Review - Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero Tortilla Chips

Scott Roberts September 29, 2010 at 8:00 am food Digg this Article

Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero Snack Chips

Earlier this summer it was damned near impossible to get your hands on a bag of Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero tortilla chips, at least here in the Midwest. According to DEFCON Creator John Dilley, he was informed that delays were due to some of the ingredients being on back order. While waiting for the third and hottest version of the new "Degrees", I went ahead and reviewed 1st Degree Burn Blazin' Jalapeno and 2nd Degree Burn Fiery Buffalo Doritos. I rather liked the taste of the Blazin' Jalapeno, but I considered the Fiery Buffalo to be in the long, historic line of forgettable Doritos flavors dropped along the wayside.

A few months later, Buddah rushed to the rescue and provided me a bag of the 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero chips, apparently readily available in his home state of Virginia. The following is the follow-up analysis of the third and final Doritos Degrees item.

Ingredients:
Whole corn, vegetable oil (corn, sunflower, and/or soybean oil), corn maltodextrin, salt, whey, monosodium glutamate, sodium diacetate, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), artificial color (including: Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1), tomato powder, sugar, onion powder, natural flavors, modified corn starch, citric acid, cream, spices, artificial color (yellow 6 lake, red 40 lake, yellow 5, yellow 6), garlic powder, Monterey Jack cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), sour cream (cultured cream, nonfat milk), Swiss cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Colby cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), artificial flavors, and paprika extract

Thoughts:
Some of the tortilla chips were bright red bordering on a very unnatural hot pinkish color, and quite frankly looked unappetizing. Upon first tasting one, almost right away I felt the tingle of heat. This was mixed with a confusing blend of flavors - it wasn't sweet, it didn't possess the true taste of habaneros, and it wasn't especially cheesy. It had slight tones of tomato, was a tad salty, but lacked strong hints of paprika and onion powder. I think Frito-Lay went WAY off the mark for a harmonious taste and were left with something flat and uninspiring and left the spiciness control the flavor, committing an egregious no-no of fiery foods (which is don't have a product that's hot for heat's sake; have a terrific flavor first).

Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero Snack Chips

The heat arose considerably after nibbling on several chips. It reached a much higher scorch level than its 1st and 2nd Degree Burn counterparts, and would be considered good n' blisteringly hot for mild snack fans. Chileheads would find it very tolerable and may estimate this to be around a medium heat.

After a while, I simply didn't want anymore. I thought Scorchin' Habanero Doritos lacked any semblance of a true snackability and was something I couldn't care less about ever having again.

How depressing that after reaching lofty heights with the highly underrated Fiery Habanero flavored chips (first introduced in 2006, and now largely discontinued and is only available in a few markets), Doritos has sunk to a low with this junk. The little amount of heat Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero tortilla chips may have is not worth the uninspiring taste.

Overall Score:

Comments

parker394
2010-09-29 06:43:59

Looking at the ingredients I don't see any habanero.....what gives? I suppose it's in the "spices" or 'natural flavors"
If so I would have been nice for them to say "natural habanero flavor".

Semblance of a true snackability? Are you making up words again Scott? lol

Scott Roberts
2010-09-29 08:13:52

If I make up words and people start using them, then I'll get a quarter each time they say them.;-)

parker394
2010-09-29 11:03:33

I like it!

slakingfool
2010-09-29 14:11:47

I used to be a fan of Frito-Lay's Flamin' Hot Cheetos, but I've grown more fond of the Jalapeno Cheddar.

I don't think they pack more heat than Flamin' Hot, they're just more tastier and zesty still.

Jordan Martinez
2010-10-03 11:09:44

I thought these chips were great

Buddah
2010-10-15 15:26:26

I just saw the large bag for these chips along with all the other degrees in the supermarket last night. It seems like they are making it a part of their line for the time being. I hope they do not scratch the original habanero recipe for these because of the inferior taste. I do think the 1st two degrees have better flavor than these at any rate.

Scott Roberts
2010-10-15 19:48:45

Buddah, I totally agree. Have you seen the original Fiery Habanero anywhere lately?

Justin
2010-10-21 19:25:17

I tried some. I ended up eating the whole king sized bag. One chip is not bad. After fifty, your ears start to sting.

WickedMojo
2010-10-28 10:51:20

I have to agree with you Scott, I thought the taste was very blah, and I didnt think there was much heat at all, I kept munching on them and was waiting for the heat but never got anything more then a slight tingle, I actually thought the 1st Degree Jalapeno seemed a bit hotter lol, what a big disappointment.

SHOOTER
2010-11-15 10:51:20

These are pretty good, BUT... THEM MOTHER ARE HOTT! Made my damn nose run, and the more u eat the hotter they get.

Rob
2010-11-28 17:58:02

Trust me people when I say these Mothers are very Hot!! Hot in a good way...Just have a little water with u because you will start to notice your head actually starting to get warm ...it's amazing! I started to sweat a very little bit but the experience was a " Very Salty Hot n sweet flavor. worth trying.

thom
2011-11-26 03:13:35

Dude, these doritos are great. They were spicy and delicious. I had to keep eating them to build a tolerance to them, then they were snackable. If I could find them again I would be eating them now, despite the internal bleeding they may or may not have caused. They deserve a higher rating than two stars.

Carle
2011-12-15 18:45:21

i need a case of 3 degree Doritos

charlie
2012-04-15 17:30:09

i love the 3rd degree burn stuff because since i am hot it goes good with me.

buddyboy
2012-04-15 17:32:07

these chips are good mon.

Dean Swiatek
2012-04-15 18:52:15

Minus a very rate bag, the 2nd degree burn chips were much hotter and better tasting than the 3rd degree ones. Occasionally I would see a hotter than normal bag of 3rds that came close to the 2nds, but most 2nds were at least twice as hot! And twice as good.

lav
2012-07-07 09:26:10

I called the company and they have pork as one of the ingredients not mentioned on the package. so my vegetarian and muslim friends who cannot eat pork,
becareful.

FUCKER
2012-07-09 11:40:50

1st degree burn - Heat 0/10 - Flavor 7.5/10
2nd degree burn - Heat 0/10 - Flavor 8/10
3rd degree burn - Heat 0/10 - Flavor 8.5/10

Better Bring 4th degree burn

shadowmeds
2012-08-12 15:14:51

I love 3rd degree burn chips. But I cant find a big bag of them so im stuck buying like 3 or 4 little bags but these chips rock so worth trying the hot and spicy taste is unreal

chicken guy
2013-03-02 04:09:20

dude can you still buy the 1st 2nd and 3rd degree Doritos i need to try these to see what the fuss is all about im frm the uk and would like to now can i purchuse thrm online pease

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