do the same. So hopeful we will have more product reviews like this in the future.