Like any good St. Louisan, I am a devoted fan of Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets. But their tiny little distribution area leaves me without when I travel. So when a bag of Engine Co. 51 Red Hot Ripple potato chips from Minnesota made its way to my office, I thought perhaps my ship had come in.
The name, typeface and ingredient list were eerily similar. They were, in fact, so similar that it set off a short legal battle over trademark infringement. (Click here for a brief summary of the proceedings – including the official exhibit.) But how would the taste compare? Certainly they would be eerily similar, too.
Nay, I tell you! Red Hot Ripple is a reverse-engineered shadow of Red Hot Riplets. There isn’t nearly enough spice and the flavors don’t pop on the tongue. I won’t even get into the utter lack of a satisfying back-of-the-throat burn.
Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets remain the undisputed champion of potato chips. If only you could get them outside of St. Louis.
– Dennis Lowery
This article appears in Jul 1-31, 2009.