Unpopular opinion: Hardywood Tangerine Cream Ale tastes neither like dessert nor beer. After being pleasantly surprised by the last Trader Joe's Hardywood collab, the Joe-Joe's Vanilla Creme Stout, we decided to pick up a four pack of this happy summer libation, and we drank some on our most recent video review.
It's certainly not bad beer, but it's not really my thing in the end, either. Like other cream ales, there's a light crispness to the beverage, and with significant vanilla notes coming through, it does indeed taste "creamy" in the traditional sense in a way. There's a modest amount of citrus in the background, but not nearly as much as I was expecting or hoping for in a beverage that's putting out a distinct dessert vibe and gives the word "tangerine" top billing in its title.
It wasn't as sweet as I was expecting it to be. Nor was it anything like most ales I've had. Disclaimer: I haven't had many traditional cream ales or fruited wheat beers which, I'm told, is what this libation is most comparable to. Obviously, I wasn't expecting something as hoppy as an IPA or as malty as a stout or porter, but if it's not going to taste like dessert, I was expecting it to taste a bit more beer-ish.
With an ABV of 6%, this brew is slightly higher than your average ale, so a couple of the one pint cans might give you a little buzz. The price tag is a bit steep IMO at $3.75 for a single serving or $15 for the four pack. In terms of pairing with light warm weather fare, I'd point to the Josephsbrau Grapefruit Radler, in terms of overall taste and value, over this one. But that's just my opinion. I know it's like comparing apples and oranges—er, tangerines and grapefruits—as the case may be, but they're both popular fruity beers available at Trader Joe's in the summertime.
I will note this brew tastes and feels much better the colder you can get it—as is the case with most beers, to be fair. Sonia liked this beverage a bit more than I did. Ultimately, we'll both score this one a little lower than that recently-reviewed radler. Eight out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey. Six and a half stars from me for Hardywood Tangerine Cream Ale...which tastes nothing like the Tangerine Cream Bars.
Never been a huge fan of plain potato chips. I'll nibble on one or two if I want something salty, but I generally find them boring. I'll eat barbecue flavored chips all day long. Or give me something with onions or chives and some kind of sassy sauce—like Trader Joe's Ridge Cut Horseradish Chips.
That said, Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips are some of the best "plain" potato chips I've ever had. They have a "vegetarian deli style seasoning" on them. Neither Sonia nor I really know what that means, but we like the flavor of these chips quite a bit.
They're fried in vegetable oil, and they have a nice rich—almost buttery—feeling to them. "Milk" is actually listed in the ingredients. Not sure how common that is in potato chips, but it works here somehow. There's a modest vinegar flavor underneath the potato and oil, and Sonia likened these to salt & vinegar chips. I thought they tasted very similar to Trader Joe's Chips In a Pickle, but with noticeably milder pickle flavor. There's even a hint of mustard in the mix.
They're quite crunchy, but they're not obnoxiously hard. That butteriness lends itself to the mouthfeel just a bit, too. They're a little oily, but not in a bad way. These are honestly an outstanding companion to any deli style sandwich.
$2.99 for the 7 oz bag. Kosher. Would buy again. Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips are "plain" chips that are absolutely not plain. That flavor is rich, zippy, and uncommon. On the video review, upon first taste, I gave these chips seven and a half stars—a very good score for me for potato chips, but I think I'm going to have to raise that to match the beautiful wifey's score of eight out of ten. These are definitely "really darn good" potato chips.
