When I look at these new Pringles Smoky flavors, I can’t help but think the Pringleneers (Pringles engineers) are running out of steam. Or should I say smoke? Available in three varieties — Smoky Mesquite BBQ, Smoky Bacon, and Smoky Cheddar — they appear to be previous flavors with additional smokiness or flavors that Pringles has offered before. For this review, I found only the barbecue and bacon flavors. I’ll smoke out the cheddar one later.

I don’t know about you, but I can tell when I love a Pringles flavor when I end up eating more than half the can without realizing it, at a pace that makes it seem like my hand is a car’s piston and the Pringles can is an engine’s cylinder. However, my gluttony and repetitive arm motions remained in check with both Pringles Smoky varieties I tried.

Barbecue didn’t come to mind when I tried the Smoky Mesquite BBQ Pringles. Its aroma somewhat reminded me of ketchup or All-Dressed chips, and its flavor evoked Asian flavors similar to those found in Lay’s chips I’ve had from China. There’s a bit of lime flavor that’s really noticeable among the onion and garlic powders. But all of that flavor doesn’t draw my taste buds or my hands to the Pringles can.

The Smoky Bacon seems to taste slightly different than the previous bacon-flavored Pringles. I suppose that difference could be considered a “smokiness,” but I feel as though it has a meatier flavor than what I remember the original Bacon Pringles had. However, despite their bolder flavor, I couldn’t say I thoroughly enjoyed the potato crisps. While I feel they taste fine, that greasy flavor that comes with bacon-flavored products is something I can only enjoy in doses.

Because I’m snacking on these slower than a sloth on a sidewalk, I decided to stack the two flavors, and what I tasted was something that made me think of SPAM for some reason. And now that I have that in my head, I’d really like to taste a Hormel SPAM and Pringles collaboration. That would be more exciting than these Smoky flavors.

Purchased Price: $2.59 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Smoky Mesquite BBQ), 5 out of 10 (Smoky Bacon)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 14 crisps) Smoky Mesquite BBQ – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Smoky Bacon – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.