Food Review – Neal Brothers Kettle Chips, Part I

A few weeks ago, G-LO received the following email from a representative of Neal Brothers Foods, a Canadian food company:

Hi G-LO,Whether you're hosting a party, entertaining a small group of friends or having a quiet night in, chips are a great snack for every occasion. Add a new twist to an old favorite by trying Neal Brothers Foods gourmet kettle chips with a tasty craft beer or glass of wine for a perfect pairing. Neal Brothers' variety of mouth-watering and savory kettle chips beautifully compliment the flavor notes in any craft beer and wine. With sweet, spicy, smoky and bold flavors, Neal Brothers Kettle Chips offer something for everyone.Flavors include:

• Pink Himalayan Salt (Pair with golden amber, medium-bodied, hints of citrus and pine, prominent hop bitterness)
• Spicy Srirachup (Pair with golden orange, medium-light bodied, hints of fruit and spice, slightly tart, dry)
• Maple Bacon (Copper, medium-light bodied, strong hop bitterness, citrusy, floral, resinous , fruity)
• Montreal Steak Spice (Coppery red, medium-bodied, light hop bitterness, hints of caramel sweetness)

We would love to send you samples to review and to possibly feature paired alongside your favorite beverage!For more information on the company, please see the attached.Thank you,Kelly French
PR and Marketing Associate

Never one to overlook the magic word "samples", G-LO got back to Ms. French lickety split and 4 packages of gourmet potato chips were delivered to his doorstep. As a bit of a backstory, Neal Brothers Foods began in 1988 with Peter and Chris Neal making products in their mom's kitchen. Today, Neal Brothers seeks to offer products made from organic ingredients with a look to sustainability while focusing on the freshest, chemical free ingredients.

While we were given some direction in terms of the beer pairings, we kibitzed about which beer might go best with which chip and arranged for a tasting. As I am on the mend and limited to just a couple of short pours, we decided to split our chip review into two tastings. For our first sampling session, we paired the Montreal Steak Spice with Sixpoint Brewery's The Crisp, a German style Pilsner brewed in New York while the Pink Himalayan Salt was paired with Maine Beer Company's Peeper Ale, an American Pale Ale.

Let's start our review with the Montreal Steak Spice Kettle Chips...

And now our impressions of the Pink Himalayan Salt Kettle Chips...

The Verdict

• Limpd: I really enjoyed the texture and the crunch of both chips. Maybe these aren't the first bags of chips that you would grab in the grocery aisle but they provide a nice change of pace and will work really well during a drinking session with the guys. If you are looking for a healthier alternative and enjoy quality, these Neal Brothers Kettle Chips are worth a try. You won't be disappointed.
• G-LO: Overall, I was quite pleased with the quality of these chips. Our pairings may not have been as perfect as we would have liked, but they weren't bad either. There's only one downside to this whole beer/potato chip pairing thing: You'll eat more and drink more all night long. OK, so maybe that's not such a bad thing.

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Many thanks to Kelly French and Neal Brothers for the samples!

Categories: Brew Review, Maine Beer Company, Sixpoint

Tagged as: Beer, Beer review, Beertography, Drinkwire, Food, Kettle Chip, Maine Beer Company Peeper Pale Ale, Montreal Steak Spice Kettle Chips, Neal Brothers Foods, Pink Himalayan Salt Kettle Chips, Review, Reviews, Sixpoint Crisp