Today's Review: Pringles Brazilian Zesty Chilli Style

I'm a sucker for Pringles, so when I was offered the chance to review their new World Cup inspired flavour, I certainly couldn't say no. Thankfully I was also provided with this nice pack shot, as my can turned up with a dent in the side. Apparently Royal Mail are getting into the football spirit a bit early. But hey, most of the Pringles were intact, so it was time to dive in.

These limited edition Pringles are Brazilian Zesty Chilli Style, and they say "style" because these are made in Belgium, not Brazil. But I'm not here for a geography lesson, I'm here for flavour, and thankfully these crisps have a lot of that. When they say "zesty" they're not messing around, these Pringles have a very bold and tangy lime flavour. Most crisps settle for just a hint of lime, but these go all out, and it was actually a pleasant, tasty surprise, although just a little overwhelming. I was also looking forward to the combination of zest and chilli, and while there certainly is a spicy undertone, it's definitely overwhelmed by the lime. This is still a great, tasty flavour, but if there were more of a balance between the different elements I may well be announcing my new favourite flavour of Pringles. But these are definitely near the top.

Brazilian Zesty Chilli Style Pringles are available exclusively in Asda from June, but they won't be around for long, so grab a can while you can.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Strawberry Millions Chocolate Bar

Today I bring you another Cyber Candy pickup in the form of this Millions chocolate bar. Now, I love Millions, they're chewy and flavoursome, and I can quickly devour a whole tube without thinking, but I certainly wouldn't have said I was longing to have some embedded into chocolate. But I guess someone saw a market in that, because here it is. This bar is also available with orange Millions, but I figured I'd enjoy this one more.

Trouble is, I didn't enjoy it all that much. This isn't exactly brand name chocolate here. It tastes quite cheap, but it's still edible I suppose, like those cheap chocolate Santas you can pick up around Christmas. The Millions spread throughout are as good as ever, very chewy and juicy. But the two don't really work together. I don't get why people think chocolate and chewy sweets go together. The chocolate melts quite quickly, while the sweets tend to stick around, which is quite the discrepancy for my taste buds when I'm left with a goopy, strawberry lump that's coated in melted chocolate. Chocolate is nice, Millions are nice, but I don't think they're meant to be together. Perhaps this will be a hit for some Millions fanatics, and it's certainly edible, but I can't say I'd recommend it.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Pretzel & Peanut Butter

I love Dairy Milk, but I also love my chocolate peanut butter treats, be they Kit Kat Chunky or Peanut Butter Cups. I used to have to choose between the two, but now that struggle is no more, thanks to this bar of Dairy Milk that hails from Canada. I picked it up from Cyber Candy for a pretty pricey £3.50, but with a combination of Dairy Milk, peanut butter and pretzels I couldn't pass it up.

I'm gonna say this right off the bat, this bar is amazing. It has the thick, creamy Dairy Milk chocolate that we all know and love, but spread throughout are generous offerings of crunchy pretzel pieces and chips of peanut butter. I was a bit disappointed that the peanut butter was in chip form rather than a layer, but it actually works quite well, allowing the other flavours and textures to come through once in a while, and there wasn't one piece of chocolate that didn't taste distinctly like peanut butter. The pretzels aren't too noticeable in the taste, but I find that they work more to add a lovely crunchy texture, while also accentuating the saltiness of the peanut butter. This is probably the best peanut butter chocolate bar I've ever tasted, it's creamy, sweet, salty, and of course, peanut buttery, all in one. If only Cadbury could release it over here. It would be quite a... Marvellous Creation.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Crunchy Cheetos: Sweet 'N' Sour Twist

I'm a big fan of Crunchy Cheetos, although they're pretty hard to get hold of round here. Still, my dad lives in Oman, where they're easily found, so I always ask him to bring some back when he returns home. The spicy varieties are my favourite, from Flamin' Hot to Cheddar Jalapeño. Yesterday, though, I acquired this sweet 'n' sour flavour, and while I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to shove spicy Cheetos in my face, I was excited to try these out.

The composition of these Cheetos is much like any other Crunchy ones, big, nobbly sticks of crunchy goodness. As for the flavour, they actually taste a lot like the Nice 'N' Spicy Nik Naks you get in the UK, eerily similar in fact. It's not a bad thing, as I absolutely love Nik Naks, and these Cheetos are certainly bigger than the tiny ones you find in our half filled crisp packets. These Cheetos are big, filling, and deliciously spicy and saucy. I haven't yet found a flavour of Crunchy Cheetos that I don't love, and these are a great addition to the line up.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

X-Men: First Class came out three years ago now, and it was a breath of fresh air in a somewhat stagnating series of films (in my opinion anyway). After all the flashy special effect shows with muddied plots and too much Hugh Jackman, it was good to see a nice, grounded attempt at the franchise, with some fantastic actors and a gripping story. I thought the days of the mediocre X-Men were over, until I found out that Days Of Future Past would feature Hugh Jackman again, and would bridge the gap between both past and present X-Men. I was disappointed, but it still certainly showed some promise, so I had to go and see it, didn't I?

We join the X-Men at some point in the near future, where Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Christoper Lee), Wolverine (Jackman) and even Storm (Halle Berry) are struggling to survive against a new enemy that is wiping out mutants across the globe. In a last ditch attempt to save the mutants, Wolverine's consciousness is sent back in time to his 1973 body, so he can find the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and enlist their help to stop the catalyst of the war that threatens all their lives.

It's fair to say I'm not a massive fan of Jackman's Wolverine. He was a main focus for much of the first trilogy, as well as two mediocre movies dedicated entirely to him, so I was hoping that he wouldn't be pulling all the attention this time around. Thankfully, this isn't the case. This movie continues the focus on the early relationship between Xavier and Magneto, and Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique plays a much larger role in the proceedings, one that she handles extremely well. While there are quite a few quiet moments throughout, there is always some great dialogue and chemistry between these three to really keep the movie going. 

But when the dialogue's finished, the action certainly kicks in. There are some fantastic battles in this movie, both in the past and the future, all with impeccable special effects. Magneto in particular gets to show off his chops, and Fassbender adds just the right amount of menace to his conflicted character. There's not a lot of action for action's sake either, all the scenes fit in very nicely with the plot, which may seem confusing at first, but actually moves at a very reasonable pace, with not many questions left unanswered. Like with First Class, the story is woven very well around real historical events, and is never outlandish or boring.

So while I did have my misgivings about this awesome new X-Men series linking itself to a not so great one, Bryan Singer has pulled the two together very effectively. The character balance is great, and the amount of nods to the original trilogy is fantastic. I was particularly impressed with the amount of actors that have returned to portray the heroes from as far back as the original X-Men in 2000. Days Of Future Past is an awesome movie, that manages to take all the best elements from all that came before, and tie them up in one neat package. I'm definitely looking forward to what comes next.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Cathedral City Baked Bites

You can't go wrong with a bit of Cathedral City cheddar, whether it's melted, grated, sliced, or in neat little blocks in snack size packets. But now you can enjoy it another way, baked into some bite size biscuits. Yes, these are basically the Cathedral City version of Mini Cheddars, but I'm always willing to try alternatives, especially when it's from a brand I know I like. Besides, Mini Cheddars are a bit hit and miss with me. I'm not sure what it is, but sometimes I love them, and other times they're just... okay.

These Baked Bites, however, are all good. They're wonderfully crunchy, and have a bold, cheesy flavour that sticks around for a while after the biscuit's gone. I think one of my issues with Mini Cheddars is that they're a little greasy, but the Baked Bites aren't in the slightest. The balance of flavour and texture is just right with these, and I'd gladly sit and eat a whole lot of them in one go, so it's a good thing they come in handy snack packs. If you like a good cheesy snack, you can't pass these up.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Butterkist Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Popcorn

I've tried popcorn in all kinds of interesting savoury flavours, from chilli, to bacon, to worcester sauce. But Butterkist have brought out a more normal salt and vinegar flavour, in keeping with traditional crisp flavours. I couldn't pass these up seeing as I've tried all the other weird and wonderful varieties out there.

The popcorn itself is great quality, as you'd expect from Butterkist. It's light and fluffy, and that really helps to accentuate the flavouring that's generously thrown in. This popcorn has a lovely, tingly salt and vinegar flavour. It may not be as strong as your McCoys, but it doesn't need to be, as the texture of the popcorn means that the salt and vinegar taste comes through nice and bold. While it may not sound too interesting a flavour, this popcorn is another great variety from Butterkist that is very tasty.

My rating: 5/5